HB 5108 introduced, puts Michigan’s fishing heritage at risk

Yesterday, the Natural Resources Commission unanimously voted via a formal resolution to reinstate Michigan’s year-round coyote hunting season ahead of the April 2026 closing of the season. This decision represents a win for Michigan’s hunters, and more importantly, sound scientific management. No changes to the wildlife conservation order (WCO) yet, but the commission approved a resolution that stated: “the Michigan Natural Resources Commission is committed to enacting a regulation for Michigan citizens to take coyotes year-round on public and private land through a combination of hunting, trapping, and lethal take of nuisance and damaging animals; and that the Michigan Natural Resources Commission is committed to acting on this matter before next regular furbearer regulation cycle in the Wildlife Conservation Order in 2026.” The vote comes after a year of work by Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) and Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association (MTPCA), who filed a lawsuit when the commission illegally closed part of the season in March of 2024. Today's vote constitutes a win for scientific management and Proposal G, but the responsibility to hold the commission to their word is now on all conservationists according to MUCC CEO Amy Trotter. “We all obviously would have preferred a resolution to the issue today,” said Trotter. “The commission has made clear to the conservationists of Michigan that they will fix the 2024 commission’s error, and the responsibility now rests with all of us to hold them to their word.” According to MTPCA President Joe Velchansky, this is a win, but not the final one. “We are closer to righting this wrong today than we were yesterday,” said Velchansky. “We will continue to work with the commission to ensure the commission makes the best decision for the resource, scientific management, and our outdoor heritage.” In February and March of 2024, the NRC, at the request of a small minority of stakeholder groups, approved an order to partially close Michigan’s coyote hunting season from April 15-July 15. The justification for the order was not biological data, or management need. Rather the commission followed emotional pleas and social perceptions, without any objective data backing up the claims, and illegally partially closed coyote season for a quarter of the year. Despite a DNR biologist's statement that the closure was put forward based on perceived social pressures, and countless pages of scientific literature being presented justifying a year-round hunting season, the season was closed. After the meeting, MUCC and MTPCA jumped into action on behalf of sound scientific management and Michigan’s hunters, anglers and trappers. A lawsuit was filed to appeal the decision and after months of trading paperwork, the final briefs were filed in November of 2024. In June of this year, a Lansing Circuit Court Judge ruled that the commission followed their charge in their decision making. Since the March 2024 vote, there has been significant turnover on the commission with four new members currently seated. Commissioner John Walters, who voted no on the closure in 2024, requested the amendment to reopen the season at the February 2025 meeting, and the order was up for information in March and delayed due to commissioner absences and bureaucratic hurdles before today’s vote. Year-round coyote hunting had been in place since the NRC adopted the measure in 2016, when Michigan joined at least 35 other states in allowing for year-round opportunity.  To learn more about MUCC visit MUCC.org To learn more about MTPCA visit MTPCA.com Contact: MUCC: Jtomei@Mucc.org MTPCA: Merlejones336@gmail.com