Yes, you can shoot a coyote on your property in Arizona if it is causing damage to your livestock, pets, or other property. That authority comes from Arizona’s depredation statute, A.R.S. § 17-239, which lets any person suffering property damage from wildlife take “reasonable measures” to stop it.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-239 – Wildlife Depredations; Investigations; Corrective Measures; Disposal; Reports; Judicial Review The right is real, but firearm discharge laws, a quarter-mile rule around occupied homes, and the risk of misidentifying a protected species all shape when and where you can actually pull the trigger.
The Depredation Statute Is Your Authority
Section 17-239 authorizes any person suffering property damage from wildlife to use reasonable measures to stop the damage. The statute carves out game mammals, game birds, and federally protected wildlife, which cannot be taken without Game and Fish Commission authorization. Coyotes fall into none of those protected categories, so shooting one that is actively damaging your property is squarely within the statute.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-239 – Wildlife Depredations; Investigations; Corrective Measures; Disposal; Reports; Judicial Review
The right is not limited to the property owner. Lessees, livestock operators working the land, and designated agents acting on the owner’s behalf have the same authority under the statute. A rancher can have employees handle the problem, and a property owner can ask a neighbor to help without putting either person on the wrong side of the law.
The trigger is “property damage.” A coyote stalking chickens, attacking a calf, or tearing through an irrigation line qualifies. A coyote trotting across your driveway at dawn probably does not. The statute ties your right to act to actual or imminent harm, not to the animal simply being on your land.
Do You Need a Hunting License?
It depends on why you are shooting. Arizona generally requires a hunting license to take wildlife, including predatory animals when the activity is recreational. An apprentice, standard hunting, or combination license all cover coyotes.
Depredation is treated differently. Section 17-239 authorizes “any person suffering property damage” to use reasonable measures without conditioning that right on a license. The parallel statute for bears and mountain lions, A.R.S. § 17-302, spells out that “a license or tag shall not be required” when taking those animals to protect property.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-302 – Taking of Bear or Mountain Lion for Protection of Property Section 17-239 doesn’t use identical wording, but its authorization to take reasonable measures operates as a standalone right tied to property damage rather than to the recreational hunting framework.
If you want to call coyotes in for sport, pursue them beyond your property, or shoot one when no property damage exists, you need a valid Arizona hunting license. When you’re defending your property from active damage, § 17-239 is the authority that applies.
Where You Can Legally Fire the Gun
Having the right to shoot a coyote doesn’t automatically mean you can discharge a firearm where you live. This is the part that trips property owners up.
Inside City or Town Limits
Under A.R.S. § 13-3107, discharging a firearm with criminal negligence within a municipality is a class 6 felony. The statute carves out exceptions for self-defense against an animal attack, lawful wildlife take during an open season, nuisance wildlife control under a Game and Fish permit, and special permits from a chief of police. The animal self-defense exception applies where “a reasonable person would believe that deadly physical force against the animal is immediately necessary.”3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3107 – Unlawful Discharge of Firearms; Exceptions; Classification; Definitions
If you live inside an incorporated city or town, don’t assume the depredation statute overrides municipal firearms law. Call your local police department before shooting.
The Quarter-Mile Rule
Arizona Game and Fish Commission rules prohibit discharging a firearm while taking wildlife within a quarter mile of an occupied residence without the owner’s permission. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to four months in jail and a fine of up to $750.4Arizona Legislature. SB 1053 – 571R – Senate Fact Sheet Cities and towns can also adopt their own ordinances restricting discharge within the same quarter-mile radius.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3107 – Unlawful Discharge of Firearms; Exceptions; Classification; Definitions
This is the rule that catches rural and semi-rural landowners. Even on a large parcel, if a neighbor’s occupied house sits within a quarter mile of your firing position, you need that neighbor’s permission or a different spot. HOA covenants can add restrictions on top of everything above.
