Natural Resources Commission Commits To Reopen Year-Round Coyote Hunting

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/14/2025) The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) voted Thursday in Gaylord that it “is committed” to reinstating the year-round hunting season on the overpopulated coyote, a reversal in approach from a year ago.

Commissioners pledged that before the 2026 regulation cycle, it is committed to enacting a coyote hunting/trapping season to prevent the animals from damaging property.

The NRC spent the morning listening to Barbara Avers, a PhD wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, about the background of coyotes and DNR-recommended regulations about coyote hunting in Michigan.

“Think of it like the Goldilocks Model: Do we have too few, just the right amount or too many? We’re in the ‘too many.’ So whether you have 20,000 too many or 200,000 too many, that’s all relevant to where you are,” Avers said.

The NRC resolution stated that the overview presented in the morning and pointing out that the coyote population had become a public nuisance through the spread of disease and the reduction of other game species.

The resolution passed unanimously.

Commissioner John Walters then asked for the commission to reopen the nuisance animal orders to be discussed at the Sept. 11 commission meeting in Lansing.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs Policy and Government Affairs Manager Justin Tomei said the group would have preferred that the NRC just reinstate the year-round season during the meeting by taking up the original amendment tabled by Walters in April and every meeting since.

“Now the onus is on MUCC, (Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association), and conservationists across the state, to really hold their feet to the fire and make sure they really follow through with their promise to us,” Tomei said.

He said the unanimous decision on the statement of intent was promising.

“Now that we got them to commit to fixing this error from the 2024 commission, it’s going to be our responsibility to hold them accountable,” he said.

Tomei also said that MUCC was not supporting SB 366 , sponsored by Sen. Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton), and HB 4554 , sponsored by Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs), to legislatively create a year-round coyote season, which he said would take away the power from the NRC to regulate the day-to-day management of wildlife.

“We don’t think it’s the Legislature's role to get involved in the day-to-day game management decisions,” he said.

He said the group would rather have the commission make those decisions.

“While imperfect, in our opinion, it is the best model that we have,” he said.

Fairbairn and Hoitenga both supported the decision from the NRC to commit to reopening the year-round coyote season.

“Its original repeal lacked any scientific basis and essentially opened the floodgates for coyotes – which can reproduce at an extremely fast rate – to wreak havoc on farmers and landowners, spread disease and harm the natural balance across northern Michigan and throughout the state,” Hoitenga said.

She said the people were the reason the decision was made, and she hoped it would remain in place.

“Though coyotes are a natural part of Michigan’s ecosystem, they proliferate incredibly quickly, and their 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,” Fairbairn said.