LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a bid to tackle Michigan’s escalating coyote problem and uphold hunters’ rights, State Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) and Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) are pushing for a bill that would allow year-round coyote hunting. House Bill 5721, if passed, will enable anyone with a fur harvester’s license to hunt coyotes throughout the year.
Why the legislative push?
This legislative push comes as a direct response to the Natural Resources Commission’s (NRC) recent decision to shorten the public coyote hunting season by three months, effectively putting a halt to hunting from mid-April to mid-July. Markkanen criticized the NRC’s decision, emphasizing the necessity of continuous coyote management.
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“Allowing coyotes to run unchecked is simply not an option,” Markkanen said. “These predators don’t care about seasons or regulations; they’re a constant threat to our livestock, pets, and even our children. We can’t afford to tiptoe around the issue. It’s time to face reality: we need to hunt coyotes year-round, no excuses, no exceptions.”
Recent attacks.
The urgency of the situation was amplified by a recent coyote attack on a sheep at the Greenfield Village open-air history museum in Dearborn, a city with over 100,000 residents. While current rules permit the year-round killing of nuisance coyotes on private land, Markkanen and Prestin argue that this does not go far enough to manage the overall coyote population effectively.
“Coyotes are resilient predators whose populations can quickly grow unchecked, posing threats to livestock and pets,” Prestin said. “By supporting year-round coyote hunting, we uphold our responsibility to manage wildlife populations responsibly.”
Earlier in the term, Markkanen and Prestin introduced a legislative package to create an Upper Peninsula NRC composed solely of U.P. residents to oversee hunting and fishing regulations north of the Mackinac Bridge. This proposal, however, has yet to receive a hearing in the Democrat-controlled House Committee on Natural Resources.
“The NRC admitted there are too many coyotes,” Markkanen said. “Every member was appointed by Gov. Whitmer, and the law says they have to use sound science. Instead, they caved to political pressure from anti-hunting liberal activists. Their order is pure politics.”
Where is the bill now?
The bill, now referred to the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee, awaits consideration.
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