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Committee hears bill to allow paid backup-shooter license for bear hunts
Summary
Representative Fairbairn presented House Bill 4937 to allow a designated backup shooter (purchased license) to dispatch a bear that was legally shot but remains alive, arguing it would increase safety for hunters, handlers and vulnerable participants; opponents cautioned it was unnecessary and could change hunting dynamics.
Lansing — House Bill 4937, sponsored by Representative Fairbairn, was presented to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism. The bill would permit a Michigan resident (for an additional $50) or nonresident (for $250) to purchase a backup-shooter license to accompany licensed bear hunters and legally dispatch a wounded bear that has not yet expired.
Fairbairn told the committee the measure "would add a significant level of safety" when a bear is wounded and does not expire immediately. "Having a backup shooter legally shoot the animal if it has not yet expired would add a significant level of safety and prevent it from running headlong into unsuspecting hunter or dog handler," he said.
Keith Schafer, president of the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, described situations in swamp or dense cover where the hunter may be 40–50 yards from the base of a treed bear and other people — including the elderly, handicapped or youth — may be in the bear's path. Schafer said guide- or handler-designated backup shooters would be positioned to safely finish an animal if necessary; he emphasized the proposal is intended for safety, not to gain an advantage in harvest.
Proponents provided operational details: Fairbairn and Schafer described a proposed $50 resident fee and $250 nonresident fee for the backup license, a season-long permit valid in all bear-hunting units, and the license's use to back up multiple hunters where a tagged bear was legally harvested.
Vice Chair McFall asked about scale: proponents said the Department of Natural Resources issues about 8,000 bear licenses and that harvests are roughly 1,800–2,000 bears a year; in some seasons many more people apply (proponents cited a year with ~72,000 applicants). Proponents noted the fee could generate additional revenue for the DNR.
Bob Jones, president of the Michigan Bowhunters Association, opposed the proposal on grounds that many bowhunters hunt alone and that the bill could institutionalize an "event" around a treed bear rather than preserving a solitary hunt. "What separates the hound hunters and I ... is a difference in method," Jones said, arguing safety can be improved by better procedures and placement of spectators.
Committee discussion included questions about who would be designated as a backup shooter (proponents said licensed guides or handler-designated individuals), concerns about protecting vulnerable hunters (youth, elderly, disabled), and whether the measure should be narrower to address occasional disability situations. No formal vote was taken; testimony and stakeholder statements were recorded and the committee moved to other business.
