Outlaw quadrupeds
Coyote in Louisiana: 2026-27 seasons, limits and where to hunt
Seasons, limits, license prices and where to hunt coyotes in 2026-27.
Photo: ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0)
The 2026-27 picture for coyotes
Louisiana lists coyotes as open year-round, with day rules statewide and extra night rules on private land. Limit in one line (coyote): No limit. Background from LDWF: 2025-26 survey: 45,700.
- In short (coyote): Outlaw quadruped: year-round daylight; nighttime on private land with permission; trapping season.
- Take (coyote): No limit.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, LDWF outlaw quadrupeds page and LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Coyote: statewide or local rules
No zone limits coyotes; daylight hunting is statewide all year and night take is private land only.
Parish rules: A parish governing authority may, with the secretary's consent, close or curtail open seasons for up to one year by ordinance.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30 and Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56, checked November 4, 2026.
Every coyote season row
The coyote calendar holds 2 lines; zone links lead to the pages where dates change by area.
| Window | Zone or area | Begins | Through | Days | Right now | Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | Year-round | No limit. | |
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 20, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 132 | No limit stated. |
What the coyote rows add
- Coyote note: dog running prohibited in turkey areas during turkey season; chase only with dogs during still-hunt segments of deer firearm and archery seasons.
- Coyote note: WMA trapping seasons differ (see the WMA table in the trapping regulations).
From 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, checked November 4, 2026.
Coyote: the harvest record
For coyotes the 2025-26 Big and Small Game Harvest Survey is the only harvest source: hunters, birds or animals taken, and a confidence range.
| Survey line | Hunters | 2025-26 | Interval | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coyote | 19,300 | 45,700 | 32,700 to 58,700 | 55,000 |
From LDWF Big and Small Game Harvest Survey 2025-26, checked November 4, 2026.
Coyote: limit rows
The coyote limits come from the pamphlet and the LDWF season pages, with each row's own bag after them.
| Applies to | Rule |
|---|---|
| Crow, pheasant, outlaw quadrupeds | No limit. |
| Trapping | No limit stated. |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30, checked November 4, 2026.
Coyote: licenses and stamps
Licenses (or license numbers) and physical ID must be carried; driver's license endorsements for lifetime license and hunter education are accepted.
| License | Holder | Fee | Lasts | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Hunting | Resident | $20 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident | $200 | 365 days from purchase | – |
| Basic Hunting | Native nonresident, 10 days | $20 | 10 consecutive days | – |
| Basic Hunting | Nonresident, 5 days | $65 | 5 days | – |
| Trapper | Resident | $40 (fee list: $25) | Through June 30 | – |
| Trapper | Nonresident | $160 (fee list: $200) | Through June 30 | – |
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 8, LDWF hunting licenses page and LDWF fee list, checked November 4, 2026.
Louisiana public land with coyote seasons
34 public places carry coyotes in their 2026-27 schedules or species lists; the biggest are below.
| Public land | Kind | Parish | Acres | Lottery hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisatchie NF | Nat. forest | Grant, Natchitoches +5 | 607,483 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District | Forest district | Rapides, Vernon | 183,020 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Winn District | Forest district | Winn, Natchitoches +1 | 166,792 | – |
| Kisatchie NF, Catahoula District | Forest district | Grant, Rapides | 122,860 | – |
| Fort Polk-Vernon WMA | WMA | Vernon | 105,545 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie District | Forest district | Natchitoches | 102,489 | – |
| Tensas River NWR | Refuge | Madison, Tensas | 80,904 | Yes |
| Fort Polk North WMA | WMA | Natchitoches, Sabine +1 | 74,309 | Yes |
| Richard K. Yancey WMA | WMA | Concordia | 70,872 | Yes |
| Dewey W. Wills WMA | WMA | Catahoula, LaSalle +1 | 63,984 | Yes |
| Upper Ouachita NWR | Refuge | Morehouse, Union | 56,553 | – |
| Clear Creek WMA | WMA | Vernon | 52,559 | Yes |
| Delta NWR | Refuge | Plaquemines | 49,389 | – |
| Pearl River WMA | WMA | St. Tammany | 35,619 | Yes |
| Kisatchie NF, Caney District | Forest district | Claiborne, Webster | 32,322 | – |
From this site’s public land records (LDWF area pages, the 2026-27 WMA schedules and federal rules), checked November 4, 2026.
Coyote: guns, bows and methods
| Row | May use | May not use |
|---|---|---|
| Deer modern firearms | Coyote: Centerfire .22 cal+, rimfire .30 cal+, shotguns with buckshot or slug, handguns, pre-charged pneumatic devices (.30 cal+, 150 gr+, 800 fps or 215 ft-lb). | Not for coyote: smaller calibers or bird shot; night-vision or laser/IR sights. |
| Trapping | Coyote: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch. | Not for coyote: traps with teeth (Title 56, section 121.1); traps set more than one day before the season or left after it. |
- Night-vision, laser and IR sights (coyote): Prohibited for game, except private-land nighttime take of outlaw quadrupeds, nutria and beaver and permitted visually impaired hunters.
- Dogs (coyote): Deer may be hunted with dogs only in designated "with or without dogs" segments; archery and primitive seasons and still-hunt areas are dog-free; One leashed/GPS-collared tracking dog may trail wounded deer on private land; Coyote running with dogs banned in turkey areas during turkey season.
- Suppressors (coyote): Legal with ATF registration; persons convicted of a class four or greater hunting violation may not hunt with a suppressor for five years.
