# Why does the season on Coyotes close?



## SmallGameStalker (Mar 5, 2005)

If the Michigan coyote population is as out of control as everyone says, why does the season in Michigan close for them? If they are having such a detrimental effect on the populations of other game species like pheasant, rabbit and ruffed grouse, shouldn't the season be expanded until their numbers are controlled or brought down to a managable number?


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Darn good question. When I was a kid and Coyotes were as common as a two headed penny around here, there was not only no closed season, there was a bounty on them. Now that we have a lot of them doing damage to out small game populations, we have a season on them. I can't figure it out.


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## bl00dtrail (Feb 13, 2005)

I don't think it's as bad as everyone else thinks........ but then again I don't have livestock getting chewed up on a regular basis. The coyote population in Michigan is very small (coyotes per square mile) compared to some other states. I also don't believe you can "control/regulate" the coyote population by hunting. The coyote is a survivor and if trapping, dogs, calling, poison, air shoots, and denning doesn't work then nothing will........... the only thing that dramatically effects coyote populations is wolves.

besides not many hunters want to hunt through the hot summer anyways


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## yippy (Dec 22, 2004)

I dont think anybody has a clue to how many there are. I do know that every year that goes by I see a lot more tracks. Not enough attacks on family pets or children to justify making any change yet. Changes mean $$$. $$$ is for the more popular game species. 


The pups are out right now and im sure there would be a lot of "tree huggers" doing there best to keep the laws as they are.

One of my co-workers went out on his property two days ago and saw momma and 8 pups playing in his field. :yikes: Last night they came in and got one of his chickens. They are now doing "damage" and they must be stopped.:chillin: 

Mike


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## Adam Waszak (Apr 12, 2004)

I think it is about the pups dying a slow death of starvation if the mother gets shot which you know most people would try for and there are many out there that would be or are opposed to this. My question is why does the crow season ever close


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## SmallGameStalker (Mar 5, 2005)

bl00dtrail said:


> I don't think it's as bad as everyone else thinks........ but then again I don't have livestock getting chewed up on a regular basis. The coyote population in Michigan is very small (coyotes per square mile) compared to some other states. I also don't believe you can "control/regulate" the coyote population by hunting. The coyote is a survivor and if trapping, dogs, calling, poison, air shoots, and denning doesn't work then nothing will........... the only thing that dramatically effects coyote populations is wolves.
> 
> besides not many hunters want to hunt through the hot summer anyways


However, the season opens statewide on July 15th and runs until April 15th. Late July through August is easily the hottest time of the year, here in Michigan. And anyway, the best hunting times are usually dawn and dusk, when the weather is much cooler and more pleasant than the rest of the day.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Adam Waszak said:


> My question is why does the crow season ever close


Because crows are a migratory bird, season is controlled by the feds (USF&W) and the Treaty with Mexico.

As far as coyotes, if the population can't be controlled during the present season why do you think having a longer season would provide that much more control? The current law also already provides that the coyote can be taken anytime in doing or about to do damge to personal property. Last but not least, do we hunt an animal just to kill or do we make use of our quarry? Fur or hides are not much good during the closed season, some of the open season its not much good either and I have never ate nor do I plan on ever eating coyote. :xzicon_sm


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## 2tundras (Jan 11, 2005)

*Not that I condone the practice* but as far as I can tell in my area...it doesn't close. Some feel that because they are like rats around here, and the wolf don't seem to be doing their job, and the pats and bunnies are on the bottom of the cycle for the 5th straight year, they just gotta go. 

As a matter of fact a good friend of mine is currently without his hunting right (yup right) because in a state of mind that should not have involved a gun he poked out at a yote, the bullet smacked the mirror on his truck and poked him back in the cheek. Genius told the ER folks what happenend. At that point, one of Mr. Boehr's partners paid a visit.

Not on point but I like the story.


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## James Dymond (Feb 23, 2002)

Does anybody have LESS coytes, there wasn't anywhere near as many last year as in 2003 up here, and I have seen very little sign while beaver trapping and morel picking this spring.
Jim


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## Mike Rathnow (Jun 29, 2004)

