Coyote Hunting Laws in Kansas: Season Dates, Licenses, and Rules You Need to Know

Kansas is one of the most hunter-friendly states in the country when it comes to coyote hunting. There is no closed season, no bag limit, and a relatively straightforward licensing structure that makes it accessible to residents and nonresidents alike. Whether you plan to call coyotes during a January morning or run traps through the fall, understanding the specific rules the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) enforces will keep you legal and in the field.

Regulations in Kansas have also been evolving. KDWP made significant changes to the night vision coyote hunting season starting in the 2025–2026 cycle, expanding the window and adding a formal permit structure. If you hunted Kansas before those changes, it is worth reviewing the updated rules before your next outing. This guide covers everything from basic season information to trapping gear restrictions and landowner rights.

Is Coyote Hunting Legal in Kansas?

Yes, coyote hunting is fully legal in Kansas. The coyote (Canis latrans) is not classified as a furbearing animal under Kansas law, which places it in a separate regulatory category that allows for year-round pursuit. There is no closed season for trapping or hunting coyotes in Kansas. That open-season status makes the state a popular destination for predator hunters looking for maximum flexibility.

Coyote take is open statewide year-round, and there is no bag limit. You can hunt as many coyotes as you want across the calendar year, provided you hold the appropriate license and follow the applicable equipment and access rules. The absence of a bag limit reflects the state’s wildlife management approach to coyotes as a species that requires active population control rather than harvest conservation.

Kansas also allows coyote hunting on public lands managed by KDWP, though some equipment restrictions — particularly for night vision gear — apply specifically to those areas. For a broader look at how Kansas manages all hunting activity, the hunting laws in Kansas guide provides useful context on general licensing and access rules.

Pro Tip: Even though coyote hunting is open year-round, you still need a valid hunting license before you head out. Confirm your license is active before each season, especially if you purchased an annual license that may have expired.

Coyote Hunting Season Dates in Kansas

There is no closed season for trapping or hunting coyotes in Kansas. You can pursue coyotes on any day of the year using standard daytime hunting methods without any seasonal restriction. This open framework is one of the broadest in the region and gives hunters the ability to target coyotes whenever conditions are favorable.

The one area where specific season dates matter is night vision and special equipment hunting. Hunters using night vision equipment now have a longer season to pursue coyotes, with the updated season running from September 1 to March 31, excluding firearm deer seasons. This represents an expansion from the previous January 1 to March 31 window that was in place before the 2025–2026 regulatory cycle.

Due to the timing of the regulation change, the 2025–2026 season only included the following dates: September 29 through December 2, 2025; December 15 through December 31, 2025; and January 1 through March 31, 2026. Going forward under the updated framework, the full September 1 through March 31 window applies each year, with gaps carved out for antlered firearm deer seasons.

Pro Tip: Kansas firearm deer seasons typically run in late November and early December. Check the current KDWP deer season calendar each fall to know exactly which dates are excluded from the night vision coyote season.

License and Permit Requirements for Coyote Hunting in Kansas

Kansas uses a two-license structure for coyotes depending on your method of take. A furharvester license is required to trap coyotes, and a hunting license is required to hunt them. These are separate credentials, so if you plan to both hunt and trap coyotes in the same season, you need both. The same license required to take coyotes is also required to sell their pelts.

All resident hunters age 16 through 74 must have a resident hunting license unless exempt, and nonresident hunters, regardless of age, must have a nonresident license. Resident hunters age 65 through 74 qualify for senior annual hunting licenses at $15, or annual hunt/fish combination licenses at $25. As of August 2025, KDWP also added new multi-year senior license options for residents between ages 64 and 74, including a Five-Year Hunting License for $50.

Furharvester education is also a factor for many hunters. Persons born on or after July 1, 1966, must successfully complete a furharvester education course approved by KDWP to purchase a furharvester license or hunt, run, or trap furbearers or trap coyotes on lands other than their own. This requirement applies whether you are a resident or nonresident. The course is available through KDWP, and duplicate certificates can be obtained at no cost from regional offices.

