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The Conservation Corner – June 2026
Greetings fellow club members,
This month’s update will focus on three items, commercial netting bills, deer regs, and MUCC.
Michigan House Bills 5801 and 5802 are intended to change commercial fishing regulations to allow substantial take of what currently are only game species. If passed, a new industry will be created that will allow netting of massive quantities of walleye, perch, lake trout, and other species. Today, those fish are caught by anglers that contribute $4 Billion a year to Michigan’s economy. The current annual value of Michigan’s commercial fishing industry is about $4 Million per year. You read that right. The current value of recreational fishing in Michigan is 1000 times greater than the commercial fishing industry. Yet, legislators are willing to gamble on the future health of the Great Lakes while benefitting very few people. If this bill is passed, there is a high possibility of impacting the quality of our cherished Great Lakes fisheries, thus impacting overall fishery health, daily limits, and the livelihoods of many supported by recreational fishing. There is also a high likelihood of a challenge to the tribal consent decree associated with fishing in the Great Lakes. The DNR is opposed to this bill. We also must oppose this bill.
Updates to deer regulations occurred at the May 13th meeting of the Natural Resources Commission and they are substantial. Muzzleloader season is now called the December Firearms Deer season in the Lower. Any legal firearm can be used anywhere in the state (no more shotgun / straight-walled cartridge zone). No more January antlerless hunt; all deer hunting will end January 1st. Those changes and some others will all occur this year. The change that really hit the headlines is that starting in 2027, hunters will be limited to one buck and that buck must have at least 3 points on one side. The primary purpose of this change is to help better balance the buck to doe ratio in Michigan’s deer herd. Another interesting change is a pilot program for hunters in the southern part of the lower to “earn a second buck” tag by first shooting a doe. The primary purpose here is to encourage more hunters to take does. I support these changes.
And finally . . .
MUCC is no more. As expected when I wrote my column and spoke at last month’s general membership meeting, the board of Michigan United Conservation Clubs voted unanimously for dissolution. Thus ends a 90 year legacy that may never be equaled. This will be my final column with the title “OCSC MUCC Update”. Please provide feedback if you would like to continue to receive conservation updates. As my final tribute to MUCC, I would appreciate if you glance over the club names on the following pages and imagine that an organization once existed that represented the best intentions of all those clubs, all those people, and all those issues. Farewell, MUCC.
Statewide MUCC Clubs
- Bowfishing Association of Michigan
- Commemorative Bucks of Michigan
- Michigan Association for Pure Bred Dogs, Inc.
- Michigan Association of Gamebird Breeders & Hunting Preserves
- Michigan B.A.S.S Nation (Michigan B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation Inc.)
- Michigan Bear Hunters Association
- Michigan Bowhunters Association
- Michigan Charter Boat Association
- Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners
- Michigan Conservation Officers Association
- Michigan Coon Hunters Association
- Michigan Ducks Unlimited
- Michigan Gun Owners
- Michigan Hunting Dog Federation
- Michigan Resource Stewards
- Michigan Sharptail Grouse Association
- Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger
- Michigan Sportsmen’s Defense Alliance
- Michigan State Chapter – NWTF
- Michigan State Fox Hunters Association
- Michigan State United Coonhunters
- Michigan Squirrel Dog Association
- Michigan Trappers & Predator Callers Association
- National Wildlife Federation
- Pheasants Forever – MI State Council
- National Deer Association – Michigan State Chapter
- Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society
- State Chapter – Michigan Wild Turkey Hunters Association
- Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Inc.
- Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s Association
- Bass Federation of Michigan
Affiliate MUCC Clubs
- Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association
- Alpena Sportsmens Club
- Ashley Sportsmans Club
- Association of Michigan Field Trial Clubs
- Barryton Conservation Club
- Bellevue Conservation Club
- Bend of The River Conservation Club
- Big 9 Sportsman’s Club of Concord
- Big Bay Sportsmens Club
- Big Bear Sportsmans Club
- Black Lake Sportsmens Club
- Blue Water Sportfishing Association
- Bowfishing Association Of Michigan
- Brant Sportsman’s Club, Inc.
