Coyote Hunting Laws in Colorado: What Every Hunter Needs to Know
May 27, 2026
Colorado offers some of the most accessible coyote hunting in the American West, with wide-open plains, mountain foothills, and sprawling public lands that give hunters plenty of room to work. But before you head out, you need to understand exactly what the state requires — and the rules have changed in recent years in ways that catch some hunters off guard.
This guide walks you through the coyote hunting laws in Colorado that are currently in effect, covering everything from season dates and license requirements to night hunting rules, trapping restrictions, and what landowners can legally do on their own property. Always verify the latest details with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) before you hunt, as regulations can be updated annually.
Is Coyote Hunting Legal in Colorado
Yes, coyote hunting is fully legal in Colorado. Coyotes are defined as a furbearer in Colorado, which means they fall under the state’s furbearer hunting framework managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Hunting furbearers is a time-honored traditional hunt and a great starter hunt for new hunters. Furbearers include mink, pine marten, badger, red fox, gray fox, swift fox, western spotted skunk, striped skunk, beaver, muskrat, long-tailed weasel, short-tailed weasel, bobcat, opossum, ring-tailed cat, raccoon, and coyote.
Coyotes are among the species that can be hunted year-round in Colorado, including on private land with landowner permission and subject to local regulations. There is no statewide bag limit, making Colorado an attractive destination for predator hunters looking for consistent, unrestricted opportunity. You can explore more about coyote behavior and habitat to plan your hunts more effectively.
Key Insight: While coyote hunting is broadly permitted in Colorado, the licensing rules changed starting with the 2025 season. Make sure you understand the updated requirements before heading out.
It is also worth noting that contests involving coyotes are prohibited. A contest is any competitive event where money or other valuable prizes are awarded for the taking of these species. Certificates or similar tokens of recognition without significant monetary value are not considered valuable prizes.
Coyote Hunting Season Dates in Colorado
Colorado does not impose a closed season on coyotes. There is no specified season for hunting coyotes in Colorado — they may be hunted year-round. This open-season structure reflects the state’s management approach to coyotes as both a furbearer and a species that can cause agricultural damage.
There is also no bag limit for coyotes in Colorado — the limit is unlimited. That said, hunting hours do apply. Small game may be taken from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Furbearers, however, may be hunted from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Additionally, raccoon, coyote, bobcat, striped skunk, beaver, and red fox may be hunted at night under specific conditions covered in the night hunting section below.
Pro Tip: Although coyotes can be hunted year-round, many experienced Colorado hunters target them during the colder months when fur is prime and coyotes are more responsive to calls. Check out hunting laws and seasons in neighboring states like Montana and Idaho if you plan multi-state predator hunts.
Coyote hunting in Colorado is traditionally done during the colder months when the hides are prime for harvest. However, as the sport becomes more popular, hunters are extending their seasons into the spring and summer months.
License and Permit Requirements for Coyote Hunting in Colorado
License requirements for coyote hunting in Colorado have undergone a notable change. Starting with the 2025 hunting season, CPW updated the rules for who must carry a license. Hunters with an unfilled big-game license can no longer take coyotes with their unfilled tag. Coyote hunters must now have a small game license and take the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey to harvest coyotes in Colorado.
You may hunt coyote with a furbearer license, a small game license, or a small game license with a furbearer harvest permit. Coyote hunters must register with the Harvest Information Program on CPWShop.com before their license is valid.
| License Type | Covers Coyote Hunting? | HIP Registration Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Small Game License | Yes | Yes |
| Furbearer License | Yes | Yes (for coyote specifically) |
| Small Game + Furbearer Harvest Permit | Yes | Yes |
| Unfilled Big Game License (2025 onward) | No longer valid for coyote | N/A |
Hunters planning to use their small game license to hunt coyote must obtain their Harvest Information Program (HIP) number online at CPWShop.com, at any CPW location or sales agent, or by calling an automated phone service at 1-855-521-3050, before they can legally hunt.
If you hunt furbearers only (excluding coyotes) and do not hunt waterfowl or small game in Colorado, you do not need to register with HIP. Hunters for all other species of small game and coyotes must register with HIP before hunting small game during the current seasons.
