(Update) Michigan Baiting Ban, the Economic Impact
Unless you live in a cave you probably have heard that Jennifer Granholm inacted a law that bans baiting in Michigan. This action was taken in response to Michigan's first documented case of Cronic Wasting Disease (CWD). For years CWD was found in animals in some midwestern states but was primarily contained in western states. Michigan's first case happened to come from a deer in Kent County (see Grand Rapids) that was contained in a pen. I have not read how this deer came to be infected with CWD or how it made it into the state but the impact of Michigan's first case of CWD is certainly going to make a impact. The economic impact from the ban on baiting is not yet measurable but will certainly be significant. Many farmers in Michigan raise entire crops with the intent of selling those crops for bait during hunting season. Many of these crops can't be repurposed for other uses so they are going to simply rot in bushells or be sold to hunters that are ignoring the baiting ban. While I personally don't hunt over bait many michigan hunters do. There is no doubt that the Michigan DNR is going to have their hands full with hunters that choose to ignore the baiting ban. If you do choose to ignore the ban, be aware that the penalties are stiff; between $50 and $500 dollars. The bottom line here is that the economic impact is going to be signifiant. Farmers will most certainly be the first losers but a decrease in deer hunters this year will impact the local economy and Michigan DNR budgets (revenue from Deer Hunting license sales is one of the primary sources of funds for the Michigan DNR). Only time will tell us what the impact of a baiting ban will have on the 2008 deer hunting season.
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The Michigan Lower Peninsula baiting ban was scheduled to be rule on by an Ingham County circuit court judge on October 9, 2008 but the appeal was refused. Circuit court judge Joyce Draganchuk refused to hear the appeal citing that farmers had adequate time to appeal the plan when it was first created in 2002. Read the full article on the Detroit News web site here. On Saturday, October 12, 2008 I had an opportunity to speak with a DNR officer (the enforcement officer was responding to my complaint about a deer carcase that my neighbor apparenlty poaches and dragged onto my property. I will share that story with you in a different post) and he informed me that it was his impression that the baiting ban in the Lower Peninsula is permanent. Permanent meaning not just for the 2008 hunting season but for every hutning season from this point forward until the ban is overturned. While this is certainly a devastating blow to the local economy (the Detroit News article estimated that deer feed sales are about $100 million annually) we may see a secondary benefit of a healthier deer herd. I am curious to see what the impact on hunter turnout for the firearms season will be. With the restructuring of budgets in 2007 the Michigan DNR is already struggling with limited funding. A decline in hunting license sales with continue to put pressure on the Michigan DNR budget and force further cutbacks.