Should coyotes be hunted when they have pups? Debate rages on shorter Michigan season.

It's a hot topic among hunters, trappers and the furbearers they harvest: Should the year-long hunting season for coyotes in Michigan be reduced by three months, starting in mid-April, when their pups are still in the den?

Coyotes, members of the dog family like wolves and foxes, have been subject to year-round hunting since 2016 when the season was extended to include those three spring and summer months.

The state Natural Resources Commission discussed the issue at its February meeting and it was hotly debated, according to the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. The commission has the authority to regulate the taking of game and sportfish in Michigan.

The Department of Natural Resources said it does not expect a significant impact on the state's coyote population if the season is shortened. The coyote harvest, and the number of coyotes harvested per hunter, have not increased since 2016.

But some of those pushing for a shortened season argue that it's necessary "due to public perception and potential future impacts to their hunting and trapping opportunities," the DNR said in a Jan. 16 memo to the Natural Resources Commission.

In other words: Does it look bad to allow hunting coyotes when they have their young still in the den? And will this perception lead to more restrictions on hunting and trapping in general.

The commission will take up the issue at its March 14 meeting at the Lansing Community College's downtown campus.

The DNR said the shorter season will have no economic impact, and no biological impact, such as on the health and size of the coyote population.

In the January memo, the department said it has been contacted by some predator callers who are opposed to the change, "due to reduced hunting opportunity during a period after snow melts and before crops grow in height, when coyotes may be more responsive to calls. Predator callers would be able to continue hunting year-round on private lands where coyotes are doing damage or physically present where they could imminently cause damage."

The Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a nonprofit representing 40,000 members, opposes any plans to shorten the coyote hunting season. It said a shorter season is not justified because it does nothing to improve, or worsen, the health of the coyote population, at the same time it restricts the amount of time that hunters can spend on their outdoor pursuits. A state hunting license is required to hunt coyotes anywhere in Michigan.

According to Justin Tomei, the organization's policy and government affairs manager, coyotes are present in all 83 counties in Michigan. While there is no exact census, Tomei said 7,000 hunters harvested 13,000 coyotes statewide in 2020, the most recent figures.

While coyotes, with their yellow eyes and black-tipped tails, have been known to snatch a pet dog, cat or chicken from a suburban backyard, they are a predator problem among the stressed deer herd in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Michigan. According to Tomei, coyotes are the single biggest cause of death among fawns.

So what do hunters do with the coyotes they harvest? Depending on the season, their fur can be harvested (best if taken in winter), and some of their glands can be used for trapping. Their diet includes rats, mice and birds.

Tomei said coyotes breed quickly and the population in Michigan is healthy, and if the concern is that parents will be taken while away from their pups, they aren't away from the den for any length of time.

Michigan has 17 species of furbearers that may be trapped or hunted, from badgers and bobcats to skunks, opossums and weasels. Furbearers are animals that were historically taken for their fur.

The proposed change doesn't change two coyote hunting rules: coyotes can be hunted on private land if they are a nuisance or imminent threat, and hunters cannot train their dogs on game animals, including coyotes, between April 16 and July 7.

Contact Jennifer Dixon: jbdixon@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan may shorten coyote hunting season amid pup concerns