State Rep. Andrew Fink (R-Adams Township) voted on Wednesday to eliminate a mandate recently put in place by the unelected Natural Resources Commission (NRC) that could result in criminal penalties for deer hunters who fail to comply.

The NRC mandate that takes effect this year requires all hunters to report detailed information to the Department of Natural Resources within 72 hours of harvesting a deer in Michigan. Anyone who does not complete the online report can be charged with a misdemeanor. House Bill 6354, approved by the House on Wednesday, would prohibit the NRC from requiring hunters to report harvested deer.

“I’ve been in staunch opposition to the NRC’s mandate since the moment I heard about it,” Fink said. “It is not the role of unelected bureaucrats to impose rules and penalties on Michiganders, especially ones as unreasonable as this one. The state should do all it can to encourage participation in the sport, rather than creating more obstacles for our hunters.”

House Bill 6354 now advances to the Michigan Senate for further consideration.

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