Coyote Hunting Laws in Massachusetts: Season Dates, Licenses, and Rules
July 26, 2026
Coyote hunting in Massachusetts is legal, but the state imposes a more structured set of rules than most of its New England neighbors. Unlike Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine — which have no closed season on coyotes — Massachusetts treats the eastern coyote (Canis latrans × Canis lupus lycaon) as a regulated furbearer, meaning specific season dates, weapon restrictions, and licensing requirements all apply.
Whether you’re a resident hunter looking to pursue predators through the winter months or a landowner dealing with livestock losses, understanding exactly what the law allows is essential. This guide covers every major regulation category so you can hunt confidently and legally in the Bay State.
Important Note: Regulations are set annually by the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board and are subject to change. Always verify current season dates and rules at the official MassWildlife coyote hunting regulations page before heading afield.
Is Coyote Hunting Legal in Massachusetts?
Yes, coyote hunting is legal in Massachusetts during the regulated open season. Since coyotes are designated as furbearers in Massachusetts, the state regulates both hunting and trapping seasons. That designation sets Massachusetts apart from states that classify coyotes as unprotected predators with no closed season.
Coyotes are already at saturation levels on the landscape in Massachusetts, meaning they occupy all suitable territories, including suburban and urban areas — and they reside in every city and town in mainland Massachusetts, including Boston, Springfield, and Worcester. That widespread presence makes the regulated season a meaningful management tool, even if it cannot control population levels outright.
A few blanket prohibitions apply regardless of season. Hunting on Sundays is prohibited. Furbearer contests — where participants are awarded prizes for harvesting coyote, bobcat, red fox, gray fox, weasels, mink, skunk, river otter, muskrat, beaver, fisher, raccoon, and opossum — are also illegal. Violations carry serious penalties: license revocation for one year in addition to other penalties, fines of up to $1,000, restitution, and/or one year in jail.
If you hunt coyotes in other states, you may find the rules here more restrictive than what you’re used to. For comparison, see how neighboring states handle predator hunting in our guides to coyote hunting laws in New York and coyote hunting laws in New Jersey.
Coyote Hunting Season Dates in Massachusetts
The coyote season in Massachusetts runs January 1 through March 8, and then from October 18 through March 7 of the following year, open in all Wildlife Management Zones 1–14. Put simply, the season opens on the first Saturday after Columbus Day each fall and runs through March 8, with a brief closure during the spring and summer months.
For the 2025–2026 cycle specifically, coyotes may be hunted from January 1 through March 8, 2025, and then from October 18, 2025 through March 7, 2026. The 2026–2027 season dates had not been formally published as of the publication of this article; check MassWildlife for updates as fall approaches.
There are no bag limits. You can take as many coyotes as you wish during the open season. However, harvest reporting is required: hunters who harvest a coyote must report or check their game within 48 hours of killing the animal, either online or by bringing the animal to an official check station.
Pro Tip: The coyote season stays open through the shotgun deer season, but special restrictions apply during that overlap period. Read the weapons section carefully before combining both hunts on the same day.
| Season Period | Open Dates (2025–2026) | Zones | Bag Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter/Spring | Jan. 1 – Mar. 8, 2025 | 1–14 (statewide) | None |
| Fall/Winter | Oct. 18, 2025 – Mar. 7, 2026 | 1–14 (statewide) | None |
License and Permit Requirements for Coyote Hunting in Massachusetts
To hunt coyote in Massachusetts, you must have the appropriate license and permit, which you can buy through MassFishHunt. The specific license type depends on your residency status.
Residents require either a hunting or sporting license, while non-residents require either a small game or big game license. No special coyote-specific permit is required on top of the base license — the standard hunting license covers you for the open season.
Age requirements also apply. You must be at least 12 years old to hunt coyotes in Massachusetts. Hunters between ages 12 and 14 must be accompanied by a licensed hunter who is at least 18 years old, and they must share a single firearm or bow and a single bag. Only one minor per adult is permitted.
