A bill in the Michigan Senate is challenging new guidelines that place limits on hunting seasons reserved for young people, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
State senator, Thomas Albert (R - Lowell) introduced a bill on Wednesday to block a policy that would restrict Liberty and Independence hunts to antlerless deer starting in 2025.
The Liberty hunt is a 2-day firearm deer hunting season, typically held in September, which is open to youth 16 and under as well as adults with qualifying disabilities. The Independence hunt is a 4 day firearm deer hunting season, usually held in October, that's open to people with disabilities and veterans.
The antlerless rules, announced this summer, are meant to help control the overpopulation of does in southern Michigan. But Albert argues the limitations will have the opposite effect.
“When you pull away the fun part of it, people aren't going to go anymore,” Albert said. “It's not very fun to go sit out in the woods and watch a buck walk pass and you can’t shoot it.”
The Liberty and Independence hunts were started to give young people, veterans and people with disabilities an opportunity to participate in the sport.
“When they go out this time of year, it's a little easier to hunt so that they can get a successful harvest under their belt, and they can see how much fun it is,” said Albert.
The antlerless rule has been critisized by hunters with disabilities and their advocates who say the limits could keep individuals with limited mobility out of the opportunity to harvest a buck.
The Natural Resources Commission, which enacted the policy, said it is aimed at minimizing the impact on hunters while still controlling the population of deer in the state.
“We need to reduce the herd in the Lower Peninsula and the best way to do that is through harvesting more does,” said Commission Chair Tom Baird. “However, in Michigan we also have a very strong ‘buck culture’, which is that everyone wants to go out and get their buck.”
Baird said Albert’s bill to block the new guidelines is political overreach.
“There are reasons that we have a Natural Resource Commission instead of having the legislature make fish and game regulation and the purpose is to take the politics out of that decision,” he said. “We try to do the best job to manage it on a scientific basis.”
If the new policy were to take effect, it could impact some 2% of harvests each year.
In the last two decades the number of participants in Michigan’s Liberty and Independence hunts has been steadily declining. Since 1995 the state has seen a 20% decrease in youth deer hunters. That’s as the numbers of participants in all hunting seasons has jumped by 2% according to data from the state.
The Natural Resources Commission has expressed interest in reconsidering the new antlerless policy at least for the Independence hunt.
“If anyone’s earned it, the veterans certainly have and that one probably should be at least thought through again,” he said. “Its not a promise that any modifications will be made, but I'm positive they will be discussed.”
Baird said the commission is also considering other possibilities to reduce the deer population including allowing only one buck to be harvested per license instead of two.
“There's also what's called ‘earn a second buck’ so that after you shoot a buck, you need to shoot a doe before you're allowed to shoot another buck,” he said. “There are proposals to reduce the permit fee and license fees for doe.”
The Natural Resources Commission is expected to review the guidelines before the start of the 2025 hunting season .
