Michigan Places New Ban On Coyote Hunting

Hunting has been a popular activity in Michigan for years. We are currently at the tail end of hunting season (which ends on March 31st), but there are still some animals like opossums and red squirrels that can be hunted year-round. However, one animal that has been on this list has recently been taken off, and it has drawn arguments on both sides.

Coyote Ban

Last week, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (MNRC) voted 4-2 on Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment No. 1 of 2024 to reverse a 2016 ruling that allowed coyotes to be hunted year-round, banning hunters from being able to hunt the animal from April 15 to July 15. According to the amendment, the goal of this change is to stop hunting during a time when female coyotes have "dependent young" so the young are not orphaned from their mothers during crucial development stages of their lives.

Bridge Michigan, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news source, states this change will also align the law with the Northern American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which warns against the killing of animals when hunters have an unfair advantage. In this case, that unfair advantage is killing pups or shooting pregnant coyotes since neither of them is capable of fighting back.

Controversy Surrounding The Ruling

This has been a hot topic among hunters and hunting groups, to the point that the discourse is included in the amendment itself. Those for the ban state that there has been very little change in hunting numbers since the year-round policy was put into effect and returning to this window could avoid potential social pressure from allowing pup hunting. The ones against ending this policy claim it could hurt hunting numbers during a time when coyotes are "more responsive to calls" and while there is reduced shrubbery. 

Overall, the change was made since the committee did not see a real cost-benefit in having year-round hunting. Despite the new nine-month hunting period, hunters are still allowed to kill "nuisance coyotes" year-round.