Lawsuit Claims Emotion Drove the Decision to Limit Coyote Hunting in Michigan

On Sept. 6, Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) and the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association (MTPCA) filed legal briefs in their lawsuits against the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC). MUCC’s brief argues the NRC illegally closed Michigan’s coyote season for a quarter of the year in March of 2024 by failing to use the best available science, focusing instead on unsubstantiated claims of negative public perception.

MUCC’s brief highlights the statements of the commissioners who voted in support of the closure, and those of the exceptionally few hunters who joined the commission in disregarding the principles of sound scientific management. The statements from the commissioners indicate that sound scientific management was not a consideration in the decision-making process.

MUCC Chief Executive Officer Amy Trotter says the public record is clear. The commission’s decision abandoned its legal charge and responsibility to keep game management decisions scientifically based.

“The voters of Michigan were clear when they overwhelmingly passed Proposal G: scientific data needs to drive our game management decisions,” Trotter said. “After reviewing the public record, it is abundantly clear the commission failed in following their legal charge. By relying on social pressures, real or perceived, the commission set a dangerous precedent where our outdoor heritage is threatened based on the social and political winds of the day.”

MUCC is joined in the lawsuit by MTPCA, which filed a separate brief. It highlights how commissioners trusted the instincts of one individual supporting the closure to appease anti-hunting interests, rather than the mandates of Proposal G.

“This issue is so much bigger than coyotes, the very foundation of Michigan’s game management is at stake,” said MTPCA president Joe Velchansky. “The minute we as conservationists compromise our principles is the minute we lose the whole thing, and that is not something we are prepared to do.”

The NRC will now file a response brief. It is due in court by mid-October.