Michigan Lawmakers Move to Bring Back Deer Baiting

It’s no secret. Michigan has a lot of deer right now. Like, way too many. You see them everywhere. In farm fields, along back roads, and standing way too close to highways at night. Not to mention the ones running all over my neighborhood, eating my trees and bushes.

And every fall, it turns into the same conversation. Too many deer, too many crashes, too much crop damage. So yeah, something probably needs to be done.

See Also: Animal Rights Group Trying to Stop Year-Round Coyote Hunting in MI

Michigan Lawmakers Want to Bring Back Deer Baiting

According to MLive, the Michigan House just passed a bill that would bring deer baiting back to the Lower Peninsula during hunting season. It would roll back the ban that’s been around since 2019 and take some control away from the Natural Resources Commission.

The idea is pretty simple. Let hunters bait again, take more deer, and knock the population down. Fewer deer means less crop damage and fewer deer-related crashes. A lot of people are on board with that.

Why the Michigan DNR Is Against Deer Baiting

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources isn’t sold. Their concern is chronic wasting disease. It’s fatal, there’s no cure, and once it’s in the environment, it doesn’t just go away.

That’s why baiting was banned in the first place. When deer pile into one spot, disease spreads more easily.

What Happens Next With Deer Baiting in Michigan?

Now it heads to the Senate, and that’s where things could slow down or change. This whole thing is about too many deer, the risk of disease, and who should be making these decisions in Michigan. So don’t expect this argument to go away anytime soon.

At the end of the day, something has to be done. Because doing nothing clearly isn’t working.