AUGUSTA — Maine’s annual coyote hunting season is beginning.

It’s legal to hunt the wild dogs all year in the state, but it’s only legal at night for about eight months. The season begins on Wednesday and ends Aug. 31.

Hunting coyotes will be legal from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise during the season. It’s illegal to hunt on Sundays.

There are more than 10,000 coyotes in Maine and they sometimes encroach on urban areas. They most often hunt at night.

Maine’s other current hunting seasons include bobcat, fox and snowshoe hare.