Natural Resources Commission Pushes Year-Long Coyote Hunting

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/08/2025) The Natural Resources Commission voted to postpone voting on an amendment that would return the year-long coyote hunting season, much to the chagrin of conservation clubs in the state.

Commissioner John Walters made the motion to bring the coyote hunting amendment back up during Thursday’s meeting only to put the amendment on the backburner, where it could still live to see another day.

“If I would have left it tabled, then it would have died today. We want to talk about it in the future,” Walters said.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) Policy and Government Affairs Manager Justin Tomei said coyote hunters will already lose some of the coyote season because of the delay from the commission.

“There’s a hope that we can at least get back a few weeks of time. If we do, I’ll be out there hunting,” Tomei said.

He said MUCC members have been unanimous in their support of a year-long coyote hunting season and there was no scientific reason for closing a portion of coyote hunting in the state.

“We’re disappointed, but it’s not unexpected. We would obviously like for them to just tackle the issue, get it done, and reopen the season today,” he said.

He said, regardless of the season, there was nothing the hunters could do in the state that would hurt the population.

Tomei said the current nuisance laws weren’t sufficient to manage the coyotes at a local level.

“Locally, it can have some very serious effects on your turkey, your deer, your livestock or your pets,” he said.