Animal Rights Group Trying to Stop Year Round Coyote Hunting in Michigan

Michigan’s rule on whether you can hunt coyotes year-round has felt all over the place, and now it’s officially headed to court.

Animal Activists Are Suing Michigan Over Year-Round Coyote Hunting

According to ABC 12, Humane World for Animals is going after the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in court, saying the state ignored science and its own rules to push this through.

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The group says the decision was rushed, didn’t follow the normal two-year cycle, and that year-round hunting could put coyote pups at risk during denning season.

Michigan’s Coyote Hunting Rules Have Changed More Than Once

Michigan has gone back and forth on this for years. The state allowed year-round coyote hunting in 2016, then put a ban in place from April through July in 2024. Now that ban is being lifted, with year-round hunting set to return on March 1.

Supporters of the move argue that there was never strong science behind a seasonal limit in the first place. They say restrictions only allowed the coyote population to grow, creating more problems for farmers, landowners, and livestock.

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Coyotes are native to all 83 Michigan counties and are known for reproducing quickly. Wildlife experts note that a single female can give birth to more than 100 pups over her lifetime.

Whether this latest change sticks may now be up to a judge.