Hunter education is mandatory for most new license holders. All participants born after January 1, 1972, must complete a hunter education course before purchasing a Massachusetts hunting license. First-time hunters must complete Basic Hunter Education before buying any license, and MassWildlife runs free courses online and in-person statewide. If you held a hunting license from any state before 2007, you are exempt.
There is also a Wildlands Stamp requirement. A $5.00 Wildlands Stamp is added to your first license purchase every year. Licenses and permits can be purchased through the MassFishHunt online portal or at authorized license vendors throughout the state.
Farmers and large landowners may qualify for a special exemption. Farmers who earn at least 50% of their annual income from agricultural practices, or landowners who own more than 300 contiguous acres of undeveloped property, qualify to hunt on their own property during the legal seasons without a hunting license — though all hunting regulations including seasons, bag limits, harvest reporting, and implements still apply.
Legal Methods and Weapons for Coyote Hunting in Massachusetts
Massachusetts imposes distinct weapon rules depending on whether you are hunting during daylight or nighttime hours, and whether the shotgun deer season is open. Getting these details right is one of the more important compliance steps for coyote hunters in the state.
Rifles and Handguns
During the period from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, there are no restrictions on the size or caliber of rifles or handguns. That gives daytime hunters a wide range of centerfire options. During the period from one-half hour after sunset to midnight, rifles are restricted to those chambered not larger than .22 long rifle.
Shotguns
Shotguns are limited to shot sizes up to and including FF (.230 inches diameter). Slugs, single balls, and buckshot may only be used during the shotgun deer season. This means standard buckshot loads are off the table for coyote hunting outside of deer season — a restriction that surprises many hunters new to Massachusetts.
Archery Equipment
Archery tackle is legal with no minimum pull. Crossbows may be used only by certain permanently disabled persons by permit. Poisoned arrows, explosive tips, and bows drawn by mechanical means are prohibited.
During Shotgun Deer Season
The overlap between the coyote and shotgun deer seasons creates a special set of rules. Rifles and handguns are prohibited for coyote hunting during shotgun deer season, and hunting with the aid of dogs, electronic calls, and manual calls is also strictly prohibited during that period. You must wear 500 square inches of hunter orange on your head, chest, and back while hunting coyotes during shotgun deer season.
All firearms used for hunting must also comply with Massachusetts state gun laws, which regulate magazine capacity and approved models. If you are unsure whether your firearm is compliant, consult a licensed Massachusetts dealer before taking it afield.
Night Hunting and Electronic Call Rules in Massachusetts
Night hunting for coyotes is permitted in Massachusetts, but the rules are stricter than many hunters expect — particularly around lighting and optics.
Hunting hours begin one-half hour before sunrise and end at midnight. During shotgun deer season, hunting hours start one-half hour before sunrise and end one-half hour after sunset. So outside of deer season, you have a legal window from pre-dawn through midnight.
The lighting rules are where most hunters run into trouble. Artificial lights are prohibited. Any device that projects light of any wavelength — visible, IR, or other — onto an animal or onto an area for the purposes of illuminating that object is illegal to use while hunting. Night vision optics that utilize ambient light, however, are allowable to aid hunting.
That distinction matters a great deal in practice. Passive night vision devices that amplify existing ambient light are legal. Thermal imaging devices that detect heat signatures without projecting any light are also legal, since they do not project illumination. Any scope, spotlight, or IR illuminator that actively projects light toward the target is not.
Electronic and manual calls are legal for coyote hunting, but are prohibited during the shotgun deer season. Outside of that overlap period, you can use electronic callers freely. This is an important advantage for predator hunters — Massachusetts does not restrict electronic calls the way it does for some other species like turkey.
Pro Tip: Thermal optics are popular among Massachusetts coyote hunters precisely because they detect heat without projecting any light — keeping you fully compliant with the artificial light prohibition while giving you a significant advantage after dark.
