Airgun Hunting · Field Guide
Coyote hunting with an airgun
Researched by James · Updated September 26, 2026 · Editorial policy
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The state examples below come from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's published regulations and California's Title 14 code and Fish and Game Code, linked in Sources. Predator and nongame law varies by state, so treat these as worked examples, not a national answer. Full methodology & editorial policy →
Is it legal to hunt coyotes with an air rifle?
Usually, where your state treats coyotes as nongame or an unprotected predator. Two examples show how liberal that can get, and where the real restriction actually sits:
| Texas | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Nongame; no closed season, no bag or possession limit | Nongame mammal (14 CCR §475) |
| Air rifle as a method | Not restricted on private property — "any lawful means or methods" | Not excluded by §475's list of prohibited methods |
| License | Not required for depredating coyotes on private land with landowner authorization; hunter education still applies | Standard California hunting license required |
| Night hunting | Allowed; contact the local game warden as a courtesy | Night vision equipment banned for taking most mammals (F&G Code §2005(c)), narrow exceptions only |
The takeaway isn't "coyotes are open season everywhere" — it's that predator and nongame law is genuinely more permissive than big-game law in most states, but each state still sets its own rule on license, method, and especially night hunting. See the airgun laws overview for how to find your own state's regulator.
How much FPE do you need for coyotes?
Treat coyotes the same energy tier as raccoons: 20-40+ FPE at the animal, well above the 9-12+ FPE floor for rabbits and squirrels. A coyote is lighter than a hog but tougher than small game and far more likely to run on a marginal hit, which makes a comfortable energy margin more important than squeezing out extra range. Raccoon and fox hunting with an air rifle covers the same energy logic in more depth, and the full quarry-by-quarry numbers are on the airgun FPE chart. Confirm your own rifle's real output with the FPE calculator and a chronograph rather than trusting an advertised spec.
What caliber and rifle should you use?
.25 caliber is a workable floor at close range, but many coyote hunters step up to a genuine big bore — .30 caliber and larger — for the combination of energy and reach a called coyote often demands. Coyotes frequently hang up 40-80 yards out rather than closing all the way in, which puts them past where most small-game PCPs are comfortable operating. See big bore air rifles for the calibers, energy numbers, and shot counts if you're building toward that kind of capability.
Calling coyotes for an airgun shot
Electronic calls, howls, and prey-distress sounds work the same way for an airgun hunt as they do for a firearm predator hunter: set up with the wind in your favor, expect the coyote to approach from any direction, and be ready for it to stop out past your comfortable range rather than walking all the way into it. That unpredictability is exactly why range and energy matter more here than with a stand-hunted animal like a hog or a stalked rabbit — you don't always get to pick the distance.
Where do you aim on a coyote?
A broadside heart-lung shot is the standard, reliable target, and a head shot works at close, confirmed range. Skip a facing or steep quartering-toward angle — the odds of a marginal hit that produces a wounded, running animal go up, and coyotes cover ground fast on a poor hit. The general placement principles that apply across quarry are in airgun shot placement.
Can you hunt coyotes at night?
Good fit
- Hunters in states that classify coyotes as nongame or unprotected predators
- A big bore or top-end .25 rifle with real energy margin and reach
- Property owners responding to coyote depredation on livestock or pets, where local rules allow it
Look elsewhere
- A small-game .22 PCP — it's under-powered and under-ranged for a called coyote
- Night hunting anywhere you haven't specifically confirmed the state's night vision or artificial light rule
- Anyone who hasn't checked whether their state treats coyotes as nongame, furbearer, or something more restricted
Verdict
Coyotes are legal, practical air rifle quarry in states that treat them as nongame or unprotected predators, but the job needs real energy — 20-40+ FPE from a .25 caliber or bigger, ideally a big bore for the range a called coyote can demand. The rule most likely to catch you out isn't the daytime hunt, it's night hunting: confirm that specifically before you plan to call coyotes after dark.
FAQ
Can you hunt coyotes with an air rifle?
In many states, yes, since coyotes are usually classified as nongame or predator animals with liberal take rules. Texas lists coyotes as nongame with no closed season or bag limit and allows hunting them by any lawful means on private property, including at night. California's methods regulation for nongame mammals (14 CCR §475) doesn't exclude air rifles either. Confirm your own state's classification, since some states manage coyotes under predator-control or furbearer rules instead.
How much FPE do you need to kill a coyote?
Plan on 20-40+ FPE at the animal, the same tier used for raccoon-sized game, and lean toward the higher end for a comfortable margin at real hunting distances. A .25 caliber PCP at the top of its power band can work close, but many coyote hunters step up to a big bore for both energy and range.
Can you hunt coyotes at night with an air rifle?
Where it's legal generally, often yes for coyotes specifically, since predator and pest species frequently get exceptions that big game doesn't. Texas allows hunting coyotes at night on private property as a courtesy-notify practice with the local game warden. California is stricter: its night vision equipment ban (Fish and Game Code §2005(c)) covers taking any mammal, with exceptions mainly for agricultural landowners on their own property and mammals covered under the state's depredation-permit statute, not general recreational coyote calling. Confirm your state's night-hunting rule for predators specifically before you go.
What caliber is best for coyotes with an air rifle?
.25 caliber is a reasonable floor at close range, and .30 caliber and up gives more margin for a marginal hit or a longer shot. Coyotes are lighter than a hog but tougher and more likely to run on a poor hit than small game, so err toward more energy rather than less.
Where do you aim on a coyote?
A broadside heart-lung shot or a head shot at close, confirmed range. Avoid a facing or steep quartering-toward shot, which is more likely to produce a wounded animal that runs rather than a clean kill. The general shot-placement principles across quarry are in the airgun shot placement guide.
Do you need a license to hunt coyotes?
Usually, but not always. Texas doesn't require a hunting license to take depredating coyotes on private property with landowner authorization, though hunter education requirements still apply; hunting coyotes for sport rather than as a depredation response typically does require a standard hunting license. Check your own state's rule, since the license requirement can hinge on whether you're responding to livestock or property damage.
Can you call coyotes in for an airgun shot?
Yes, the same electronic calls, howls, and prey-distress sounds firearm predator hunters use work for airgun setups too. The tradeoff is range: a called coyote often approaches from any direction and may hang up at 40-80 yards, well past where a small-game PCP is effective, which is part of why airgun coyote hunters lean toward big bore rifles with more reach.
Sources
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Nongame and Other Species (coyotes)
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Hunting Means and Methods (artificial light rule)
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, §475 — Methods of take for nongame birds and nongame mammals (Cornell LII)
- California Fish and Game Code §2005 — Artificial light and night vision equipment restrictions
