Coyote Hunting Laws in Utah: Season, Licenses, and Regulations Explained
June 29, 2026
Utah is one of the most permissive states in the country for coyote hunting. Coyotes are classified as non-protected wildlife in Utah, which means there is no closed season and no bag limit. That open framework makes the Beehive State a top destination for predator hunters, but a handful of rules around licenses, night hunting, and trapping still apply — and getting them wrong can cost you.
Whether you are a Utah resident heading out to the west desert or a non-resident planning a trip to the canyon country near Moab, this guide walks you through every regulation you need to know before you go afield. Laws can change, so always verify current rules with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) before your hunt.
Is Coyote Hunting Legal in Utah?
Yes, coyote hunting is fully legal in Utah and actively encouraged by the state. Coyotes are classified as non-protected wildlife, meaning there is no closed season and no bag limit, and they may be hunted year-round without a hunting license for Utah residents.
Non-residents must hold a valid hunting license to legally pursue coyotes. Beyond the basic license question, Utah goes a step further by paying hunters to remove coyotes through its Predator Control Program. The DWR predator control program provides incentives for hunters to remove coyotes under rules approved by the Utah Wildlife Board outlined in Administrative Rule R657-64.
The DWR has a predator control program that provides incentives for members of the public to remove coyotes for the benefit of mule deer, and participants can receive up to $100 for each properly documented coyote they kill in Utah. The program is separate from the general right to hunt coyotes — you do not need to enroll in it to hunt legally.
Important Note: As of June 2026, the Utah DWR reported that the Predator Control Program’s bounty check-ins were temporarily suspended due to exhausted legislative funding for fiscal year 2026. The legislature approved an additional $200,000 and a yearly allocation of $450,000 going forward, and check-ins resumed. Always check wildlife.utah.gov for the current program status before submitting a coyote for payment.
Coyote Hunting Season Dates in Utah
There is no closed season for coyotes in Utah. You can hunt them in January, July, or any other month of the year. This open-year-round status makes Utah unusual compared to many other states that restrict coyote hunting to specific windows.
While the season never closes, some times of year are more productive than others. The breeding season, which runs from late January through February, is particularly productive for calling, and early morning and late afternoon remain the best times for catching coyotes on the move or coming to a call.
If you plan to participate in the Predator Control Program, the DWR recommends targeting specific periods when coyote removal delivers the greatest benefit to mule deer. Although any coyote taken in Utah can be submitted for compensation, the DWR recommends specific areas and dates when coyote removal has the greatest potential for benefiting mule deer. Check the DWR’s Predator Control FAQ for the current recommended removal windows each year.
| Season Detail | Utah Rule |
|---|---|
| Open Season | Year-round, no closed dates |
| Bag Limit | None |
| Best Calling Period | Late January–February (breeding season) |
| Bounty Program Availability | Year-round; check DWR for current status |
License and Permit Requirements for Coyote Hunting in Utah
Utah’s license rules for coyote hunting differ based on residency. Coyotes may be hunted year-round without a hunting license for Utah residents. If you are a non-resident, the rules change. Non-residents must hold a valid hunting license to legally pursue coyotes.
You can compare Utah’s approach to other western states by reading about coyote hunting laws in Colorado or coyote hunting laws in Arizona, both of which have their own distinct license structures. For those interested in the Predator Control Program specifically, the license exemption still applies: you do not need a Utah hunting license to participate in the program, and non-residents can also participate if the coyotes removed are within Utah state boundaries.
Hunters who want to enroll in the bounty program must complete an annual training course. All participants must recertify each year, meaning you are required to take the online training course once every 365 days, and when you complete the course, the DWR will issue you a Certificate of Registration (COR) valid for one year.
Pro Tip: Even though Utah residents do not need a hunting license to hunt coyotes, you still need a valid hunting license to hunt any other species in the state. If you plan to combine a coyote hunt with deer or elk scouting, pick up a combination license to cover all your bases.
Legal Methods and Weapons for Coyote Hunting in Utah
Utah places very few restrictions on the weapons and methods you can use to hunt coyotes. There are no caliber restrictions for rifles, no magazine capacity limits, and no prohibition on semi-automatic firearms. Flat-shooting rifles like .223, .22-250, and .243 are favorites for long-range shooting in open terrain, while in close cover or rimrock country, shotguns with buckshot are effective for fast-approaching targets.
Archery equipment is also a legal option. The wide-open desert terrain of Utah lends itself to rifle hunting, but bowhunters who enjoy the challenge of close-range predator work will find no legal barrier. Electronic callers are legal and effective, offering a mix of prey distress, coyote vocalizations, and pup distress sounds.
- Rifles — no caliber restriction, no magazine capacity limit
- Shotguns — legal with any shot size
- Archery equipment — legal year-round
- Electronic calls — legal statewide (see night hunting rules for public land restrictions)
- Decoys — legal and commonly used during daylight hunts
Always confirm that the land you are hunting — whether BLM, National Forest, state land, or private — does not have any special use restrictions that could affect your method of take. Follow all rules and regulations related to trapping and firearm use, as detailed in the Utah Furbearer Guidebook and the Predator Control Incentives rule (R657-64), Utah Code, and local law.
For a comparison of how neighboring states regulate hunting methods, see our guides on coyote hunting laws in Washington and coyote hunting laws in Texas.
Night Hunting and Electronic Call Rules in Utah
Night hunting for coyotes in Utah is legal, but the rules differ significantly depending on whether you are on private or public land. Night hunting is legal on private land with permission and without additional permitting, but on public lands, night hunting is prohibited without a special permit.
