Deer baiting bill supported by Farm Bureau takes first step forward

Legislation aimed at giving hunters another tool to address Michigan’s deer population cleared its first hurdle in the House this month, with Michigan Farm Bureau voicing support rooted in member-adopted policy. 

Specifically, House Bill 4445 was approved by the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee on Dec. 17 following testimony earlier in the month and now awaits consideration by the full House.

The bill would amend current law to allow deer baiting during the deer hunting season, while maintaining the distinction between baiting and feeding, and preserving the Natural Resources Commission’s authority to regulate baiting based on sound science.

Michigan Farm Bureau Legislative Counsel Rebecca Park submitted written testimony in support of the legislation.

“This legislation aligns with our member-adopted policy and represents meaningful progress,” Park said. “Mild winters, abundant food supplies, and fewer deer harvested year after year have created a perfect storm for rising deer populations. As deer numbers grow, so does the pressure placed on farmers.”

Park noted that crop damage caused by deer is no longer confined to a handful of isolated areas but has expanded across much of Michigan’s agricultural landscape. Wildlife experts estimate that roughly 40% of the herd must be removed annually just to maintain a stable population given the species high reproduction rate.

“To put that in perspective, if Michigan has roughly 2 million deer, about 800,000 would need to be harvested or culled each year just to maintain current population levels,” Park said. “That level of removal is not occurring.”

Most deer are harvested during the hunting season, making hunter participation the most effective population management tool. 

MFB Policy #90 on Wildlife Management states: “Decisions on baiting and feeding should be based on science with consideration given to impacts on harvest as well as ongoing disease threats. Therefore, we support baiting to increase harvest and oppose feeding outside of hunting season to limit disease transmission.”

Rep. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy), the bill’s sponsor, told committee members the legislation was prompted by the real-world impacts of unchecked deer populations and growing crop damage concerns.

“In southern Michigan, over the last 40 years, the deer population has increased by about five times, from 200,000 to a million deer,” Wortz said, citing Department of Natural Resources estimates. In 2023, hunters harvested roughly 17% to 20% of Michigan’s deer herd — about half of what is needed to stabilize the population.

Wortz, who farms in southern Michigan and is a member of the Branch County Farm Bureau, shared personal experience with crop damage permits, noting that they often require action during late summer months, when conditions are challenging and crop damage is already severe. 

“The amount of crop damage that is happening in our community is rampant, and the cost to farmers is very great,” she said. 

Deer damage costs Michigan farmers millions of dollars annually, making deer the most expensive agricultural pest in the state. Wortz highlighted Hillsdale County Farm Bureau members Patrick and Mark Kies, who operate a 3,000-acre cash crop farm near Allen.

The family applies deer deterrents costing $41 per gallon on soybean fields, with application costs around $21 per acre. Even with deterrents, the Kieses have seen yields on a 24-acre soybean field drop from 70 bushels per acre to as low as 15 bushels, resulting in thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

According to Wortz, the Department of Natural Resources is opposed to the bill and says it could undermine the authority of the Natural Resources Commission. She disputed that characterization, saying the legislation does not prevent the NRC from regulating baiting based on science, but instead prohibits a complete ban.

Park emphasized that baiting is not a standalone solution, but a practical tool that can help increase harvest efficiency.

“Providing hunters with effective and reasonable tools is essential if Michigan is serious about reducing overabundant deer populations and limiting their impacts on agriculture,” she said. “An overabundant deer population is not good for agriculture, not good for the health of the herd, and not good for hunters. Bringing deer numbers back into balance is in everyone’s best interest.”