Wyoming Prairie Dog and Coyote Hunts on Private Land

Why Wyoming is a varmint-hunting destination

Drive the grasslands around Thunder Basin in eastern Wyoming in June and you'll find prairie dog towns that stretch for hundreds of acres, dogs popping and chirping the second a truck door slams. It's some of the best rifle practice in the country — flat light, long sightlines, and more targets than you can realistically work through in a week. Pair that with coyotes moving through the same country after lambs and calves, and you've got two pest species that ranchers want thinned and that hunters can book without ever touching a lottery system.

Wyoming's appeal comes down to one thing: almost no bureaucracy stands between you and the field. No license, no tag, no draw, no bag limit for either species. The landowner controls everything else — where you shoot, how many people can come, and what's included in the price.

Licensing basics for 2026

Wyoming classifies both black-tailed and white-tailed prairie dogs as nongame animals, and coyotes as predatory animals under state law. For both, no license, stamp, or bag limit is required for resident or nonresident hunters, and there's no closed season — you can hunt them statewide, including on private land, year-round. The one documented requirement is hunter safety: proof of hunter safety certification is needed to use a firearm, unless you're exempt (for example, hunting with a licensed adult, depending on age and residency).

The clearest statewide restriction that applies to both species is that it's illegal to shoot from a public road. Beyond that, Wyoming's published guidance doesn't spell out specific night-hunting, artificial light or thermal rules for predatory animals beyond the general road-shooting ban, so if a ranch offers a night coyote hunt, ask them directly how they stay within state law and confirm with Wyoming Game and Fish (WGFD) yourself before you travel.

Do you need an outfitter for this kind of hunt?

Wyoming requires a state outfitter license only for guiding big or trophy game animals; neither prairie dogs nor coyotes fall into that category, so a landowner or ranch hand can host and guide a varmint hunt without that specific license. That's part of why prairie dog and coyote packages in Wyoming tend to be simpler and less expensive than big-game outfitted hunts — you're paying for access and convenience, not a licensed guiding operation. If a listing also includes deer, antelope or other big game, that portion of the trip may fall under different outfitting rules, so ask directly if a package mixes species.

How Wyoming varmint packages are priced

Listings on HuntHype and similar platforms are generally priced one of a few ways:

• Per shooter per day — the most common format for prairie dog town access.
• Per group or party, with a maximum group size — common when a ranch has a single active town that can only handle so many guns safely.
• Multi-day combination packages — prairie dogs and coyotes together, sometimes with lodging and meals, especially on larger eastern Wyoming ranches.

In Wyoming, the fee is for the land, the guiding and the comfort — never for the animal itself.

State-by-state comparison for varmint hunters

If you're weighing Wyoming against other varmint destinations, here's how nearby states generally compare based on current research:

• Wyoming — no license for prairie dogs or coyotes, no closed season, no bag limit; hunter safety proof required.
• Montana — coyotes are unregulated predators with no license needed; prairie dog rules should be confirmed directly with Montana FWP.
• South Dakota — nonresidents need a predator/varmint or big game license for both prairie dogs and coyotes, with public-grassland seasonal closures that don't apply to private land.
• Colorado — prairie dogs and coyotes are both managed as small game/furbearer species requiring a license, and both are covered by Colorado's 2020 ban on wildlife-killing contests.
• New Mexico — residents need no license for coyotes or prairie dogs as unprotected/nongame species, but the state bans organized coyote-killing contests statewide.

What's usually included in a package

A Wyoming varmint listing should spell out exactly what you're getting. Typical inclusions:

• Access to one or more active prairie dog towns, plus coyote opportunities if the landowner allows them.
• A guide or ranch hand who knows where the activity is and can explain property rules.
• Shooting benches, mats or shade structures — or a clear note that you bring your own.
• Lodging and meals on multi-day packages.
• Predator calls or blinds if coyotes are part of the trip.

Questions to ask the landowner before you book

Before you commit, ask:

• How active are the prairie dog towns right now, and roughly how many acres are colonized?
• Are coyotes actively present on the property, or is this primarily a prairie dog trip?
• What's the maximum party size, and is pricing per shooter or per group?
• Are there restrictions on caliber, direction of fire, or distance from roads, buildings and livestock?
• Does the property allow night coyote hunting, and if so, what gear is provided versus what you need to bring?
• What happens if weather cuts a day short?

Field tips for a Wyoming varmint trip

Wyoming wind is relentless, and it will humble you faster than distance will. A solid rest — bench, bipod or bags — matters more than a fancy rifle. Bring a spotting scope so your partner can call shots and save you glassing time between strings. Sun protection, water and a wide-brimmed hat matter in June and July heat on open range with zero shade.

For coyotes specifically, early morning and evening calling sessions tend to produce more than midday hunts, and a ranch that regularly hosts coyote hunters usually has a sense of where animals are moving through that week. Ask before you set up rather than guessing.

Timing your trip matters too: prairie dog towns are most active in late spring through early summer when young dogs are above ground, while coyote activity often picks up in the shoulder seasons around lambing and calving, when ranchers have the most incentive to thin numbers. A quick call to the landowner about recent activity beats picking dates off a calendar.

Booking through HuntHype

HuntHype lists Wyoming varmint access the same way it lists prairie dog and hog packages elsewhere: the landowner states dates, region, party size and exactly what's included, and you buy your own hunter safety and any applicable license before you arrive — though for prairie dogs and coyotes in Wyoming, that's typically nothing beyond hunter safety proof. Funds are held until the seller confirms fulfillment. For a broader look at how varmint access compares to an outfitted hunt, read private-land access vs outfitted hunt. For details on how coyote rules differ across other states, see coyote hunting on private land by state, and for a comparison with South Dakota's more license-heavy prairie dog rules, read South Dakota prairie dog shoots on private land.