Ted Nugent thinks Michigan is anti-hunter. Do you agree?

Ted Nugent, famous singer, author and perhaps Michigan’s best known native son, firmly believes in conservation. He just as firmly believes in hunting, fishing and trapping. Why? He sees the two as not only compatible, but also mutually necessary. 

In the first of a series of op ed pieces in The Detroit News during last year’s hunting season, Mr. Nugent thoroughly disparaged Michigan officials for what he calls their “stupid” laws and regulations that have resulted in the loss of upwards of 200,000 deer and other hunters, trappers and fishing enthusiasts. Once the nation’s top hunting state, Nugent alleges that Michigan has long since become an anti-hunting state. 

Over-the-top citations 

Nugent cites two examples of the types of citations today’s hunters face receiving. One of his acquaintances got a ticket because he failed to zip the bow case in his pickup all the way up before driving north to hunt. Another acquaintance got a ticket because he moved some apples from underneath one apple tree closer to his own tree in order to get a better shot. 

Hunting lifestyle 

Nugent proudly admits that he has “not missed a hunting season in the wilds of the Wolverine State since my first October in 1949.” He claims that his lifetime of responsible hunting, trapping and fishing has provided him and his loved ones not only with hours of extraordinary family time, but also has allowed the family to feast on ethically obtained wild game. As Nugent says, “I have always known that nature is a participatory lifestyle, not a spectator sport.” 

He fears, however, that Michigan’s current laws and regulations threaten this lifestyle. He laments its passing and the resulting over-population of deer, pigs, sandhill cranes, mourning doves, black bears, etc. that Michigan faces today. 

What do you think? Do you agree with Ted Nugent’s assessment that we live in an anti-hunting state?