State Rep. Ann Bollin today lambasted a new requirement issued by the unelected Natural Resources Commission (NRC) that could result in criminal penalties for deer hunters who fail to comply.

The mandate taking 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.

Hunters will be required to provide the license number of the kill tag attached to the deer, the exact location of the harvest, whether the deer is a doe or buck and how many antler points it has, the type of weapon used, and other personal information.

“I have heard from many of my local hunters who are troubled by this new mandate – and it greatly concerns me, too,” said Bollin, of Brighton Township. “In addition to the obvious overreach by an unelected commission, I have a serious problem with a rule that makes a criminal out of a grandpa who doesn’t own a smart phone or a computer or a family at deer camp up north without internet or phone reception.”

Bollin said legislation has already been introduced in the House to remove the criminal penalties attached to the new rule by the NRC.

“As your elected official I have been fighting against government overreach since day one and my fight continues to this day,” Bollin said.

###