LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan’s coyotes just became the subject of a courtroom fight.
Humane World for Animals has sued the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, challenging the commission’s January vote to allow year-round coyote hunting on public and private land.
Filed in Ingham County Circuit Court, the lawsuit argues the commission sidestepped “science-based” wildlife management and moved outside its “normal regulatory cycle” by reopening hunting during the spring denning season, when coyote pups are dependent on adults.
The advocacy group contends broad, year-round coyote removal does little to reduce populations or protect livestock and can instead increase conflicts by disrupting pack structures.
The lawsuit stems from the commission’s decision to undo a court-backed 2024 rule that paused coyote hunting during denning season, a move the group says weakens confidence in the state’s regulatory process.
State officials have not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit.