Michigan's Natural Resources Commission has reinstated a year-round coyote hunting season just a year after scaling back.
Year-round hunting and trapping on public land was allowed since 2016, but scaled back in 2024 to avoid killing coyotes with dependent young.
Coyotes live in every county in the state. Complaints about coyotes have increased in some residential areas. They are attracted to the abundance of food sources.
Then a report of a coyote biting a three-year-old girl in Alcona County last December renewed calls to restore the year-round hunt on public lands.
Legislators introduced legislation to restore year-round coyote hunting.
The Natural Resources Commission reversed its earlier decision and restored year-round hunting on public land, making the legislation unnecessary.
Republican State Senator Michele Hoitenga and Republican State Representative Parker Fairbairn issued a joint press release, supporting NRC's decision to reinstate open year-round coyote hunting in Michigan.
Senator Hoitenga called it "...a win for common sense," adding that coyotes can "wreak havoc on farmers and landowners, spread disease and harm the natural balance across Northern Michigan and throughout the state."
"Their (coyotes) numbers need to be aggressively managed to keep them from negatively impacting deer, turkey, hare, rabbit and other game and non-game species throughout the state, not to mention predation of pets and livestock," said Representative Fairbairn.
Private landowners have always been allowed to kill the animals year-round on their property. The NRC decision only affects hunting and trapping on private land.
Coyotes reproduce quickly. According to a report by a Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, to keep the population of coyotes in check would require hunting and trapping kills of about 70% of the population each year.
