Coyote Hunting Texas, Laws, Regulations, Season, & License Info

Coyote classification & license in Texas

What is the classification of coyotes in Texas?

Coyotes are a nongame animal in Texas. TPWD defines the category plainly: “There are no closed seasons, bag limits or possession limits; and, they may be hunted at any time by any lawful means or methods on private property.”¹

That single sentence does most of the work on this page. Almost every “can I…” question below resolves to yes, on private property, because Texas simply does not regulate the take of nongame animals the way it regulates deer.

Are coyotes protected in Texas?

No. Coyotes hold no protected status and there is no closed season. They are not a game animal and not a furbearer for season purposes.

Is a hunting license required to hunt coyotes in Texas?

Yes, with one significant exception. TPWD states: “A hunting license is required for the take of nongame species.”²

The exception is depredation: “No hunting license is required to hunt depredating coyotes on private property with landowner authorization.”³ That is a narrow carve-out for animals actually causing damage — it is not a general license exemption, and it does not apply on public land. See shooting on your own property below.

A non-resident pays more, and may need a different license — see what a non-resident needs.

Is hunter education required?

Yes, on the same terms as any other Texas hunting license — TPWD notes that “All laws and regulations governing hunter education requirements still apply.”⁴ Hunter education is mandatory for every license holder born on or after 1 September 1971.

Can a non-resident hunt coyotes in Texas?

Yes. Two licenses cover it:

• Non-resident General Hunting License — $315, valid for “any legal bird or animal (including deer).”⁴
• Non-resident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic — $48, valid to hunt “exotic animals, all legal game birds (except wild turkey), all non-game animals, fur-bearing animals, squirrel, and javelina.”⁴

For a coyote-only trip the 5-day license is the obvious choice — it is $267 cheaper and it explicitly covers nongame animals. Licenses run from purchase through 31 August.

See also is a hunting license required — the license rules there, and the exemptions and add-ons that go with them, apply to you too.

Coyote season, hours & bag limits in Texas

What is the season for coyote hunting in Texas?

There is no season — year-round, no opening day. This follows from the nongame classification described above.

What is the bag limit for coyotes in Texas?

There is none, for the same reason — see classification.

What are the legal hunting hours for coyotes in Texas?

There are no restricted hours on private property. The sunrise-to-sunset rule that governs game animals does not apply to nongame. See night hunting.

Can you hunt coyotes during deer season in Texas?

Yes, but be careful what you are carrying and where. Public hunting lands carry their own restrictions during general seasons, and on private land the limiting factor is landowner permission rather than TPWD rules.

Night hunting coyotes in Texas: lights, night vision & thermal

Can you hunt coyotes at night in Texas?

Yes. Because coyotes are nongame, the sunrise-to-sunset restriction that governs game animals does not reach them — see classification.

TPWD adds one practical note: “If hunting at night, as a courtesy please contact your local game warden.”⁵ That is a courtesy, not a legal requirement — but a two-minute call has saved a lot of people a very long conversation in a dark pasture.

Texas is one of the best night states in the country for this reason. If you are new to it, start with how to hunt coyotes at night.

Can you use artificial lights for coyote hunting in Texas?

Yes on private property. Texas prohibits artificial light for hunting game animals or game birds⁶ — coyotes are neither, so that prohibition does not reach them.

One caveat that catches people: it is unlawful to “take ANY nongame species for commercial purposes … with the aid of an artificial light.”⁷ Recreational take is fine; taking for sale under a light is not.

Can you use night vision in Texas?

Yes, on private property, under the same reasoning as artificial lights — nongame animals sit outside the game-animal equipment restrictions.

Can you use thermal in Texas?

Yes, on private property. Texas is one of the few states with no thermal restriction on coyotes at all, which is why so much of the thermal hunting industry is based there.

Are there specific weapons restrictions for hunting coyotes at night in Texas?

No night-specific weapon restrictions apply to nongame animals on private property. The general rules in firearms and ammunition still apply.

Firearms & ammunition for coyotes in Texas

What firearms are allowed or restricted for coyote hunting in Texas?

On private property, any lawful means or methods — see classification. Nongame animals may also be taken with air guns and arrow guns.⁸

The practical answer is the same as everywhere: a flat-shooting centerfire in .223, .22-250, .204 Ruger or .243. See the best coyote gun for the full comparison.

Are there any ammunition restrictions?

None for nongame animals in Texas. There is no lead restriction and no bullet-type restriction on coyotes.

Can you hunt using a .22 LR or other rimfire cartridge?

Yes. Rimfire is legal for nongame animals. Whether it is enough cartridge is a separate argument — I would not take a .22 LR past 75 yards on a coyote.

Is there a magazine capacity limit for hunting coyotes in Texas?

No. TPWD is explicit that there are “no restrictions on the number of shells or cartridges a legal firearm may hold when hunting game animals or game birds”⁹ — and nongame animals are less restricted still. An AR-15 with a 30-round magazine is legal for coyotes in Texas.

