In a significant policy shift, Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission has reinstated the year-round hunting season for coyotes, just a year after limiting it. The change comes amid rising concerns about coyote encounters in residential areas.
Previously, since 2016, hunting and trapping coyotes on public lands was permitted throughout the year. This policy was adjusted in 2024 to protect coyotes when they might have dependent offspring. However, a recent incident involving a coyote in Alcona County heightened calls for policy revisions. Last December, a coyote bit a three-year-old girl, prompting discussions on restoring the full hunting season.
In response to the incident and rising complaints about coyotes, legislators proposed laws to bring back the unrestricted hunting period. Nevertheless, the Commission’s recent decision to resume year-round hunting on public lands rendered these legislative efforts unnecessary.
The reinstatement has been welcomed by local lawmakers. “It’s a win for common sense,” stated Republican State Senator Michele Hoitenga, emphasizing the potential risks coyotes pose, such as spreading disease and disrupting ecosystems. Representative Parker Fairbairn echoed similar sentiments, mentioning that coyotes “need to be aggressively managed” to safeguard other wildlife, as well as pets and livestock.
While private landowners in Michigan have always had the liberty to control coyote populations on their property, the reinstated policy specifically pertains to public lands. Coyotes are prolific breeders, and a report from a Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist suggests that controlling their numbers requires eliminating around 70% of the population annually.
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