Daylight, Lights, and Methods
Arizona’s general wildlife statute, A.R.S. § 17-301, says wildlife may only be taken during daylight hours unless the Game and Fish Commission provides otherwise. The same statute prohibits using artificial lights, jacklights, or other illegal devices to take wildlife, again except as the commission allows.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-301 – Times When Wildlife May Be Taken; Exceptions Because coyotes are largely nocturnal and most livestock predation happens after dark, check the current Arizona Game and Fish hunting regulations for the commission’s specific predatory-animal rules before doing anything at night or with a light.
Most legal rifles, shotguns, and handguns are permitted for taking predatory animals. Arizona voters banned leghold traps, body-gripping traps, poisons, and snares on public land through a ballot measure codified at § 17-301(D).5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-301 – Times When Wildlife May Be Taken; Exceptions That ban applies to public land, not private property, but confirm the commission’s current rules before using any method other than a firearm.
After the Shot
Section 17-239 has a plain rule about the carcass: a person who takes an animal under the depredation statute to alleviate property damage may not retain or sell any portion of it.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-239 – Wildlife Depredations; Investigations; Corrective Measures; Disposal; Reports; Judicial Review The only exception cross-references A.R.S. § 3-2403, which covers disposal of furs and skins taken by state-paid animal damage control specialists, not private landowners. You cannot skin the coyote and sell the pelt if you killed it to protect property.
Reporting isn’t mandatory. Section 17-239(B) says a person suffering property damage “may file a written report with the director,” and “may” makes it optional.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-239 – Wildlife Depredations; Investigations; Corrective Measures; Disposal; Reports; Judicial Review Filing triggers an investigation by a trained department employee, which can help if coyote damage is ongoing and you want the department involved in a larger solution. For a one-time incident, most property owners just dispose of the carcass.
When handling the animal, wear disposable gloves and avoid contact with blood, urine, or feces. Coyotes can carry rabies, tularemia, fleas, and ticks. Bury the carcass at least four feet deep with lime to keep scavengers out, or contact your county’s waste management authority for local guidance.
Don’t Shoot a Mexican Gray Wolf by Mistake
This is where an Arizona property owner can fall into federal trouble. The Mexican gray wolf is protected under the Endangered Species Act, and at a distance or in low light a wolf can look a lot like a large coyote. Shooting one, even accidentally on your own property, triggers federal penalties well beyond anything in state wildlife law.
A knowing ESA violation carries criminal fines up to $50,000 and up to one year in prison. Negligent or accidental killing can bring civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation. A conviction can also trigger revocation of federal grazing permits, hunting licenses, and other land-use agreements.6U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Section 11. Penalties and Enforcement A good-faith defense exists for protecting yourself or another person from bodily harm, but it does not extend to property protection.
Confirm the species before you shoot. Mexican gray wolves typically weigh 60 to 80 pounds versus a coyote’s 20 to 35 pounds, have broader snouts, shorter ears relative to head size, and a wider, less pointed face. If your land sits in southeastern Arizona where wolf recovery areas overlap ranch country, this identification step is not optional.
Non-Lethal Options Worth Trying First
Shooting one coyote solves the immediate problem, but another will usually move into the territory within weeks. Non-lethal deterrents make your property unappealing rather than removing animals one at a time.
USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center found that simple hazing methods like shaking a can of coins, yelling, and stomping were effective at driving coyotes away, provided people were consistent.7Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). NWRC Spotlight – Does Hazing Coyotes Work? Coyotes that have been fed by humans or have grown used to people walking dogs are harder to haze because they’ve lost their natural wariness.
Other approaches that reduce conflicts over time:
- Fencing at least five and a half feet tall with mesh spacing under six inches, plus a buried wire apron or barbed wire at ground level to block digging. Roller devices on top of six-foot fences prevent coyotes from pulling themselves over.
- Livestock guard animals such as Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, donkeys, and llamas, which stay with the herd and repel predators.
- Motion-activated strobe lights, sirens, and propane cannons around corrals and pens. Rotating or flashing lights work better than static ones because coyotes get used to predictable stimuli.
- Removing attractants: secure trash, pick up fallen fruit, feed pets indoors, and don’t leave pet food outside.
If the damage keeps coming, § 17-239 still authorizes the shot. Just make sure the discharge is legal where you’re standing, the animal in your sights is actually a coyote, and the carcass goes in the ground rather than on the market.