Activity	License Required	Notes
Hunting coyotes	Hunting license	Resident age 16–74 or any nonresident
Trapping coyotes	Furharvester license	Education course required if born after July 1, 1966
Selling coyote pelts	Same license used to take them	Live wild-caught coyotes cannot be sold
Night vision hunting	Hunting license + Night Vision Equipment Permit	Permit required in addition to standard hunting license

Persons not required to have a furharvester license include owners of land or tenants of land leased or rented for agricultural purposes, and their immediate family members living with them, while furharvesting on that land; residents 13 and younger accompanied by a licensed furharvester; and legally-defined Native American Kansas residents who must apply for a free license. These exemptions apply to the furharvesting activity itself — a furharvester license is still required of these exempt individuals when selling furbearers or their pelts.

Legal Methods and Weapons for Coyote Hunting in Kansas

Legal equipment for coyote hunting includes firearms (except fully automatic) and archery equipment. Air rifles are not considered firearms and may not be used to hunt coyotes. That distinction matters for hunters who use air rifles for small game — the rule is clear that coyotes require a conventional firearm or archery setup. For a comparison of how archery-specific rules work in Kansas more broadly, see the bow hunting laws in Kansas guide.

Calls, lures, baits, and decoys may be used to take coyotes. There are no restrictions on electronic calls during standard daytime hunting, which makes Kansas straightforward compared to states that limit electronic call use to specific seasons or species. The use of motor vehicles for taking coyotes is permitted while hunting coyotes, except when using night vision or special equipment during the permitted night vision season. The use of radios in land or water vehicles is also permitted for the taking of coyotes.

The use of dogs for hunting coyotes and during running seasons is permitted. Dogs are a common tool for running and treeing predators, and Kansas regulations accommodate this method. Lures, baits, and decoys may be used in the taking of furbearers and coyotes. The use of horses and mules is also permitted while hunting, trapping, or running furbearers and coyotes.

Pro Tip: On public KDWP lands, baiting while hunting or preparing to hunt is illegal. This restriction applies across all species, including coyotes, so avoid using food-based attractants on wildlife areas and state fishing lakes.

Night Hunting and Electronic Call Rules in Kansas

Kansas allows night hunting for coyotes, but the rules differ significantly depending on what equipment you use. Standard night hunting — without special optics — is permitted year-round. Coyotes may be taken at night, but use of artificial light, including optics that project or amplify light, is prohibited except in specific circumstances. Those exceptions include handheld, battery-powered flashlights, hat lamps, or handheld lanterns used with .17 and .22 rimfire rifles and handguns to take trapped coyotes or furbearers treed by hounds.

For hunters who want to use thermal imaging, night vision scopes, or artificial light beyond those handheld exceptions, the dedicated night vision permit season applies. Artificial light, scopes and equipment that amplify visible light, and thermal imaging scopes and thermal imaging equipment may be used to hunt coyotes from September 1 through March 31, with the exception of antlered deer firearm seasons. Use of this equipment is not permitted on department lands and waters, including WIHA, and may not be used in conjunction with the use of a vehicle.

A $2.50 Night Vision Equipment Permit is required in addition to standard hunting license requirements. This permit is specific to coyote hunting — no other species may be taken during this season with this equipment. The permit fee was originally established to cover KDWP’s administrative costs and to measure demand for the season, which first launched in 2021 after commissioners approved it in 2020.

Electronic calls are legal for coyote hunting in Kansas and are not subject to the same seasonal restrictions that apply to some other species. You can run an electronic caller during any legal coyote hunting period, day or night, as long as you are not violating other applicable rules such as the night vision equipment restrictions outside the permitted season.

Equipment Type	Permitted Season	Permit Required	Allowed on KDWP/WIHA Lands
Firearms / archery (daytime)	Year-round	Hunting license only	Yes (with access rules)
Handheld flashlight with .22/.17 rimfire	Year-round (trapping/hound use)	Hunting license only	Yes
Night vision / thermal / artificial light	Sept. 1 – March 31 (excl. firearm deer seasons)	Hunting license + Night Vision Equipment Permit	No
Electronic calls	Year-round	Hunting license only	Yes (check area rules)

For comparison on how neighboring states handle similar night hunting frameworks, see the guides on coyote hunting laws in Missouri and coyote hunting laws in Colorado.

