Animal rights group sues over Michigan's expanded coyote hunt

Carol Thompson, The Detroit News on Feb 4, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DETROIT — An animal rights group sued the Michigan Natural Resources Commission on Tuesday, alleging the group that sets Michigan's hunting and fishing regulations was wrong to expand coyote hunting in Michigan.

Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, filed the lawsuit in Ingham County Circuit Court. The group argues the NRC expanded coyote hunting despite knowing the change would not reduce their population or reduce coyotes' conflicts with farm animals.

"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," Mitchell Nelson, Michigan state director for Humane World for Animals, said in a Wednesday press release. "This is not responsible stewardship; it's shameless pandering to special interests at the expense of the public's wildlife."

NRC Chair Becky Humphries and Michigan Department of Natural Resources spokesman Ed Golder both declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Natural Resources Commissioners in January agreed to allow Michiganians to hunt, trap and kill nuisance or damaging coyotes year-round on public and private land. Previously, they had only allowed people to kill coyotes outside of hunting season if the animals were damaging or posing a threat to livestock on private land.

Coyote hunting and trapping season is from Oct. 15 through March 1. The rest of the year is considered coyote management season, when people are allowed to lethally take coyotes "to address interspecies conflict and overabundance on private and public lands."

Michigan expanded coyote hunting to a year-round season in 2016 in an attempt to reduce the state's coyote population. It didn't work, according to a presentation DNR wildlife biologist Barbara Avers gave to the NRC in August. Hunters didn't meaningfully increase their coyote kills with the expanded season, she said.

The NRC enacted limits on coyote hunting in March 2024 by prohibiting hunting on public lands during their breeding season from mid-April through mid-July. They still allowed property owners to kill coyotes during that time if the animals were threatening or damaging livestock.

The limitations were unpopular with hunting and trapping groups. Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association sued, alleging the NRC enacted the limitations because of social pressure. An Ingham County judge ruled in favor of the NRC, saying it was "abundantly clear" the commission acted lawfully and relied on science to make its decision.

Humane World for Animals filed its lawsuit in the same Ingham County court that sided with the NRC against the hunting groups. Like the hunting groups previously argued, the animal rights advocacy group alleges the NRC ignored sound science when expanding Michiganians' right to kill coyotes.

"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."

-----------