House Bill 4206 amends Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to change the rules for deer and antlerless deer licenses. The bill limits eligibility so that only a person holding a valid base license may purchase a deer license or antlerless deer license, keeps the standard fee at $20, and allows a base-license holder to obtain two antlerless deer licenses each year at no cost. It also authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to charge a nonrefundable application fee of up to $5 for each antlerless deer license application.
The bill also addresses deer kill tags and additional license purchases. It allows the department to issue a kill tag with or as part of a deer license, requires the tag to bear the license number, and permits the department to include other required information. In addition, where the department authorizes it, a resident may buy a second deer license, but not with a senior discount, and a nonresident may buy an additional deer or antlerless deer license for $170. The department retains authority to set deer-taking restrictions and geographic limits through orders when needed for deer management.
Impact
HB4206 would amend MCL 324.43527a within the state’s hunting and wildlife management laws. Its main legal effect is to formalize the licensing structure for deer hunting, including free antlerless deer permits for base-license holders, a capped application fee for antlerless permits, and rules for second and additional deer licenses for residents and nonresidents. The bill would affect hunters, the Department of Natural Resources, and deer management practices by preserving departmental discretion over license conditions, kill tags, and geographic or species-specific restrictions.
Sentiment
Based on the bill caption and text, the measure appears generally supportive of deer-hunting access while also preserving wildlife management controls. Because no committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, there is no documented debate or opposition in the supplied materials. The bill’s structure suggests a practical, administrative approach rather than a controversial policy shift, with the main emphasis on license availability and fee rules.
Contention
The most likely points of contention are the fee and eligibility rules for antlerless deer licenses, especially the provision allowing two free antlerless licenses for base-license holders and the $5 application fee cap. Another possible issue is the treatment of second deer licenses, including the explicit denial of a senior discount for those purchases and the higher $170 fee for nonresident additional licenses. No specific legislators, groups, or committee members are identified in the provided record as supporting or opposing these provisions.
Sales tax: distribution; disposition of money into the game and fish protection account; provide for. Amends sec. 25 of 1933 PA 167 (MCL 205.75). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0276'25