Is it legal to shoot coyotes in Illinois in January?

Answer 1

As far as I know, it is legal to kill a coyote 365 days a year, but I do not know why you would want to. With the demise of the wolf in Illinois, the coyote is one of the last lines of defense against the overpopulation of animals such as cats, deer, and, most recently, skunks. Killing a coyote is depriving the environment of a much needed predator. Please don't. The ecosystem is currently in shambles. It needs all the help it can get. Unless the coyote is actually endangering your family, there is no reason to kill it. Also, if you are a hunter, you should know that killing coyotes hurts the deer population by allowing sickly and old deer to continue surviving. This in turns puts a strain on the whole (over)population, which keeps all the deer smaller, less healthy, and less tasty.