Coyote Hunting Laws in South Dakota: Season Dates, Licenses, and Rules

Coyote hunting in South Dakota is one of the most accessible and least restricted forms of hunting the state offers. There is no closed season for hunting coyotes in South Dakota, and you may hunt them year-round, 24 hours a day. That open framework makes the state a destination for predator hunters from across the country.

Still, “no closed season” does not mean “no rules.” South Dakota has specific licensing requirements, night hunting restrictions, trapping regulations, and location-based rules — particularly inside Custer State Park — that every hunter needs to understand before heading out. Whether you’re a resident chasing coyotes on your own land or a non-resident planning a winter calling trip, this guide covers what the law actually requires.

Pro Tip: Always confirm the latest regulations directly with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks before your hunt, as rules can be updated between license years.

Is Coyote Hunting Legal in South Dakota?

Yes, coyote hunting is fully legal in South Dakota. The coyote (Canis latrans) is classified as a predator/varmint under state law, which means it receives far fewer protections than big game or migratory birds. There is no seasonal limit for hunting coyotes in the state, but you need to have the proper license before hunting.

Coyotes are found throughout the state in almost every habitat and tend to be secretive, most active from dusk to dawn. The western two-thirds of South Dakota is where most of the hunting occurs, as those areas offer river drainages and larger private holdings — terrain well-suited for coyote hunting.

Coyote calling contests are also legally allowed in the state. If you plan to hunt on tribal lands, note that state licenses are not valid on tribal trust lands unless authorized by the tribal council, and individual tribes may require a tribal permit — contact the individual tribes to find out what licenses they offer and the cost.

Coyote Hunting Season Dates in South Dakota

South Dakota does not impose a statewide closed season on coyotes. There is no closed season for hunting coyotes in the state, and you may hunt them year-round with no restrictions on shooting hours. That means you can legally pursue coyotes in January, July, or any month in between.

The one notable exception involves Custer State Park, which operates under its own calendar. The coyote hunting season in Custer State Park is open each day from November first through April thirtieth. Outside of that window, coyote hunting is not permitted within the park.

Location	Season Dates	Shooting Hours
Statewide (general)	Year-round	No restrictions (see night hunting rules)
Custer State Park	November 1 – April 30	One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset

There is no hunting allowed within 200 yards from any public access road or building in Custer State Park. Keep this boundary rule in mind when scouting locations inside the park.

Pro Tip: The statewide year-round season makes January and February prime months for calling. Cold weather concentrates coyotes and their breeding cycle makes them more responsive to calls during the winter rut.

License and Permit Requirements for Coyote Hunting in South Dakota

The license you need depends on whether you are a resident or non-resident, and whether you own the land you’re hunting. South Dakota’s licensing structure for coyotes is more flexible than most states, but it still carries real legal consequences if you skip it.

Resident Requirements

It is a Class 2 misdemeanor for a resident to hunt, take, or kill species defined as a predator/varmint without a resident predator/varmint license or in violation of the conditions of the license. However, several alternatives satisfy this requirement. A resident small game license, a resident youth small game license, a resident big game license, a license to take fur-bearing animals, or a resident turkey license is valid for hunting those animals permitted by the resident predator/varmint license from the date of purchase until the end of the license year.

Resident landowners and their immediate family — husband, wife, and children residing at home or on land owned or leased by the landowner — may hunt their property for furbearers and predators/varmints without obtaining a hunting or Furbearer License. This landowner exemption is one of the broadest in the state.

Residents do not need a license from May 1 through October 31 if only hunting varmints. This off-season window gives resident hunters a license-free period during the warmer months.

Non-Resident Requirements

Non-residents do not benefit from the same exemptions. Non-residents need to purchase a habitat stamp and any non-resident hunting license, except a non-resident private shooting preserve license.

A person 18 years of age or older is required to purchase a Habitat Stamp ($10 for residents and $25 for non-residents) when applying for or purchasing any hunting, fishing, or trapping license, and a person is not required to purchase more than one Habitat Stamp within a license year. Fee information is based on the 2025–2026 license year — always verify current fees at gfp.sd.gov before purchasing.

Youth Hunters

Youth residents under the age of 18 do not require any license to hunt coyotes in South Dakota. This makes the state particularly welcoming for young hunters getting started in predator hunting.