Additional requirements for purchasing a license include: proper identification and proof of residency for Colorado residents, proof of hunter education, a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for hunters age 12 and older per federal law, and a habitat stamp — an annual fee of $12.76 — automatically added to a license purchase for anyone ages 18 to 64.
Important Note: The 2026 CPW brochure with updated season dates and fees will be available in August 2026. Until then, the 2025 brochure remains the reference document for hunters planning their hunts. Always confirm current license fees directly at CPWShop.com before purchasing.
All hunters born after January 1, 1949, must pass a hunter education course before getting a Colorado hunting license. This is in addition to the specific license you need based on the game you plan to hunt. Hunters from other states can also legally pursue coyotes in Colorado — non-residents may hunt coyotes with a valid Colorado hunting license. For a comparison of how other states handle predator hunting licenses, see our guides on hunting laws in Kansas and hunting laws in Arkansas.
Legal Methods and Weapons for Coyote Hunting in Colorado
Colorado gives coyote hunters broad flexibility when it comes to legal weapons and methods of take. Legal methods of take include any rifle, handgun, shotgun, handheld bow or crossbow, live traps (limited to cage or box traps), and air gun (pre-charged pneumatic air gun .25 caliber or larger for coyote and bobcat).
Suppressors are also permitted on all legal game animals in Colorado. Bait use is allowed, but with a specific condition: bait must be made solely of plants or animals. Artificial decoys are also legal, and mechanical devices designed to call wildlife are allowed, and electronic calls can be used to hunt furbearers.
Common Mistake: Some hunters assume any centerfire rifle is legal for coyotes statewide. However, it is illegal to hunt game birds, small-game mammals or furbearers with a centerfire rifle larger than .23 caliber in regular rifle deer and elk seasons west of I-25, unless you have an unfilled deer or elk license for the season you are hunting. Plan your rifle choice accordingly if you hunt the western side of the state during deer and elk rifle seasons.
Dogs may also assist in coyote hunting. Dogs are allowed to hunt small game, waterfowl and furbearers, but only to pursue, bring to bay, retrieve, flush, or point.
When it comes to transporting harvested coyotes, the rules are straightforward. Wildlife for which no carcass tag is required must be personally accompanied by the license holder, and wildlife shipped by common carrier must be accompanied by either the license or a photocopy of the license. Unlike bobcat hides, coyote hides are not required to be inspected and sealed prior to being transported or shipped.
For a broader look at how hunting methods compare across state lines, see our pages on hunting laws in Virginia and hunting laws in Tennessee.
Night Hunting and Electronic Call Rules in Colorado
Night hunting for coyotes is permitted in Colorado, but the rules differ depending on whether you are on private or public land. Understanding this distinction is essential before you set up after dark.
On private land: Artificial light is allowed at night to hunt beavers, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, striped skunks and red, gray or swift foxes, with written permission of the landowner or agent.
On public land: Artificial light is allowed at night with a permit from the local district or area wildlife manager to hunt raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, striped skunks, beavers and red, gray or swift foxes. Permits are valid for the time and place specified. Permits are not valid 24 hours before or during deer, elk, or pronghorn rifle seasons, nor during the opening weekend of grouse, pheasant, quail, and waterfowl seasons.
It is illegal to take furbearers within 500 yards of a dwelling, building, campground, or other structure, or in areas that jeopardize human safety. Additionally, it is illegal to hunt with a light permanently attached to a vehicle, or to project light from inside a vehicle.
Pro Tip: If you plan to hunt coyotes at night on public land, contact your local CPW district wildlife manager well in advance to secure the required permit. You must carry and show the permit while hunting if requested by a law enforcement officer, and CPW can deny a permit for management purposes.
Electronic calls are fully legal for coyote hunting in Colorado. Mechanical devices designed to call wildlife are allowed, electronic calls can be used to hunt furbearers, and artificial decoys are also permitted. The combination of electronic calls and decoys is a highly effective and commonly used tactic for both day and night coyote hunting in the state. You can also review Ohio and Indiana hunting regulations for comparison on electronic call rules in other states.
Trapping Coyotes in Colorado
Trapping coyotes in Colorado is significantly more restricted than hunting them. In 1996, Colorado voters passed a ballot measure banning the use of leghold traps, instant-kill body-gripping design traps, poisons, and snares for wildlife. The only legal methods of killing furbearers include rifles, handguns, shotguns, handheld bows and crossbows, and air guns.
