Bill > HB4937

This bill amends Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to modify bear hunting license regulations. The bill updates several key provisions: it removes the March 1, 2014 date restrictions on existing regulations, increases the bear hunting license fee from $15 to $25, and changes the nonrefundable application fee from a maximum of $4 to $5. Most significantly, the bill introduces a new type of license called a "bear backup hunting license" for individuals with a valid base license, which allows a hunter to accompany a licensed bear hunter and shoot a bear that has already been wounded by the primary hunter. The backup license costs $50 for residents and $250 for non-residents, is valid for the entire bear season, can be used an unlimited number of times with different hunters, and is valid in all bear management units in the state. The bill maintains existing rules about who can hunt bears, such as requiring a base license and requiring hunters to have the appropriate licenses and tags.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4937