Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
The open season for hunting coyotes is July 15 through April 15 of the following year.
The open season for trapping coyotes is Oct. 15 through March 1 of the following year.
A Michigan resident is required to possess a base license to hunt coyotes. A nonresident is required to possess a base license and fur harvester license to hunt coyotes. For both residents and nonresidents, a base license and fur harvester license are required to trap coyotes.
A property owner or their designee may take coyotes all year on property owned by the individual if the coyotes are doing damage to livestock or physically present where they could imminently cause damage to livestock.
The property owner or their designee must be within a reasonable distance of the livestock when hunting or trapping, so that it is clear they are attempting to target the coyotes responsible for livestock damage or that are likely to attack livestock very soon.
The property owner may allow one or more designees to hunt or trap coyotes causing damage. A designee is chosen by the property owner and there is no formal process or written documentation required to designate them.
No, however an individual hunting or trapping coyotes causing damage should be able to provide contact information for the landowner at the request of a Conservation Officer, so the officer can confirm permission with the landowner if needed.
No, the property owner or their designee would not need a base license, fur harvester license, or written permit to remove coyotes causing damage.
The property owner or their designee would be exempt from season date restrictions but must abide by all legal hunting and trapping methods and trap check requirements. Legal methods for taking coyotes include, but are not limited to, the use of calls, bait, dogs, traps, non-lethal cable restraints, nighttime hunting, and artificial lights. Please see the current-year Furbearer Harvest Regulations Summary for a complete listing of legal methods.
If the property where livestock are kept is not conducive to hunting or trapping, the livestock owner or their designee can hunt or trap on adjacent private property with landowner permission. Adjacent in this context means private property within a reasonable distance of the livestock so that it is clear a hunter or trapper is attempting to target the coyotes responsible for livestock damage.
No, these regulations also apply to beaver, cottontail rabbit, fox squirrel, gray squirrel, ground squirrel, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, red squirrel, skunk, weasel, and woodchuck. However, the regulations have some species-specific differences and apply to additional types of damage. Please see Section 5.56 of the Wildlife Conservation Order for more information.
In emergency cases, coyotes may be killed by a pet’s owner or their authorized agent, without a written permit, if the pet is being attacked. Please see Section 9.4 of the Wildlife Conservation Order for more information.
Reach out to your local Department of Natural Resources (DNR) office. If staff determine that the lethal removal of coyotes is warranted, they can issue a written Damage and Nuisance Animal Control Permit allowing you to do so.
