Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed a bill last year to end a ban on allowing hunters to use bait to attract deer. Republicans who disagree with that veto just made their next move.
A new bill would allow the baiting ban to remain in place during deer hunting season. But it would reduce the penalty for violations to one dollar.
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission enacted the ban in 2018. Its purpose is to combat the spread of disease between animals where hunters place bait traps. Some hunters say that’s a mistake and the state should let them use baiting to reduce the risk by further reducing the size of the deer herd.
There’s no word from the governor’s office on whether she’d sign this legislation that’s not very different from what she’s already rejected.
The bill does not say a violation of the ban will result in a fine, just that it may result in a fine.
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