- Bridgeport Gun Club
- Buck & Brush Club, Inc
- Cadillac Sportsmens Club
- Caledonia Sportsmen Club
- Carleton Sportsmen Club
- Cass City Gun Club
- Cass County Conservation Club
- Cedar Rod & Gun Club
- Commemorative Bucks of Michigan
- Coopersville Sportsmans Club
- Crump Conservation Club
- Detroit Athletic Rod & Gun Club
- Dowagiac Conservation Club
- Durand Sportsmans Club
- Dwight Lydell Chapter of the Izaak Walton League
- Edwardsburg Conservation Club
- Fin & Feather Club Of Mason County
- Flat Rock Sportsman Association
- Four Square Conservation & Sportsmens Association
- Fowler Conservation Club
- Frankenmuth Conservation Club
- Fruitport Conservation Club
- German American Marksmanship Club
- German Shorthaired Pointer Club Of Michigan
- Gilbert Sportsman’s Club
- Grand River Conservation Club
- Grand Valley Cap N Ballers
- Grass Lake Sportsmans Club
- Great Lakes Sports and Recreation Club
- Grindstone Port Hope Sportsmen’s Club
- Hamilton Rod & Gun Club
- Harbor Beach Conservation Club
- Harbor Springs Outdoors Club
- Harrison Sportsmans Club
- Harsens Island Conservation Club
- Hillsdale County Conservation Club
- Huron Sportsman’s Association
- Lake County Sportsmans Club
- Lake St Clair Walleye Association
- Lake States Field Trial Club
- Lincoln Bowmen Archery Club
- Livingston County Wildlife & Conservation Club
- Ludington Charter Boat Association
- Macatawa Bay Waterfowl- MDHA
- Maple River Wildlife Association
- Marion Springs Conservation Club
- Maybee Sportsman Club
- McKinley Hound Runners
- Mecosta County Rod & Gun Club
- Michigan – Ducks Unlimited
- Michigan Association For Pure Bred Dogs, Inc.
- Michigan Association Of Gamebird Breeders & Hunting Preserve
- Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation
- Michigan Bow Hunters Association
Affiliate MUCC Clubs (continued)
- Michigan Charter Boat Association
- Michigan Coon Hunters Association
- Michigan Gun Owners
- Michigan Hawking Club
- Michigan Hunting Dog Federation
- Michigan North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association
- Michigan Resource Stewards
- Michigan Sharptailed Grouse Association
- Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger
- Michigan Squirrel Dog Association
- Michigan State Chapter – NWTF
- Michigan State Fox Hunters Association
- Michigan State United Coonhunters
- Michigan Steelhead & Salmon Fishermen’s Association
- Michigan Trappers & Predator Callers Association
- Missaukee Conservation Club
- Mona Lake Boating Club
- Monroe County Rod & Gun Club, Inc.
- Montmorency County Conservation Club
- Morenci Sportsmans Club
- Multi-Lakes Conservation Association
- Muskegon Recreation Club
- New Buffalo Rod & Gun Club
- North Macomb Sportsmen’s Club
- Oak Hill Gun Club
- Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club
- Ottawa Lake Sportsmen Club
- Paul Bunyan Club
- Paw Paw Conservation Club
- Perch Point Conservation Club
- Pigeon Conservation Club
- Pinconning Conservation Club
- Pine River Recreation Club
- Pine River Sportsman’s Club
- Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival
- Presque Isle County Sportsmen’s Club
- Qua Ke Zik Sportsmans Club
- Raber Area Sportsmen’s Club
- Ravenna Conservation Club
- Red Flannel Rod & Gun Club
- Red Fox Sportsmen Club
- Richmond Sportsman’s Club
- Safari Club International- Detroit Chapter
- Saginaw Field & Stream Club
- Shiawassee Conservation Association
- Shiawassee Dog & Gun Club
- South Kent Sportsmen’s Club
- Southeastern Michigan Conservation Club
- Sparta Hunting & Fishing
- Clair Gun and Fishing Club
- Joseph County Conservation & Sportsman Club
- Sterling Sportsman Association
- Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Inc.
- Tamarack Sportsmans Club
- The Bass Federation Of Michigan
- Tomahawk Archers
- Tri-County Sportsmen’s League
- P. Trappers Assoc District 1
- UP Whitetails Association Of Marquette County
- Upper Black River Council
- Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association
- Van Buren Sportsmens Club
- Washtenaw Sportsman’s Club
- Waterloo Hunt Club
- West Mi Bowhunters-Safari Club International
- West Michigan Walleye Club
- West Walker Sportsman’s Club
- Western Wayne County Conservation Association
- White Lake Area Sportfishing Association
- Whitmore Lake Rod & Gun Club
- Bay County Conservation Club
Dave Budnick
Director, Conservation Advocacy,
Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club
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