The state itself does not issue a single statewide night-hunting permit for public land — instead, individual counties have adopted their own night-hunting ordinances. Several Utah counties allow spotlighting for coyotes by permit through the county sheriff’s office. For example:
- Washington County — allows spotlighting for coyote, red fox, striped skunk, raccoon, or jackrabbit with a permit from the county sheriff.
- Kane County — hunting for coyote, red fox, striped skunk, and raccoon at night between dusk and dawn is authorized, provided each person first obtains a night-time predator hunting permit from the county sheriff.
- Sevier County — requires a spotlighting permit from the sheriff’s office at a cost of $20, and the sheriff’s office may restrict the number of permits issued. Note that the spotlighting season in Sevier County is closed from August 1 through November 30.
Important Note: County night-hunting ordinances vary widely across Utah. Before hunting coyotes after dark on any land — including private property in certain counties — contact the local county sheriff’s office to confirm current permit requirements and any location-based restrictions. Violating a county ordinance can result in a Class B misdemeanor charge.
Electronic calls are legal statewide during daylight hours with no permit needed. Their use on public land at night requires permits and is regulated. On private land at night, electronic calls are generally permitted alongside other legal hunting methods, subject to any county-level restrictions on artificial lighting.
To see how other states handle night hunting rules, check out our articles on coyote hunting laws in Ohio and coyote hunting laws in Virginia.
Trapping Coyotes in Utah
Trapping coyotes in Utah is legal year-round, but it comes with its own set of requirements that differ from hunting. The most important document you need is a trap registration license — not a furbearer license, which is a separate and unnecessary credential for coyote trappers.
You do not need a furbearer license to hunt, harvest, or trap coyotes or raccoons. However, a trap registration license is required in most situations. Any person who sets a trapping device for furbearers, coyotes, or raccoons — and the device is more than 600 feet from a dwelling or structure used by humans or domestic livestock — must obtain a trap registration license and comply with the trapping rules and regulations set by the Utah Wildlife Board.
If you are only trapping close to your home or barn, the rule is more relaxed. If you are trapping coyotes or raccoons within 600 feet of a dwelling or structure used by humans or domestic livestock, you do not need a trap registration license. The license itself is inexpensive: the license costs $10 and is good for life.
Once you have your trap registration license, you must follow Utah’s trap-check rules. A person may not possess any trapping device that is not permanently marked or tagged with that person’s trap registration number while setting, checking, or moving a trapping device targeting a furbearer, coyote, or raccoon. Additionally, all trapping devices used to take a furbearer, coyote, or raccoon must be checked and animals removed at least once every 48 hours, with limited exceptions for certain lethal cable devices that allow a 96-hour check interval.
Certain waterways also carry trapping restrictions. On the middle section of the Provo River, the Green River between Flaming Gorge Dam and the Utah-Colorado state line, the Colorado River between the Utah-Colorado state line and Lake Powell, and the Escalante River between Escalante and Lake Powell, trapping for a coyote within 600 yards of either side of these rivers is restricted to specific device types.
For those enrolling in the Predator Control Program, the trap registration requirement still applies. If you plan to trap coyotes as part of the program, you are still required to have a trap registration license.
See how trapping rules compare in other states with our guides on coyote hunting laws in Minnesota and coyote hunting laws in Wisconsin.
Landowner Rights and Depredation Rules in Utah
Utah landowners and hunters working with landowners have broad authority when it comes to coyote control. Because coyotes are non-protected wildlife with no closed season, a landowner can take coyotes on their own property at any time without a license (if they are a Utah resident) or with a valid hunting license (if they are a non-resident).
Utah’s extensive public lands offer freedom to roam and hunt, but private landowners are often supportive of predator control. You should always obtain verbal or written permission before hunting private land, and in agricultural areas — especially those with livestock — landowners may welcome help reducing coyote pressure.
For those participating in the Predator Control Program, written permission requirements are codified in state administrative rule. Program participants are not authorized to trespass or take coyotes on tribal trust lands without written tribal authorization, on other private lands without written permission of the landowner, or on restricted government lands without written permission from the appropriate authorities.
There is no separate depredation permit required to kill a coyote that is actively preying on livestock in Utah — the non-protected classification already gives landowners and their agents the authority to take coyotes at any time to protect property. Coyotes primarily kill fawns and can produce more than six pups per year, and they have high reproductive potential and can be difficult to hunt. This biological reality is part of why Utah’s rules lean so permissive — the state views aggressive removal as a necessary tool for protecting both livestock and mule deer populations.
Pro Tip: If you are a hunter looking to gain access to private ranch land for coyote hunting, approach landowners during the off-season and offer to help with ongoing predator control. Many Utah ranchers are willing to grant access in exchange for consistent coyote pressure on their property.
For context on how other states handle landowner depredation authority, see our articles on coyote hunting laws in Indiana, coyote hunting laws in Georgia, and coyote hunting laws in North Carolina. You can also compare rules in the Midwest by reviewing coyote hunting laws in Illinois and hunting laws in Kansas.
Utah’s coyote regulations are among the most hunter-friendly in the nation — no closed season, no bag limit, and a state bounty program that pays you to hunt. The key requirements to keep straight are the non-resident license obligation, the county-level night-hunting permit system, the trap registration license for field trapping, and the written permission rules on private and tribal land. Review the Utah Furbearer Guidebook each season and check the DWR’s Predator Control FAQ for any program updates before you head out.