In a win for wildlife and animal rights advocates, a Michigan court in early June backed a state commission's decision to pause coyote hunting during the spring and early summer. The issue remains unresolved, however, as state legislators soon proposed new bills to open year-round hunting, and the state commission itself considered that option, as Bridge Michigan reported.
The goal of limiting the hunt was to give coyote pups a better shot at survival during the season they are typically nursed — and to bring Michigan's hunting regulations more in line with the seasonal rhythms of nature, as the Detroit Free Press reported.
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission voted in 2024 to halt the year-round hunt from mid-April through mid-July, aligning with the coyote birthing and pup-rearing seasons. This measure, the commission indicated, helped ensure that hunting practices didn't leave pups orphaned and without a chance.
When hunting groups brought a lawsuit to challenge the decision, a judge upheld it, affirming that it was based on sound science and thoughtful wildlife management.
Other game species already enjoy protection while raising young, as Cody Norton of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources pointed out in a presentation cited by the Free Press. According to the news outlet, the hunt limitation also wouldn't affect rules that allow for coyotes to be removed year-round if they pose a threat to livestock, pets, or property.
Still, some hunting advocates were concerned the decision set a precedent for future bans based on social pressure rather than biology.
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"From our perspective, it's bigger than three months of coyotes," Justin Tomei of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs said in the Free Press report. "We don't want the same extremely low standard of social pressures to dictate the manner of take of any species, whether it's coyotes or deer, elk, squirrels, whatever it is. We want it to be based on what's best for the resource and what's best for the outdoor heritage."
Others, however, saw the hunt restriction as a thoughtful step forward — one that preserved Michigan's outdoor legacy. "It is abundantly clear the commission fulfilled its duty under (state law) and used principles of sound scientific management to the greatest extent practicable in making its decision regarding the taking of coyotes," wrote Judge Morgan E. Cole in her ruling.
Brooks Fahy of Predator Defense said in the Free Press report: "Killing coyotes is one of the most futile endeavors imaginable. When you kill coyotes, you are just creating more coyotes."
Although the issues are complex, the end goal is that Michigan joins a broader movement to make wildlife policies smarter, more humane, and ultimately better for everyone who enjoys — and relies on — the outdoors.
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