Drones are banned on WMAs for all hunting, including for coyotes.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 25, 2026-2027 Louisiana trapping regulations, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 30 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 27, checked November 4, 2026.
Coyote: orange, tags and transport
- Coyote: orange or pink: Anyone hunting any wildlife during the open firearms deer season and possessing buckshot, slugs, a primitive firearm or a centerfire firearm must display at least 400 square inches of hunter orange or blaze pink on the head, chest and/or back; On WMAs the rule widens: on WMAs all hunters (including archers and small game hunters) and trappers, except waterfowl and mourning dove hunters, must display 400 square inches and wear an orange or pink cap during open firearms deer seasons; quail/woodcock hunters and special dog seasons need at least a cap; concealed deer blinds need 400 square inches visible 360 degrees.
- Coyote tagging: LDWF sets no tag or check-in for coyotes; on WMAs the daily Self-Clearing Permit still records the trip.
- Night rule: Landowner, or lessee/agent with written permission and landowner contact information; one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise; notify the parish sheriff within 24 hours before (or immediately after) the take; Not allowed for persons with a class 3+ wildlife conviction in the last 5 years.
- Hunter education (coyote): Anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course before hunting, unless under direct supervision (voice and sight) of a licensed hunter born before Sept 1, 1969 or an 18+ adult with proof of hunter education.
From 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 26, 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 24 and 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, PDF p. 12, checked November 4, 2026.
Coyote legal light by parish
Times for coyotes are worked out for the centre of each parish with the NOAA solar formula; LDWF prints the rule but no sunrise and sunset table.
LDWF hour rule for coyotes: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
| When | Event | Parish | Sunrise | Sunset | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Caddo Parish | 7:13 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Ouachita Parish | 7:06 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Rapides Parish | 7:04 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Calcasieu Parish | 7:05 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | St. Tammany Parish | 6:52 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Caddo Parish | 6:08 a.m. | 8:26 p.m. | 5:38 a.m. to 8:56 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Ouachita Parish | 6:01 a.m. | 8:19 p.m. | 5:31 a.m. to 8:49 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Rapides Parish | 6:06 a.m. | 8:17 p.m. | 5:36 a.m. to 8:47 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Calcasieu Parish | 6:12 a.m. | 8:18 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 8:48 p.m. |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | St. Tammany Parish | 5:58 a.m. | 8:05 p.m. | 5:28 a.m. to 8:35 p.m. |
Rules from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations and La. R.S. 56:116.1; sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 4, 2026. Legal hours for all 64 parishes.
Coyote walking along a grassy roadside. Photo: David Minty (CC BY 2.0)
Coyote standing in the open. Photo: U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0)
Coyote standing on a dirt mound in low sun. Photo: Renee Grayson (CC BY 2.0)
Coyote, answered
Is there public land for coyotes in Louisiana?
34 areas, led by Kisatchie NF, Kisatchie NF, Calcasieu District and Kisatchie NF, Winn District. WMAs need the Access Permit and a Self-Clearing Permit.
Do coyote hunters need hunter orange in Louisiana?
Anyone hunting any wildlife during the open firearms deer season and possessing buckshot, slugs, a primitive firearm or a centerfire firearm must display at least 400 sq. in. of hunter orange or blaze pink on the head, chest and/or back. On WMAs the rule widens: on WMAs all hunters (including archers and small game hunters) and trappers, except waterfowl and mourning dove hunters, must display 400 sq. in. and wear an orange or pink cap during open firearms deer seasons; quail/woodcock hunters and special dog seasons need at least a cap; concealed deer blinds need 400 sq. in. visible 360 degrees.
Is there a check-in for coyotes?
LDWF sets no tag or check-in for coyotes; on WMAs the daily Self-Clearing Permit still records the trip.
When does coyote hunting start each day?
Coyote hunting is legal one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The hours table works them out per parish; East Baton Rouge on December 21, 2026 has sunrise 6:57 a.m. and sunset 5:07 p.m..
Does Louisiana allow thermal hunting for coyotes?
Landowner, or lessee/agent with written permission and landowner contact information; one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise; notify the parish sheriff within 24 hours before (or immediately after) the take. Not allowed for persons with a class 3+ wildlife conviction in the last 5 years.
Can coyotes be hunted seven days a week?
No statewide Sunday restriction appears in the 2026-27 pamphlet or Title 56, so coyote seasons run seven days a week outside some WMA schedules.
When does the Louisiana coyote season open?
Every day of the license year.
How popular is coyote hunting in Louisiana?
Coyote 2025-26: about 45,700 taken by 19,300 hunters (survey estimate, 95% interval plus or minus 13,000).
How much does it cost to hunt coyotes in Louisiana?
For coyotes: Basic Hunting $20 resident, $200 nonresident; Trapper $40 (fee list: $25) (resident). Everyone 18 or older who hunts coyotes carries a Basic Hunting License or one that includes it.
Is there a limit on coyotes in Louisiana?
No limit.
Can I use a rifle on coyotes in Louisiana?
Deer modern firearms rules for coyotes: Centerfire .22 cal+, rimfire .30 cal+, shotguns with buckshot or slug, handguns, pre-charged pneumatic devices (.30 cal+, 150 gr+, 800 fps or 215 ft-lb). Trapping rules for coyotes: Traps and snares; nutria by rifle sunrise-sunset for licensed trappers; firearms to dispatch.
Other photos on this page: David Minty (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0); Renee Grayson (CC BY 2.0).