Kalamazoo County commissioners support ending ‘wildlife killing contests’

lschultz • June 18, 2021

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners passed a proclamation Tuesday in support of “ opposing wildlife killing contests and asking Michigan policymakers to ban them.”

The six to five vote in support was nearly party line – with Veronica McKissack (D-District 5) being the only Democrat opposing the proclamation. All four Republicans on the board voted against the proclamation. Passage of the proclamation is a statement of position; it does not change any laws or restrict any hunting activities in Kalamazoo County.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) submitted written and recorded testimony opposing the proclamation based on a 2020 member-passed resolution and the broad, general language in the proclamation leading to a slippery-slope scenario. 

In addition to misleading and false statements, such as deer hunting being more regulated than coyote hunting and that coyote-hunting contests pose a risk to the public, the proclamation also uses anti-hunting rhetoric including the phrase “trophy hunter” – which has been used in recent months at the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) by anti-hunting organizations to describe any legal and ethical hunter. 

The proclamation was supported by known anti-hunting organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Detroit Zoological Society, Michigan Audubon, Michigan Humane, various local humane societies and Sierra Club, among others. Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) and Rep. Christine Morse (D-Portage) joined in supporting this proclamation as well.

MUCC’s main concern with the proclamation is the purposefully vague phrase “wildlife killing contest” strewn throughout the document, said Nick Green, MUCC public information officer.

“This isn’t an attempt to stop predator-hunting competitions,” Green said. “This is an attempt to slowly divide the hunting community and chip away at Michigan’s rich outdoor heritage. The anti-hunting organizations that influenced Kalamazoo County commissioner decisions aren’t going to stop if predator-hunting competitions end – they want all hunting abolished.”

Any reasonable person interpreting “wildlife killing contests” would assume that fishing tournaments, hunt tests with dogs and buck poles fall within the phrase’s definition. This is the slippery slope MUCC, its members and other conservationists should be concerned with, Green said.

Michigan’s predator population is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) through regulations passed by the NRC. The NRC, in accordance with Proposal G, sets seasons and method and manner of take of Michigan’s game species using the sound scientific principles.

The MUCC resolution supports predator-hunting competitions as legal hunting opportunities that promote the benefits of R3 (recruitment, retention and reactivation), reinforce the social and community aspects of hunting and bring economic benefits to local communities. 

The MUCC resolution states that the organization will work with its affiliate clubs on best management practices for public relations surrounding contests and that the organization continue to support the use of fur as a legitimate driver of wildlife management and that these contests should be encouraged to utilize the fur and wild game to its fullest extent.

If you notice similar resolutions, proclamations or action items being brought forward to your county board of commissioners, please reach out to MUCC and let us know. Conservationists must be diligent about defending our way of life against anti-hunters, and we need your help.

To join the nation’s largest statewide conservation organization and to help us continue to protect your rights to hunt, fish and trap, join MUCC today: http://bit.ly/JoinMUCC .

Recent Posts

By Olivia Triltsch April 24, 2025
Historically, Michigan experienced a lumber era in which the state was a leading producer for 50 years starting in 1860.
By Katelyn Helsel April 23, 2025
Rochester Hills, MI — On the Ground, MUCC’s volunteer stewardship program, celebrated its 250th habitat improvement project in Oakland County this past weekend. In partnership with Metro-West Steelheaders and the Clinton River Watershed Council , 62 volunteers removed more than 460 pounds of trash from the Clinton River watershed and surrounding areas, restoring more than 80 acres of fish and wildlife habitat. Volunteers focused on picking up trash and other debris in the river near Yates Park and along various walking trails near the Yates Cider Mill. Many different items were collected, including a couple of tires, fishing line, old cans, a sign, and even a car bumper. “We definitely wanted to clean up as much trash as possible because that's going to help the watershed as a whole, and it’s going to clean up the river for both humans aesthetically, and also the animals that live in it, and create safer drinking water” said Olivia Triltsch, MUCC’s Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator.
By Olivia Triltsch April 17, 2025
In addition to their impact on water quality, these three orders of insects are an important part of the diet of game fish, making anglers, especially fly fishermen, interested in the conservation of these small animals.
More Posts