Greetings fellow club members. I hope your summer has been good and that you’ve found time to be in our great outdoors. Here are some conservation-related issues I’m paying attention to.

Ban on baiting for bear on federal lands. At our last General Membership meeting, someone raised a question about a federal bill that had just been introduced by none other than Detroit Congressman Shri Thanedar. That bill, if passed, would outlaw the practice of baiting for black bears while hunting on all federal land. Thanedar is an avowed supporter of radical animal rights views and the groups through which millions of dollars flow (think PETA, HSUS, etc.). Baiting for bears is an effective wildlife management tool that must be preserved. I don’t anticipate that this bill will even make it out of committee, much less come up for a vote. Still, we must remain vigilant and be ready to oppose misguided efforts such as this one.

Russ Mason article – I recently read an article by Dr. Russ Mason, former Wildlife Chief of the Michigan DNR. The article was published in the Woods N Water News July 2025 edition. In this article, Dr. Mason called out some of the division that exists between the Michigan DNR, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, and stakeholders like us. He suggests that the process of managing our state’s fish and (especially) its wildlife has become overly politicized. As a solution, he proposes using MUCC in a way similar to what happens in Wisconsin. With the Wisconsin model, every county has a voice and the collective consensus of those groups is brought to their version of the NRC and must be considered. The model sounds a lot like the annual MUCC convention. I found his observations and recommendations spot on.

Hunters Feeding Michigan – Have you ever harvested more deer than you thought you may be able to use? Did you know you  can donate deer to deserving organizations? I did this last year and I intend to do it again. The “Hunters Feeding Michigan” program is run by the state of Michigan and includes 14 deer processors throughout the state. I brought a deer to the one in Troy. The process is simple. After you gut, tag, and report the deer, you simply drop it off at one of the participating processors and you’re done. You get to do something good for yourself, others, and our deer herd.

Deer damage permits – I recently did something out of the ordinary for me … I went deer hunting in August. A farmer friend
has extensive damage to thousands of acres of his bean crop up in the Thumb. He applied for and was granted 50 “Deer Damage Shooting Permits.” These permits allow any hunter to whom he grants access to take as many antlerless deer as there are permits available. The biggest problem for the farmer is finding people to come harvest the deer. I went out last week and killed an adult doe. I could see firsthand that significant percentages of that farmer’s harvest are being eaten by deer. You can help by seeking out farmers who need help.

Mandatory deer registration – Be aware that registration of deer that you harvest is now mandatory. We have been
registering our deer for several years now (I use the Michigan DNR app on my phone). Legislatively, that program was a “temporary test.” Now, the requirement is permanent.

Facebook – I just want to let you all know that the primary social media I use is Facebook. I encourage you to please search for me and send me a friend request. Let me know who you are and let’s talk conservation!

Kind regards,
Dave Budnick
OCSC rep to MUCC
(248) 978-3454
davebudnick@comcast.net
davebudnick.com