Yes, you can shoot coyotes in Texas. They’re classified as non-game animals, which means no closed season, no bag limit, and no possession limit on private property.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species The catches are the ones people miss: you generally need a hunting license, hunter education rules still apply, and city firearm ordinances can override the state’s permissive framework in populated areas.
Why the Non-Game Classification Matters
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department treats coyotes as non-game, and that single classification does most of the work. You can take as many as you want, any time of year, using any lawful method on private property.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species That is a much looser framework than what governs deer or turkey, where the state sets tight season dates and harvest limits.
Do You Need a Hunting License
Usually, yes. A hunting license is required to take non-game animals in Texas, coyotes included. A resident license runs $25.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Licenses
There is one exception. No hunting license is required to shoot depredating coyotes on private property with the landowner’s authorization.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species “Depredating” means the coyote is actively causing damage: killing livestock, going after pets, destroying property. If you’re shooting for sport or general population management, that exception doesn’t cover you and you need the license. This distinction trips people up because it sounds like a technicality. It’s the line between a legal shoot and a Class C misdemeanor.
Hunter Education Still Applies
The depredation exception waives the license, not hunter education. Anyone born on or after September 2, 1971 must complete a certified hunter education course before hunting in Texas.3Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunter Education The minimum certification age is 9, and hunters 17 and older can finish the course online. Carry proof of certification or a valid deferral while hunting. Texas honors hunter education certificates from other states and Canadian provinces, so out-of-state hunters don’t need to retake the course.
Private Land vs. Public Land
Almost all coyote hunting in Texas happens on private land, and that is where the rules give you the most room. You need to own the property or have explicit permission from the landowner. With that in hand, you can hunt coyotes any time by any lawful means, day or night.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species
Public land is tighter. Hunting on Wildlife Management Areas, state parks, and leased public hunting lands requires both a Texas hunting license and an Annual Public Hunting Permit, which costs $48.4Texas Parks & Wildlife. Annual Public Hunting Permit / Walk-in Hunts Public areas also carry their own season dates and site-specific restrictions, so check the map booklet for the property before you go.
Firearms, Equipment, and Night Hunting
On private property, there are no caliber or firearm-type restrictions for coyotes. Centerfire rifles, rimfire rifles, shotguns, and handguns are all legal. Suppressors are permitted for taking any wildlife in Texas, provided the suppressor is legally owned under federal law.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods Electronic callers, mouth calls, and decoys are all legal.
You can hunt coyotes from a motor vehicle or from a boat on private water, but not from a public road, right-of-way, or public water.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Means and Methods
Night hunting is legal too. Texas prohibits hunting game animals with artificial light, but the restriction doesn’t apply to non-game species. Spotlights, thermal imaging, and night-vision optics are all fair game for coyotes on private land.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species Many ranchers handle coyote problems after dark for exactly this reason.
Aerial Hunting From Helicopters
Federal law generally prohibits shooting wildlife from aircraft. The Airborne Hunting Act carries fines up to $5,000 and up to a year in prison.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S. Code 742j-1 – Airborne Hunting The Act carves out an exception for state-permitted programs to protect land, livestock, or wildlife, and Texas uses it.
Under Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 43, a qualified landowner or authorized agent can take depredating coyotes from a helicopter on the landowner’s property. This requires filing a Landowner’s Authorization to Manage Wildlife or Exotic Animals by Aircraft with TPWD, and it isn’t valid until TPWD stamps it and issues a permit number.7Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Aerial Management Permit FAQ Sport hunting from aircraft is illegal under both state and federal law.
City Limits and Discharge Ordinances
This is where most people get burned. State law gives you broad freedom to shoot coyotes, but Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 specifically preserves the authority of municipalities to regulate firearm discharge inside city limits.8State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code 229.001 – Firearms, Air Guns, Archery Equipment, Knives, Explosives Most cities and many unincorporated areas set minimum distances from occupied buildings, minimum tract sizes for rifle or shotgun use, and outright discharge bans in certain zones. The rules vary sharply between municipalities.
Coyote sightings in suburban neighborhoods are increasingly common, and that’s exactly where the trap sits. A method that’s fully legal under state law can still violate a city ordinance. Check the local rule before you shoot near homes or inside city limits. Even in rural counties, a round that crosses a property line or hits an outbuilding creates criminal exposure regardless of whether the target itself was legal.
Penalties If You Get It Wrong
Hunting violations in Texas run across these tiers:
- Class C misdemeanor: $25 to $500 fine. This covers lower-level violations like hunting non-game species without a license.
- Class B misdemeanor: $200 to $2,000 fine.
- Class A misdemeanor: $500 to $4,000 fine.
- State jail felony: $1,500 to $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail.
A conviction can also trigger automatic suspension or revocation of all hunting and fishing licenses for up to five years, and the state can seize firearms and gear used in the offense.9Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Laws, Penalties and Restitution The $25 license isn’t the number to worry about. Losing your rifles and your right to hunt for five years is.