Yes, you can shoot coyotes in Indiana. The state runs a regulated coyote hunting season from October 15 through March 15, and any licensed hunter can take them statewide during that window with no bag limit.1IN.gov. Indiana 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Seasons Farmland owners get a much broader right: they can shoot coyotes on their own property year-round, without a license and without a special permit.2Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Coyotes
When Coyote Season Runs
The 2026–2027 coyote season opens October 15, 2026, and closes March 15, 2027.1IN.gov. Indiana 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Seasons Outside that window, only landowners and people they’ve authorized in writing can legally take coyotes on private property.
Indiana sets no daily or season bag limit on coyotes. You can take as many as you want during the season, and the state does not require you to report your harvest or check anything in online. There is no cap, no tag, no quota.
Landowner Rights: Shoot Year-Round Without a License
If you own or lease farmland in Indiana, you can shoot or trap coyotes on that land at any time of year. No hunting license, no trapping license, no wild animal control permit required.2Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Coyotes Indiana Code 14-22-11-1 extends the same exemption to the landowner’s spouse and children living in the same household.
Landowners can also give someone else written permission to take coyotes on the property outside the regular season. The person receiving that written permission still needs a valid hunting or trapping license.2Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Coyotes During the October 15 to March 15 season, any licensed hunter can hunt the property with the landowner’s consent — no separate written authorization needed for in-season access.
License Requirements for Everyone Else
If you’re not a qualifying landowner, lessee, or immediate family member, you need a valid Indiana hunting license to shoot coyotes. A resident annual hunting license costs $20. Non-residents pay $90.3Indiana Department of Natural Resources. License Fees Annual licenses run April 1 through March 31, so one license covers the entire coyote season.
Haven’t completed a hunter education course yet? Indiana offers an apprentice hunting license. An apprentice must be accompanied at all times by someone at least 18 years old who holds a valid license or qualifies for an exemption, and that companion can supervise no more than two apprentices at once. There’s a lifetime cap of three apprentice licenses per person.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-12-1.7 – Apprentice Hunting License
Where You Can Hunt
On private land you don’t own, you need the owner’s or tenant’s consent before you hunt, trap, fish, or even gather plants. Indiana treats entering private land to hunt without permission as a separate violation, independent of whether your license is valid.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-10-1 – Consent to Use Private Land Written permission protects both sides if a question comes up later.
Coyote hunting is also allowed on many DNR-managed public lands, including state forests and fish and wildlife areas. Individual properties can add their own layer of rules on top of the statewide regulations: designated hunting zones, access restrictions, check-in procedures, or seasonal closures. Check the specific property’s page on the DNR website or call the property office before you go.
Local Firearm Ordinances
A valid hunting license does not override local law. Cities, towns, and counties across Indiana commonly restrict firearm discharge within their boundaries, especially in residential areas. Discharging a firearm or shooting an arrow inside a county park is a Class B misdemeanor unless the park board has specifically designated the area for hunting or shooting sports.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 36-10-3-39 – Discharge of Firearm or Shooting of Arrow With Bow, Class B Misdemeanor Before hunting near any built-up area, check with the local sheriff’s office or city clerk about firearm discharge ordinances for that location. “I had a valid hunting license” is not a defense to a municipal firearms ordinance.
Firearms, Hours, and Methods
Indiana places no restrictions on the firearms or archery equipment you can use for coyotes, and no restrictions on hunting hours. You can hunt coyotes day or night, with any legal firearm or bow, throughout the season.7eRegulations. Furbearer Hunting That’s unusually permissive compared to most other game species.
Night Hunting
Spotlights are legal for taking coyotes at night.7eRegulations. Furbearer Hunting Thermal and night vision optics, handheld or weapon-mounted, are not prohibited under Indiana’s furbearer rules. Two hard limits apply day or night: you cannot hunt coyotes from a roadway, and you cannot hunt from or with the use of any motor-driven vehicle.
Calls and Dogs
Mouth calls, hand calls, and electronic recorded calls are all legal.7eRegulations. Furbearer Hunting You can run dogs on coyotes year-round if you hold a valid hunting license and have the landowner’s permission. That’s one of the few coyote activities for a licensed non-landowner that extends past the regular season.
Hunter Orange
Hunter orange is not required for coyote hunting. The coyote season does overlap heavily with deer firearms season in November and December, so wearing orange during those weeks is sensible even though the law doesn’t require it.
Penalties If You Get It Wrong
A general violation of Indiana’s fish and wildlife laws — hunting coyotes out of season without landowner authorization, hunting without a license, or using a prohibited method — is a Class C misdemeanor. That carries up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-3-4 – Class C Misdemeanor Each animal taken illegally counts as a separate offense, so three coyotes shot out of season means three charges. On top of the criminal penalty, the state can require reimbursement of $20 for the first animal and $35 for each additional one.
Selling illegally taken wildlife raises the stakes. When the total market value exceeds $500, the charge becomes a Level 6 felony, with six months to two and a half years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-2-7 – Level 6 Felony
Conservation officers also have authority to seize equipment used in a violation: firearms, vehicles, traps, and anything used to store or transport carcasses or furs. Upon conviction, that equipment is forfeited to the state.10Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-39-6 – Seizure of Animals and Equipment Losing a truck or a rifle over a coyote violation is rare, but the authority is there.