Trapping Coyotes in Kansas

Trapping coyotes in Kansas requires a furharvester license, and the state maintains detailed rules on what gear is legal and how traps must be managed. Trapping equipment permitted during furbearer and coyote trapping seasons includes smooth-jawed foothold traps, except that all types of foothold traps may be used in water sets. Body-gripping traps, box traps, cage traps, snares, colony traps, and deadfalls are also permitted under Kansas law.

Each body-gripping trap with an inside jawspread of eight inches or greater, when measured across the jaws at a 90-degree angle, shall be used only in a water set. This restriction is designed to reduce non-target catches on dryland sets. Snares are prohibited in dryland sets within 50 feet of the outside edge of a public road or within five feet of a fence bordering a public road, though landowners and tenants or their family members or agents may use snares in rights-of-way adjacent to their lands.

All traps, including snares and deadfalls, must be tagged with the user’s name and address or KDWP-issued number. They must be tended and inspected at least once every day. This daily check requirement is a firm legal obligation, not a recommendation. Missing a trap check is a violation regardless of whether any animal has been caught.

When checking traps at night, any .22 or .17 caliber rimfire rifle or handgun may be used to take trapped furbearers or trapped coyotes when using a light to check traps. This is one of the specific exceptions to the general prohibition on artificial light use during non-permitted hours. Live, wild-caught furbearers and coyotes may not be sold or purchased in Kansas, and these restrictions apply to internet sales as well.

Pro Tip: If you plan to sell coyote pelts, remember that a fur dealer’s license is required to buy raw pelts, and you may only sell raw pelts to a licensed fur dealer. Skinned carcasses and meat may be sold or given away separately under different rules.

For context on how trapping rules compare in nearby states, the coyote hunting laws in Minnesota and coyote hunting laws in Illinois guides cover similar furbearer trapping frameworks.

Landowner Rights and Depredation Rules in Kansas

Kansas law provides meaningful protections for landowners dealing with coyote conflicts, particularly those in agricultural settings. The most significant exemption involves the furharvester license requirement. Owners of land or tenants of land leased or rented for agricultural purposes, and their immediate family members living with them, are not required to have a furharvester license while furharvesting on that land. This means a farmer or rancher can trap coyotes on their own property without obtaining a furharvester license — though the standard hunting license is still required if they choose to hunt rather than trap.

This exemption covers the furharvesting activity itself. A furharvester license is required of these exempt individuals when selling furbearers or their pelts. So if you trap coyotes on your own land and want to sell the pelts, you need to get licensed before doing so. The exemption is for personal control and management, not commercial harvest.

Motor vehicles and radios in vehicles may be used to hunt coyotes. This is a significant practical advantage for landowners and ranchers who need to cover large amounts of ground when managing coyote pressure on their property. The ability to drive and communicate while actively hunting coyotes is a permission that does not extend to most other species in Kansas.

Kansas does not have a separate formal depredation permit system for coyotes the way some states do for other species. Because coyotes have no closed season and no bag limit statewide, landowners already have broad authority to address coyote problems through legal hunting and trapping at any time of year. The practical effect is that a Kansas landowner with a hunting license can respond to a coyote problem immediately, without waiting for a permit or special authorization. For a comparison of how depredation frameworks differ in neighboring states, see the guides on coyote hunting laws in Texas and coyote hunting laws in Indiana.

Only landowners or tenants of land immediately adjacent to the right-of-way of a public road, or their immediate family members or authorized agents, may set slide-locking wire or snare-type cable traps as dryland sets within five feet of a fence bordering a public road or within 50 feet of the outside edge of the surface of a public road. This rule gives adjacent landowners a specific tool for managing coyotes near road corridors without opening that access to the general public.

Pro Tip: Even on your own land, you still need a valid hunting license to hunt coyotes. The landowner exemption only removes the furharvester license requirement for trapping — it does not eliminate the hunting license requirement for those who prefer to shoot rather than trap.

Kansas coyote regulations strike a practical balance between open access and targeted restrictions. The year-round season and no-bag-limit framework give hunters and landowners maximum flexibility, while the night vision permit season and equipment rules ensure that newer technologies are used within a defined, manageable structure. Before each season, confirm current dates and permit requirements directly with KDWP’s official coyote season page, as regulations can be updated through the annual regulatory process. For additional context on how coyote rules compare across the region, the guides on coyote hunting laws in Pennsylvania, coyote hunting laws in Wisconsin, and coyote hunting laws in Virginia are useful references.