LANSING, Mich.—Today, Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, filed a lawsuit in Ingham County Circuit Court against the Michigan Natural Resources Commission challenging its January 14 decision to once again allow year-round coyote hunting in the state. Hunters will be able to shoot coyotes in unlimited numbers on public and private lands, including between mid-April and mid-July when coyotes are raising dependent pups in their dens.
“The Natural Resources Commission is bowing to the demands of hunting groups for a return to cruel, pointless, year-round coyote killing that will leave dependent pups to starve,” said Mitchell Nelson, Michigan state director for Humane World for Animals. “This is not responsible stewardship; it’s shameless pandering to special interests at the expense of the public’s wildlife.”
“Michigan law requires the Natural Resources Commission to use sound scientific management when making decisions about how to manage the state’s wildlife, including coyotes,” said Margie Robinson, senior staff attorney for Humane World for Animals. “Scientific research shows that extending indiscriminate killing of coyotes won’t reduce their populations or address perceived conflicts with farm animals. In the face of this overwhelming science, we’re holding the Commission accountable to its legal duties.”
For decades, Michigan offered one of the longest coyote hunting seasons in the country, closing only during the April to July period when coyote parents are birthing and raising young in their dens and teaching them to become independent. But in 2016, the Commission expanded that season to year-round, ignoring public opposition and warnings from biologists in the state’s Department of Natural Resources that increased killing would not reduce coyote numbers or yield more deer for hunters.
In March 2024, recognizing the public’s increasingly positive attitudes toward wildlife and concerns about the optics of inhumane hunting practices, the Commission voted to once again close coyote hunting during the spring denning period. A Michigan court later upheld that decision when it was challenged by hunting groups, finding that it was grounded in sound science and the Commission’s legal duty to manage wildlife responsibly.
The Commission’s January 2026 decision to reopen killing to year-round ignores decades of peer-reviewed research showing that indiscriminate killing of coyotes does not reduce their numbers, does not protect farm animals and can actually increase conflicts by disrupting stable family groups. And by offering no evidence that year-round coyote killing would achieve any legitimate management objective, the Commission order ignores Michigan law requiring it to make decisions based on sound science. The change is also being made outside of the two-year regulatory cycle agreed to by the Commission and Department of Natural Resources, a policy put in place to allow the department to fully assess the impacts of regulatory changes before making new ones.
The Commission’s January 2026 decision also disregards the public’s trust. Michigan’s wildlife belongs to all residents—not just a small subset of hunters who want to kill them for trophies or their fur. The vast majority of Michiganders engage with wildlife through viewing, hiking, camping and eco-tourism. By reversing a court-affirmed, science-based policy outside the normal regulatory cycle, the Commission has undermined public confidence in its wildlife governance.
This lawsuit seeks to hold the Commission accountable, protect coyotes from unnecessary and cruel killing when their young are most vulnerable and ensure Michigan’s wildlife is managed lawfully, transparently and in line with both science and public values.
Humane World for Animals is represented by attorneys in its Animal Protection Law department and Charles Dunn.