For a look at how night hunting rules compare in other states, see our articles on coyote hunting laws in Virginia and coyote hunting laws in North Carolina.
Trapping Coyotes in Massachusetts
Trapping is a separate and equally regulated activity in Massachusetts. You cannot simply set traps for coyotes under a hunting license — a dedicated trapping license is required.
A trapping license is required for all persons 12 years of age or older. The following animals may be legally trapped in Massachusetts: bobcat, coyote, fox, weasel, fisher, mink, river otter, beaver, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, and skunk.
The trapping season for bobcat, coyote, fox, and weasel runs November 1 through November 30. That is a narrow window — just one month — so planning ahead is essential if you intend to trap rather than hunt.
Anyone seeking a trapping license must first complete a state-approved Trapper Education Course. Once a person passes the Trapper Education Course, they must purchase a trapping license, which can be obtained online or at a license vendor. The course covers biology, handling, capture techniques, animal welfare, and disease risks.
It is also illegal to live-trap a problem coyote and relocate it. It is illegal to live-trap a problem animal and move it for release on other public or private property. Any coyote taken by a trap during the open season must be handled in accordance with MassWildlife’s wanton waste regulations, meaning the animal cannot simply be discarded.
For a broader look at how trapping regulations differ across the region, see our guide to coyote hunting laws in Pennsylvania.
Landowner Rights and Depredation Rules in Massachusetts
If a coyote is actively damaging your property or threatening personal safety, you have legal options outside of the regulated hunting season — but those options are narrowly defined.
Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 131, Section 37, gives property owners the right to use lawful means to destroy wildlife in the act of causing damage or threatening personal safety. Landowners may only destroy wildlife actually causing damage or posing immediate threats. No one may randomly destroy wildlife simply because it is on their property.
The key phrase is “in the act.” The animal must be actively causing damage at the moment of taking. You cannot pre-emptively kill a coyote based on past incidents alone — that action would fall outside the MGL Chapter 131, Section 37 exemption and could expose you to legal liability.
Property owners, their families, and employees can still protect their property year-round by killing an animal that is in the act of causing damage, including depredation, in accordance with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 131 Section 37, and this is exempt from the wanton waste regulation.
Landowners can also invite licensed hunters onto their property during the open season to help reduce local coyote activity. You can allow hunters onto your property, provide a place for them to park to access nearby forest, and give them permission to hunt within 500 feet of your residence. Keep in mind that each town may have additional bylaws that restrict hunting and the discharge of firearms.
According to Massachusetts law, landowners who allow the use of their property for recreation without charging a fee are not liable for injuries to recreational users of the property, except in cases of willful, wanton, or reckless conduct by the owner (MGL Ch. 21 Sec. 17c). That liability shield makes inviting hunters onto your land a lower-risk option for dealing with persistent coyote pressure.
For agricultural operations experiencing ongoing losses, you can contact your nearest MassWildlife District Office, where biologists will provide advice that can lessen the problem. Problem Animal Control agents are another resource, though PAC agents may only handle coyotes if they have completed a MassWildlife training and certification program about coyotes, and they must also follow certain reporting requirements before taking or attempting to take a coyote.
Hunting regulations in neighboring states can differ significantly from Massachusetts. For additional context, explore our guides to coyote hunting laws in New York, coyote hunting laws in Ohio, coyote hunting laws in Michigan, and coyote hunting laws in Wisconsin. If you’re dealing with broader wildlife management questions in the Bay State, our guide to dog leash laws in Massachusetts covers related local ordinances worth knowing.
For the full legal text governing these rules, you can refer to the fox, coyote, and bobcat hunting regulations in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, 321 CMR 3.02(3), and to several provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 131. MassWildlife’s Hunting Coyote in Massachusetts page also provides direct links to licensing, harvest reporting, and predator hunting tips.