Rules for Hunting Coyotes in North Carolina


You need to know a few rules for hunting coyotes in North Carolina. Since the first appearance of coyotes in the state in 1983, coyotes have spread to every county. Today, they number over 50,000. A nuisance to humans, they are more dangerous to the Red Wolf.

North Carolina has hunting laws designed to protect Red Wolves, but only from humans. Coyotes compete for resources with Red Wolves and dilute their genetic line through hybridization. The Red Wolves look quite like a coyote to the untrained eye; they sometimes are mistaken by coyote hunters.

And there’s your second job as a responsible predator hunter. After you familiarize yourself with the laws of North Carolina—learn how to tell the difference between Red Wolves and coyotes.

Rules for hunting coyotes in North Carolina.
Hunting coyotes in North Carolina.

North Carolina allows coyote hunting year-round, day or night. Electronic callers and lights are permitted. No license is needed if hunting on personal property. A license is required to hunt another’s land, and hunters must carry a signed and dated letter from those landowners.

Purchase a hunting license here.

Read all the North Carolina hunting seasons.

Related: Learn the rules for hunting bobcats in North Carolina.

Related: Learn the rules for hunting fox in North Carolina.

The rules for hunting coyotes in North Carolina.

There are specific counties in North Carolina that do require Coyote hunting or depredation permits.

A Coyote Hunting or Coyote Depredation Permit is required for the taking of coyotes on private lands in the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington.

In the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington, coyote hunting on public lands is prohibited, except coyotes may be taken on state-owned game lands by the holder of a Coyote Hunting permit and a NCWRC-issued permit for specific permitted hunt opportunities for coyotes.

Coyote Hunting Permits:Coyote hunting permits are in addition to hunting licenses. Individuals exempted from license requirements under the provisions specified in G.S. 113-276 must still acquire the coyote hunting permits to hunt coyotes in the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington.

Related: Where is the best place to shoot a coyote? Learn where to aim here.

Related: Learn how to track a wounded coyote here.

Where can you hunt coyotes in North Carolina?

Hunters may use electronic calls for coyotes and feral swine. 

Feral swine may be hunted at night with lights.

Coyotes may be hunted at night with artificial lights except in the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington. In those five counties, the following apply:

  • Hunting hours are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset in the above listed five counties
  • All coyote hunting in the above listed five counties requires a permit
  • Permits can be obtained at ncwildlife.org or by calling 888-248-6834

All coyote harvests in the above listed five counties must be reported.

Related: If your friends lose a chicken to a coyote, you can fix that. But what about to a weasel? Learn how to help them here. You’ll be their hero!

Related: Learn how to take predators with a shotgun here.

Can you hunt coyotes on a Sunday in North Carolina?

On Sundays the following apply:

  • Hunting with firearms between 9:30 a.m.and 12:30 p.m. is prohibited except on controlled hunting preserves;
  • Hunting migratory birds is prohibited;
  • The use of firearms to take deer that are run or chased by dogs is prohibited;
  • Hunting with a firearm within 500 yards of a place of worship or any accessory structure thereof is prohibited.

Archery equipment may be used to hunt on Sundays without the restrictions applied to hunting with firearms.

Related: Black bears are predators, too. Learn how to hunt black bears here.

Related: What is the best hour of the day to hunt a coyote?

Don’t accidentally shoot a Red Wolf when hunting coyotes in North Carolina.

Target identification is always paramount for any hunter. In North Carolina, especially at night, misidentifying a Red Wolf for a coyote is a concern.

Hunting coyotes in North Carolina, red wolf
Red wolf closeup.

During the day, and up close? Sure, you can spot the differences.

Hunitng coyotes in North Carolina.
Red Wolf

How about now? And at night? Make sure you can tell the difference before you hunt coyotes in North Carolina.

Related: What is the best night vision rifle scope for a beginner?

Hunting coyotes in North Carolina: Firearms.

Fully automatic weapons are prohibited.

Suppressors are legal.

POSSESSION OF FIREARMS ON GAME LANDS

On State-owned game lands, and all other lands unless prohibited by the landowner, persons may lawfully carry any firearm openly that they are otherwise lawfully entitled to possess, and may also carry a concealed handgun if they possess a current and valid concealed handgun permit issued to them.  However, persons may not hunt with any firearm being carried unless such firearm is authorized as a lawful method of take for that open season. The exempted game lands where concealed carry is prohibited are: 

  • Buckhorn 
  • Harris 
  • Sutton Lake 
  • Mayo 
  • Hyco 
  • Lee 
  • Chatham 
  • Pee Dee, area north of U.S. 74 
  • Butner-Falls 
  • Jordan 
  • Vance 
  • Kerr Scott 
  • Wayne Bailey-Caswell, area north of U.S. 158 and east of N.C. 119 

Dennis V. Gilmore Jr.

Dennis V. Gilmore Jr. is a former Marine Sergeant and the author of several books, including two on night hunting coyotes and red and gray fox. He has written several hundred articles on predator hunting for ThePredatorHunter.com.

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