For a full breakdown of South Dakota’s hunting license structure, fees, and hunter education requirements, see our guide on duck hunting laws in South Dakota, which covers the broader licensing framework in detail.

Legal Methods and Weapons for Coyote Hunting in South Dakota

South Dakota gives hunters wide latitude on weapons for coyote hunting. There are no restrictions on the caliber of rifles and/or handguns for coyote hunting statewide — a significant advantage compared to many other states that impose caliber minimums or maximums. Shotguns, centerfire rifles, rimfire rifles, handguns, and archery equipment are all legal.

A few prohibited methods are worth knowing before you head out:

• Barbed hooks or other similarly sharpened instruments are unlawful to use while hunting coyotes in South Dakota.
• The use of any live mammal or live bird to aid in the taking of a fur-bearing animal, predator, or varmint by a trap or snare is prohibited, and using live animals or live birds to aid in taking coyotes is unlawful.
• It is illegal to use drones for the purpose of hunting, taking, concentrating, driving, rallying, stirring up, locating, or spotting any coyotes in South Dakota.
• You may not use a snowmobile to chase, harass, or disturb any wild animal, and when hunting coyotes, only one person may be aboard the snowmobile and it must remain stationary when shooting.

Electronic calls are a different matter — they are fully legal for coyote hunting. You can legally use electronic calls to hunt coyotes in South Dakota. This is covered in more detail in the night hunting section below.

Pro Tip: If you plan to hunt on National Grasslands in western South Dakota, contact the grassland offices for information on travel restrictions before your trip, as vehicle access rules can vary by unit and season.

Night Hunting and Electronic Call Rules in South Dakota

South Dakota allows night hunting for coyotes, but the rules around artificial light and night vision equipment are detailed and carry real penalties if violated. Understanding the distinctions between who can use what, and where, is essential.

The General Prohibition

Between sunset and sunrise, no person may use or possess night-vision equipment or throw or cast the rays of a spotlight, motor vehicle headlight, or other artificial light onto a highway, or into any field, pasture, woodland, forest, or prairie, for the purpose of spotting, locating, taking, attempting to take, or hunting any animal, if the person is in possession or control of a firearm, bow, or other implement by which an animal could be killed.

This is the baseline rule. Hunting coyotes at night using only ambient light or moonlight is not illegal — the prohibition kicks in when you combine artificial light or night vision with a weapon.

Landowner Exceptions for Night Vision and Artificial Light

A person who owns the land and up to two guests accompanying the landowner may use artificial light and night vision equipment on that land to hunt coyotes, provided they use a shotgun and shotshells or a firearm and a cartridge having a bullet diameter of fewer than .225 inches.

Spotlights and other artificial light may not be used in the landowner guest scenario if a shotgun is not used. Written permission from the landowner — which can be in the form of letters, emails, or text messages — is required for guests hunting unaccompanied.

Night Vision on Public Access and GFP Lands

The Department of Game, Fish and Parks does not grant permission for individuals to use artificial light or night vision on GFP-owned, managed, or leased properties. The Department leases exclusive hunting rights through contracts with landowners and does not grant permission for individuals to use artificial light or night vision on Walk-In Areas.

Night vision without artificial light has a separate exception. From January first to August thirty-first, inclusive, a person may use night vision equipment, but not artificial light, to take coyotes on private land leased to GFP for public access, with landowner permission, using a qualifying firearm.

Electronic Calls

Electronic calls are legal for coyote hunting throughout South Dakota with no seasonal restriction. You can legally use electronic calls to hunt coyotes in South Dakota. This applies both day and night, subject to the weapon and light rules described above. Electronic calls are one of the most effective tools for calling coyotes into range, especially during winter months when prey availability drops.

If you hunt other predators or varmints in neighboring states, check our articles on coyote hunting laws in Wisconsin and coyote hunting laws in Michigan to compare night hunting and electronic call rules across the region.

Trapping Coyotes in South Dakota

Trapping is a legal and widely practiced method for taking coyotes in South Dakota. The state’s trapping regulations are governed by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks under the broader furbearer and predator framework.

A resident of South Dakota may catch, trap, or kill coyotes upon land owned or leased without obtaining a license to do so, during any period while hunting, catching, taking, trapping, or killing such animals is permitted. Non-residents and residents trapping on land they do not own need the appropriate furbearer or predator/varmint license.

