A controversial bill to allow deer and elk baiting in the state is headed to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk. Whitmer has promised to veto it.
The state Natural Resources Commission recently banned bait and feed piles in the Lower Peninsula…and parts of the Upper Peninsula. A bill passed by the state Legislature would reverse the ban and allow for baiting under some restrictions – like how big the piles can be and what size bait can be used.
But a spokeswoman for Governor Whitmer says the bill is dead on arrival. Tiffany Brown said in a statement that the Natural resources Commission has the authority to decide whether or not baiting can take place. Brown said – quote – “By leaving the deer baiting ban in place, the state will continue to curb the spreading of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease.”
But supporters of baiting say it’s an unnecessary restriction on hunters.