State: MI

Recreational fishing is widely accepted as a wholesome and non-controversial lifetime outdoor activity with numerous positive benefits. By sanctioning angling as a recognized sport, athletic associations and schools provide opportunities for students and families who might not otherwise participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Due to its wholesome and non-controversial nature, recreational fishing is widely recognized…

In an effort to improve the quality of young people’s lives, several states have introduced or passed legislation to require some form of educational opportunity for hunting, fishing and nature appreciation as part of a student’s elective academic curriculum. These programs aim to connect students with the natural world and can play an important role…

The vast majority of states throughout the nation offer an online component of the hunter’s safety course, which provides potential hunters a way to receive their hunter safety certification at their own pace. By offering new hunters an easy and efficient way to gain hunter safety certification, more people will have the opportunity to begin…

Why it Matters: The 2023 legislative sessions have brought several key changes to deer seasons in the Great Lakes region this year. Knowing the changes that have taken place to your state’s hunting laws and regulations is imperative to a successful season. Highlights: Although deer season is only a brief time of the year, legislation…

Why It Matters: Early September often marks the return of year-round legislatures to their respective state capitols, and Lansing is no exception. Upon their return, Michigan legislators will be greeted with a handful of sporting bills – some that advance the interests of sportsmen and women, and some that do not. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation…

Why It Matters: Oftentimes, achieving desired legislative outcomes requires dedicated persistence. This is especially true for a Michigan initiative that would create a licensing and reporting framework for commercial hunting and fishing guides in the state, which has been introduced in the legislature multiple times over the last few years. Highlights: A package of three…

Why It Matters: Sometimes, a bill that would harm the interests of sportsmen and women has the support of both legislative chambers in a state. When this is the case, it is imperative that the groups defending those interests do all that they can to educate legislators on how the language could be improved to…

Why It Matters: Legislation pertaining to the ownership and possession of firearms continues to be a popular topic throughout the Midwest, and around the country. CSF continues to engage on both pro and anti-sportsmen legislation pertaining to firearms. Given both the importance of firearms to many outdoor pursuits, as well as their critical role in…

Recent advances in technology, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), which can assist in the tracking and taking of game, have posed an ethical debate within the hunting community. Legislators and sportsmen should be mindful of Fair Chase issues and, on a state-by-state basis, determine if legislation is warranted to ensure hunting is practiced ethically…

Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife management agencies, who are responsible for making science-based decisions affecting fish and game populations, must have the authority to take necessary action to ensure the long-term viability of those populations. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation works closely with partners to oppose bills that create unnecessary obstacles and threaten the…

Why It Matters: Conservation efforts are threatened when anti-hunters hold seats on game commissions, and it is important that qualification requirements for such commissioners bar these anti-hunters from receiving an opportunity to undermine our time-honored outdoor traditions. Experienced hunters and anglers, or those who at the very least recognize and appreciate the important role of…

Why It Matters: Presently, Michigan does not have a well-regulated system for controlling its commercial hunting and sport fishing guide industry. A package of bills that would remedy this problem by providing important requirements for guides while simultaneously providing funding to the state natural resource agency is still waiting to be brought to the House…