From the Pointing Dog Journal
Not sure where to put this because it affects both big game and small game. This is from the "Pointing Dog Journal" magazine. An e-mail suggesting no one hunt in Michicah this coming season.
Special Report April 2015
Reconsider Coming to Michigan to Hunt
There's a good possibility I'll hear from the Pure Michigan campaign folks after this email goes out, but I have to warn any of our readers who are contemplating a hunting trip of any sort to Michigan this fall and who plan to hunt on public lands owned by the state: You may want to reconsider.
A subsection of Senate Bill 39 says: "… the Department [DNR] shall promote public enjoyment of this state's wildlife and other natural resources by providing public access to all natural resource dependent outdoor recreation activities including motorized and nonmotorized activities."
To make matters worse, another section of the bill calls for the removal of all berms, gates, or anything else designed to keep out trucks, four-wheelers, dirt bikes, knobby-tired hill-climbing Jeeps, anything, really, though the state's lands already have more than 4,000 miles of such access available now.
Coincidentally, there are more than 3.9 million acres of state land that would be affected, including the GEMS Lands (Grouse Enhanced Management System Lands) that are set up for grouse and woodcock hunting, gated, and intended to be accessed by foot traffic only.
But there's something else: If I wanted to pass a law that would give anti-hunters the legal excuse they need to interfere with and disrupt hunting without being charged with hunter harassment, this bill would be it.
When I contacted a co-sponsor of the bill, his office told me I was reciting "talking points"; maybe you'll have better luck. The ones who would be most likely to have their opinions valued would be out-of-state hunters who may wish to head for Minnesota or Wisconsin instead of Michigan this year; but any comments will help. If you still want to come, then welcome; just be aware that by fall, things could be different than in the past.
With the habitat damage these new rules could possibly cause, along with the impact on gamebird nesting, the danger to our dogs, and potential interference with our sport, I cannot in good conscience advise you to do anything except reconsider heading to Michigan this fall.
Should you want to let your opinion be known, contacts for Natural Resources Committee members and others are listed below.
Sen. Tom Casperson (R) Committee Chair, 38th District
Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) Vice Chair, 25th District
Sen. David Robertson (R) 14th District
Sen. Jim Stamas (R) 36th District
Sen. Rebekah Warren (D) Minority Vice Chair, 18th District
You can also contact Governor Rick Snyder and Senator Darwin Booher.
Thanks for your time,
Steve Smith
Editor
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