More and more people are getting into varmint and predator hunting every year. Which add's to the amount of moneys that brings to this state. Also people have been trying for as many years as I can remember to kill the coyote and to try to exterminate them from everywhere in the USA. It's never been done with all the poison's and everything else we've thrown at the coyote. And never will. The coyote is and I quote "One of the best predator, and the most challenging animals we have to hunt". It has withstand everything man has thrown at it. And still today has survived and multipling in almost every state. How many states have turned the grey wolf to an animal on the endangered species list. How many state's have actually exterminated the grey wolf all together. But the coyote still is here. and will alway be here. The coyote next to the white tail deer is one of the most hunted game animal we have. More and more people that start to hunt the coyote are finding out just how much of a challenge they are. So what's the use to hunt them during the pup season. Why let the pups suffer the SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH of starvation, by killing off the adults. If you really want to go out and hunt now, or just sharpen up your shooting skills. Go out and hunt woodchucks. They're open now. And I'm sure there are enough people that will let you hunt their property to get rid of the woodchuck population they have. I'm Also sure if your really all that gungho on hunting coyote's now, that you can find someone that has a problem with them, and will be more than happy for you to go out on their propertb and hunt them. As for just going out to kill them, I don't see any reason in that. But do what you want. I enjoy getting out early in the season, and at least calling in the young of the year. The uneducated yotes, or letting some of my young hunters that I take out. Have a chance of bagging his/her first sondog. I don't see any reason to change what we have now.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

This post is not a slam at any group of sportsman so please don't turn this thread into one. I am only reporting what I was told.

When the season was first put on coyotes I asked the same thing of the MDNR furbearer biologist at that time Mr. John Stuit I asked him before his presentation at the membership meeting during the Southern Michigan Trappes Assn. Convention.

Mr Stuit told me that the reason was there were outlaws supposedly running coyotes with hounds when in fact they were running bears. The premise of running coyotes gave them the right to carry firearms. He said they were actually poaching bears to get there gauls and paws for sale overseas.  

John was afraid I was going to bring up the season at the SMTA membership meeting so he wouldn't let me have the floor to ask him a question. The assn president finally made him recognize me as I was staning up waving both arms. He was shocked when I asked him about the proposal within the department to ban the sale of furbearer glands and parts. The fact that it was in the works came from a CO friend of mine who had gotten a memo about it. He had no answer to that question.

The trappers associations pushed for the season on fox but not the season on coyotes.


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## SmallGameStalker (Mar 5, 2005)

Thanks for answering yet another of my newbie questions.  It seems there's plenty of good reasons why the coyote season should be closed in the spring. Please understand, I never meant to imply that coyotes, or any other animal, should be killed merely for sport. I honestly didn't realize that there was a time of the year when the fur was of poorer quality (I've never hunted coyotes, but might try it someday.) Also, not hunting them when the females are tending pups makes sense from a humane standpoint. 

I also never would have thought of, or realized that poachers would utilize the coyote season to illegally take bear in the UP. 

Thanks again, everyone, for your insightful answers to my questions.


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## Jumpshootin' (Jul 6, 2000)

> Why does the season on Coyotes close?


Because of a statewide ballot referendum in the 1970's that eliminated the bounty on them, designated them as a game animal, & set an open season.
I remember voting against it. I also remember it being a huge campaign by the bunny-huggers and anti-hunting/trapping crowd.
I never heard or saw a coyote until fur prices plummeted and the bounty was eliminated.


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## Mallard (Jan 9, 2002)

The season is quite liberal enough as it stands. Giving the coyotes a break, allowing for pups to mature, and basicaly letting the entire woods rest for a few months in this state is a God sent. The coyotes are actualy easier to hunt / trap after this break....kind of like an opening day duck blind compared to the Nov 25th blind. If we can't maintain a healthy population balance in a 9 month period......what's that say about our predator trapping/hunting skills? :gaga: ............. :lol:


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## kingfishcam (Jul 16, 2002)

Well, let's see. The DNR sells tags for each legal deer killed, and they still are confused on herd numbers and harvest numbers. No way they could figure out how to adjust the yote season based on "estimated" numbers.


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## 2tundras (Jan 11, 2005)

kingfishcam said:


> Well, let's see. The DNR sells tags for each legal deer killed, and they still are confused on herd numbers and harvest numbers. No way they could figure out how to adjust the yote season based on "estimated" numbers
> 
> 
> 
> And let the fun begin...


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## BWV (Mar 16, 2005)

bl00dtrail said:


> I don't think it's as bad as everyone else thinks........ but then again I don't have livestock getting chewed up on a regular basis. The coyote population in Michigan is very small (coyotes per square mile) compared to some other states. I also don't believe you can "control/regulate" the coyote population by hunting. The coyote is a survivor and if trapping, dogs, calling, poison, air shoots, and denning doesn't work then nothing will........... the only thing that dramatically effects coyote populations is wolves.
> 
> besides not many hunters want to hunt through the hot summer anyways


I don't think the problem is that bad, you never hear about it on the news. I agree, I really don't see many ways to conrol the population. Coyotes are common just about everywhere, they live in subs of some big cities and everywhere in between.


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## BVW (Jul 25, 2002)

He still is using "BWV" ! Hey BWV tell us where your from. How many coyotes have you seen?


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## steelsetter (Dec 14, 2003)

They are a required predataor to make sure almost all albino deer are killed off before a Hunter "might" consider shooting one during season.......... They are protected during fawn drop for this reason alone!


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