Species authority page

Coyote

Canis latrans · Predators

Coyote (Canis latrans) can be identified as follows: Slender canid with a narrow muzzle, relatively large pointed ears and a bushy tail usually carried below the back. This biological profile does not establish whether hunting or trapping is legal.

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Coyote
Photo by John Thomas on Unsplash
Scientific name
Canis latrans
Family
Canidae
Range context
Most of North America
Biology

How to identify it

Slender canid with a narrow muzzle, relatively large pointed ears and a bushy tail usually carried below the back. [1]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Do not identify Coyote from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Highly adaptable across forest, farmland, prairie and urban-edge landscapes. [1]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Yelping, howling, high-pitched calls, especially at dusk and dawn; one howl sets off others, and two coyotes can sound like a dozen. [2]

Primarily a flesh-eater that scavenges livestock carcasses and wolf kills and in suitable snow can kill deer. [2]

Marks territory with strong-smelling urine. [2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Most of North America

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. BIOLOGICALCoyote

    Gouvernement du Québec · reviewed 2026-09-20

    Gouvernement du Québec

  2. Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada