Legislation heading to Gov. Rick Snyder would prohibit the sterilization of deer but let Ann Arbor proceed with its program to control what city officials say is an overpopulation problem.
The House voted 67-42 for the bill early Thursday.
It would bar the state Department of Natural Resources from issuing any permit for the sterilization of game until April 2022 while allowing Ann Arbor’s research to continue via a permit that was granted to White Buffalo, a company contracted to remove deer ovaries.
The measure would let the state establish special zones in or near to urban areas where a higher number of deer could be hunted.
Local governments also could allow hunters to shoot deer closer than 150 yards away under certain circumstances.