Are suppressors allowed for coyote hunting in Texas?

Yes. TPWD lists, among the things it is legal to do, “suppressors (aka “silencers”): may be used to take any wildlife resource.”¹⁰ Federal NFA rules still apply — you need the ATF approval and tax stamp.

Calls, decoys, bait & dogs in Texas

Are electronic calls allowed for coyote hunting in Texas?

Yes. No restriction applies to nongame animals — mouth calls and electronic callers are both legal, day or night.

Are decoys allowed for coyote hunting in Texas?

Yes, including motion decoys. The moving-parts restrictions that apply to big game decoys do not apply to coyotes.

Is baiting allowed for coyote hunting in Texas?

Yes. TPWD lists it as legal to “bait for game animals, nongame animals, and upland game birds, except for wild turkey in the East Zone and migratory game birds.”¹¹

Can you use dogs to hunt coyotes in Texas?

Yes. Dogs are legal for nongame animals.

Private property, vehicles & public land access in Texas

Is it legal to shoot coyotes on private property (e.g. in your backyard) in Texas?

On rural private property, yes — with landowner permission, and no license needed if the animal is depredating (see license).

In a backyard inside city limits, almost certainly not. State wildlife law is not the binding constraint there; municipal firearm-discharge ordinances are, and nearly every Texas city has one. TPWD’s rules tell you the coyote is fair game. They do not give you permission to fire a rifle inside Houston. Check your city ordinance first.

Can you hunt coyotes from a motorized vehicle in Texas?

Yes, on private land. TPWD allows hunters to “hunt animals and non-migratory game birds from a motor vehicle, powerboat, sailboat, or from any other floating device within the boundaries of private property or upon private water.”¹²

Public roads are a different matter: it is prohibited to “hunt on public roads or the right-of-way of public roads,” and discharging a firearm on or across a public road is unlawful.¹³

Can you hunt coyotes on public land in Texas?

Texas is roughly 95% privately owned, so public-land coyote hunting is a small part of the picture. Where public hunting is available it runs through the Annual Public Hunting Permit, and those areas carry their own restrictions — the blanket “any lawful means on private property” language above does not extend to them. Read the permit’s area listing before you go.

Is it legal to trap or snare coyotes in Texas?

Yes. Trapping is legal, and a trapping license is required to sell the pelts — see selling pelts.

Is it legal to poison coyotes in Texas?

Poisons are tightly restricted and regulated at both federal and state level, and the products involved are restricted-use pesticides. This is not a do-it-yourself matter — contact TPWD or Texas Wildlife Services.

Are there protected areas or additional local restrictions in Texas?

Yes, two kinds: municipal firearm-discharge ordinances (see property), and public hunting area rules. State parks and national wildlife refuges have their own regimes.

After the shot: pelts, bounties & contests in Texas

Are there regulations for possessing or transporting dead coyotes or pelts?

Dead coyotes and pelts move freely. Live coyotes do not — TPWD lists it as unlawful to “transport or sell live coyotes, as they are currently under a statewide rabies quarantine.”¹⁴ That quarantine is the single most-missed rule in Texas.

Can you sell coyote pelts, and do you need a license?

Selling raw furs requires the appropriate trapping or fur-dealer license from TPWD. Confirm the current license class with TPWD before your first sale — the categories change more often than the rules they govern.

Is there a coyote bounty program in Texas?

No statewide bounty. Some county and private landowner programs exist, but there is no TPWD bounty.

Are coyote contests legal in Texas?

Yes. Texas has not banned predator hunting contests, unlike California and Oregon.

Coyotes in Texas

Are there coyotes in Texas?

Yes — in all 254 counties, from the Panhandle to the Gulf, and increasingly inside the major metros. Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio all have established urban coyote populations.

Are Texas coyotes dangerous?

To people, very rarely. Coyote attacks on adults are extraordinarily uncommon and almost always involve an animal that has been fed by humans. To unattended pets and small livestock, they are a genuine and routine threat — that is what most depredation complaints are about.

When is coyote mating season in Texas?

Breeding runs roughly January into March, with pups on the ground by April and May. Males cover more ground and respond more aggressively to calls during the breeding window, which is why late winter is the best calling of the year.

When are coyotes most active in Texas?

First and last light, year-round, with more night movement through the hot months. For the full breakdown of season, weather windows, time of day and moon phase, see when to hunt coyotes.

Anything else worth noting about coyote hunting in Texas

Texas is the least restrictive coyote state in the country, and the practical constraint is almost never TPWD — it is access. With 95% of the state in private hands, the hunt starts with a landowner conversation, not a regulation. Get permission in writing, ask specifically about night hunting and vehicles, and be the guy who closes the gates.

Is it legal to own a coyote as a pet in Texas?

No. Live coyotes may not be transported or sold — see transporting coyotes.

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