Victor Skinner

Misconceptions about bear hunting contributed to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission’s rejection of a dog training proposal in April, but hound hunters aren’t giving up.
The NRC voted 3-3 in April on a compromise proposal aimed at expanding opportunities for hound hunters to train young dogs during the bear training season, effectively killing the measure. The compromise stemmed from a proposal in February to expand the current eight dog limit to 10 during the training season that raised concerns with Department of Natural Resources law enforcement.

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission in March approved new bear hunting quotas and regulations for the next two-year regulation cycle.
Feedback from concerned hunters convinced Department of Natural Resources officials to reduce initial proposed license increases in the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in five fewer licenses to produce a 17% reduction in the desired harvest.
“Basically, the license quotas for Red Oak and Baldwin (Bear Management Units) now are the same as the last two years,” DNR Bear Specialist Cody Norton told Michigan Outdoor News.