Colorado regulations allow the use of live traps for furbearers and require that the animals be immediately released or killed by a legal method. Per law, these traps cannot be moved from the capture site. More specifically, unless relocation has been authorized, small game and furbearers captured in live traps cannot be moved from the capture site and must be killed or released on site when the trap is checked.
There is an important exception for livestock producers. Landowners and others authorized by statute may be eligible for a 30-day trapping permit where certain body-gripping and death traps can be used in order to protect commercial livestock and/or commercial crop production. However, this depredation trapping framework has faced recent scrutiny.
Important Note: As of July 2025, Colorado Parks and Wildlife suspended foothold and leghold trap permits after one of the devices set for a coyote contributed to the death of a wolf. The moratorium on 30-day trapping permits came after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the death of a female gray wolf introduced through the state’s controversial wolf restoration program. Verify the current status of these permits with CPW before applying.
If you are trapping on public land in the Canada Lynx Recovery Area, additional restrictions apply. All traps and snares must be visually checked at least once every day, except that traps and snares used in the Canada lynx recovery area or on properties known to be occupied by Canada lynx must be checked every 24 hours. If you accidentally capture a Canada lynx, you must report it to CPW within 24 hours.
The furbearer harvest permit is available as an add-on to a small game license. The furbearer permit is a $10 add-on option available to individuals who have also purchased a small game license, and there are no limits on the number that a furbearer permit-holder can kill of these species. For a look at how trapping rules compare in other states, see our guide on hunting laws in Minnesota.
Landowner Rights and Depredation Rules in Colorado
Colorado gives landowners meaningful authority to deal with coyotes that are causing damage to their property, crops, or livestock — often without requiring a standard hunting license. Understanding the distinction between recreational hunting and depredation control is important for anyone who owns or leases agricultural land in the state.
If wildlife is causing damage to crops, real or personal property, or livestock, landowners — or any employee or agent of the landowner — may hunt, trap, or take certain wildlife on lands owned or leased by the person without securing a license, though a permit may be required. Coyotes are specifically listed among the species that can be addressed under this depredation framework.
Under Colorado Statute 33-6-107(9) and Wildlife Commission Regulations, if wildlife is causing damage to crops, real or personal property, or livestock, a person or any employee or agent of the landowner may hunt, trap, or take coyotes, bobcats, red foxes, raccoons, jackrabbits, badgers, marmots, prairie dogs, and other listed species on lands owned or leased by the person without securing a license.
Pro Tip: Even if you qualify for a license exemption under depredation rules, the methods you can use are still restricted. If trapping, the only types of traps that may be used are live cage or box traps — unless you have obtained a special 30-day permit for body-gripping traps to protect commercial livestock or crops.
Landowners also have expanded rights when it comes to night hunting on their own property. Artificial light may be used at night to take coyotes on private land with permission of the landowner, designated agent, lessee, or authorized employee, or with written authorization for an identified designee. Any such authorization must contain the designee’s name, the name of the property owner, operator, or lessee, identify the target depredating wildlife, and specify the time period and geographic area.
Hunting from a vehicle is generally prohibited but may be permitted by special arrangement. Vehicle hunting is allowed by permit only, issued by an Area or District Wildlife Manager when it is deemed necessary for the protection of property including crops or livestock. An exception to this regulation is the Wildlife Recreation Accommodation Permit.
Owners of agricultural products or resources in Colorado may request from the Colorado Department of Agriculture assistance in controlling depredating animals. All persons making such a request shall receive information about preventive measures and lawful non-lethal and lethal methods and devices for the control of such depredating animals.
For a broader look at how Colorado handles other wildlife-related regulations that affect property owners, you may find these resources helpful: dog leash laws in Colorado, backyard chicken laws in Colorado, and roadkill laws in Colorado. If you also hunt other species in the state, our guides on turkey hunting season in Colorado, dove hunting season in Colorado, and goose hunting season in Colorado provide detailed season and regulation breakdowns.
Colorado’s coyote hunting framework balances broad hunting access with a structured set of rules designed to protect other wildlife, including the state’s reintroduced gray wolf population. Staying current with CPW regulation updates — especially as the furbearer policy landscape continues to evolve — is the best way to keep your hunts legal and productive.