Several specific trapping rules apply to coyotes:

• Traps, including snares, must be placed at least 30 feet away from exposed bait visible to raptors in the air. Meat or viscera of any animal, bird, or fish — with or without skin, hide, or feathers — is considered exposed bait.
• The use of any live mammal or live bird to aid in the taking of a fur-bearing animal, predator, or varmint by a trap or snare is prohibited.
• A person may use a handheld light while on foot to engage in trapping activity and take trapped fur-bearing animals. This is one of the few night light exceptions available to all hunters, not just landowners.

Important Note: Trapping regulations in South Dakota can include additional requirements for trap tagging, check intervals, and specific trap types. Review the full South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook for the complete trapping rules before setting traps.

For comparison with how trapping and predator control rules work in other states, see our guides on coyote hunting laws in Pennsylvania and coyote hunting laws in Virginia.

Landowner Rights and Depredation Rules in South Dakota

South Dakota gives landowners some of the most generous coyote-related rights in the country. The combination of license exemptions, night hunting privileges, and depredation authority means that farmers and ranchers dealing with livestock losses have real legal tools available to them.

License Exemptions for Landowners

A resident of this state is not required to secure a predator/varmint license to hunt, take, or kill a predator/varmint on lands owned or operated by the resident. Resident landowners and their immediate family — husband, wife, and children residing at home or on land owned or leased by the landowner — may trap furbearers and hunt their property for furbearers including coyotes without obtaining a hunting or Furbearer License.

Night Hunting and Guest Privileges

Landowners hold additional rights when it comes to night hunting that non-landowners do not. As noted above, a landowner and up to two accompanying guests may use artificial light and night vision equipment on their own property to take coyotes, provided they use a qualifying firearm (shotgun with shotshells or a centerfire with a bullet diameter under .225 inches). Written permission can be in the form of letters, emails, or text messages when guests hunt unaccompanied.

Depredation and Animal Damage Control

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks maintains a Winter Depredation Hunts program for situations where coyotes are causing significant livestock or agricultural damage. This program provides an additional avenue beyond the standard open season for landowners and operators facing serious depredation problems.

An employee of the Department of Game, Fish and Parks may, while performing animal damage control, use night-vision equipment and artificial lights, provided the employee obtains permission from the person owning or occupying the land prior to taking an animal that is causing damage. If you’re experiencing significant livestock losses, contacting GFP at 605.223.7660 is the appropriate first step to explore depredation assistance options.

South Dakota’s private land dominance matters here. South Dakota’s hunting landscape is a diverse mix of prairie, farmland, the Black Hills, and river corridors, with approximately 80% of the land being privately owned. That means the vast majority of productive coyote habitat sits behind landowner permission requirements — making good landowner relationships essential for non-resident hunters.

For more on how South Dakota handles wildlife-related property issues, see our guides on roadkill laws in South Dakota and neighbors’ cat in your yard laws in South Dakota. If you’re interested in other South Dakota hunting seasons, our articles on pheasant hunting season in South Dakota and turkey hunting season in South Dakota cover the state’s most popular upland pursuits. Hunters curious about predator regulations in other states can also review our pieces on coyote hunting laws in Missouri and coyote hunting laws in New York.

Key Takeaways for Coyote Hunters in South Dakota

South Dakota’s coyote regulations are among the most permissive in the country, but a few rules carry serious consequences if ignored. Here is a quick summary of what you need to remember:

• Coyotes may be hunted year-round statewide with no bag limit — Custer State Park is the only location with a restricted season (November 1 – April 30).
• Residents need a Predator/Varmint License, small game, big game, turkey, or furbearer license — or no license at all if hunting their own land or during May 1–October 31.
• Non-residents need a Habitat Stamp plus any valid non-resident hunting license.
• Night hunting is legal using only ambient light; artificial light and night vision require landowner status or specific conditions.
• Electronic calls are fully legal with no seasonal restriction.
• Traps must be set at least 30 feet from exposed bait visible to raptors.
• State licenses are not valid on tribal trust lands — contact individual tribes for their permit requirements.

Regulations do change. Before your next hunt, verify the current rules at gfp.sd.gov or call South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks at 605.223.7660 to confirm any updates to licensing fees or season conditions.