PHEASANT HUNTING LICENSE; EXTEND SUNSET S.B. 803:
ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
Senate Bill 803 (as passed by the Senate)
Sponsor: Senator John Cherry
Committee: Natural Resources and Agriculture
Date Completed: 10-15-24
RATIONALE
Currently, an individual may not hunt pheasants without an annual $25 pheasant hunting
license. A portion of each license fee is deposited into the Pheasant Subaccount, which is
spent upon appropriation for the costs associated with the purchase and release of live
pheasants on suitable State-owned land. Reportedly, these provisions were enacted to restore
pheasant hunting in the State following a decline in pheasant populations. According to
testimony before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, many people's
first experience of hunting is pheasant hunting and without these provisions they may never
be exposed. It has been suggested to extend these provisions to ensure that the State's
hunting traditions are passed on.
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 435 (Hunting and Fishing Licensing) of the Natural
Resources and Environmental Protection Act to extend, from January 1, 2026, to
January 1, 2031, the requirement that a person purchase an annual pheasant
hunting license to hunt pheasants in the State and the way that license revenue is
used.
Under the Act, an individual 18 years of age or older may not hunt pheasants without a current
annual pheasant hunting license. The fee for a license is $25 and the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) must deposit the fee collected for each license into the Pheasant Subaccount
of the Game and Fish Protection Account. Except for requirements that certain amounts of
the license fee be retained by an authorized seller or deposited into the Wildlife Resource
Protection Fund, money in the Pheasant Subaccount must be spent, upon appropriation, only
for the costs associated with the purchase and release of live pheasants on State-owned land
suitable for pheasants. Additionally, money in the Pheasant Subaccount on January 1, 2026,
must be transferred to the Game and Fish Protection Account. The above provisions sunset
on January 1, 2026.
The bill would extend the sunset to January 1, 2031, and would specify that the money in the
subaccount on January 1, 2031, would be transferred to the Game and Fish Protection
Account.
MCL 324.43525c
BACKGROUND
Currently an individual must have a special pheasant license to hunt pheasants on Hunting
Access Program enrolled lands in the Upper Peninsula or on any State public land in the lower
peninsula unless the individual is a) a pheasant hunter on private land; b) hunting on public
land in the Upper Peninsula; c) hunting on a game hunting preserve; d) is 17 years of age or
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younger; or d) has a lifetime hunting license. 1 Generally, pheasant hunting season runs from
late October to mid-November and from December to January depending on type and location.
The Hunting Access Program allows private landowners to allow hunters access to their land.
Landowners are given financial incentives, such as up to $25 per enrolled acre based on types
of land and available hunting and management of wildlife on that land, among other things. 2
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The
Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
The DNR's pheasant hunting program is essential to preserving the State's outdoor heritage
of hunting. Reportedly, the practice of hunting has declined as a whole in the State, and
specifically, deer harvesting decreased 11% from 2022 to 2023. 3 According to testimony
before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, pheasant hunting
releases are accessible opportunities to engage individuals who may have not yet decided to,
or have not yet been exposed to, larger scale hunting, such as deer hunting. Many hunters
who have been and are lifelong hunters had their first experience with hunting pheasants,
and due to the declining natural pheasant population, this is no longer an option for new
hunters. Reportedly, full parking lots at release locations have drawn in individuals who may
have never considered hunting. Through pheasant hunting residents can enjoy the State’s
outdoor resources safely while learning and engaging with conservation practices and so the
bill should continue the program.
Supporting Argument
The pheasant hunting licensing and release program should continue as it is self-sustaining
and has continued interest from hunters throughout the State. According to testimony, the
DNR purchased and released over 6,000 pheasants in 13 different State game areas in 2023,
with license sales generating approximately $175,000 annually to the Pheasant Subaccount.
These funds are then used for future pheasant purchases and pheasant release management.
Reportedly, license sales have remained consistent, and it is predicted that there will be
approximately 12,000 pheasant hunting licenses purchased for the 2024 hunting season. The
release of pheasants in these areas also positively affects the cities near the areas. Hunters
visit local establishments to stock up on resources and to eat and drink before and after
coming to hunt, which increases the sustainability of the program.
Opposing Argument
The program should not continue as it is a practice of canned hunting. Canned hunting
involves the killing of animals bred in captivity and then released to enclosures small enough
to ensure the animals can be found and hunted.
Response: Stocking animals is not the same as canned hunting. The DNR annually stocks
fish, including walleye, muskellunge, northern pike, and sturgeon. According to testimony,
like fishing, while an individual is pheasant hunting, a harvest is not guaranteed and often
requires time and effort to accomplish. Many individuals with special hunting dogs take part
in the pheasant hunting program and often return home without a harvest as with other types
of hunting or fishing in the State. Testimony also indicated that, like other stocked animals,
1 "License Types and Fees". DNR, https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-
resources/laws/regulations/small-game/license-types-and-fees, Retrieved 10-10-24.
2 "Landowners – Earn Money by Enrolling", DNR. https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-
do/hunting/where/hap/landowners, Retrieved 10-10-24.
3
Sergent, Katie, "Michigan DNR: State deer harvest dropped by 11% in Fall 2023", UpNorthLive, 12-22-23.
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pheasants that are not caught remain in the natural habitat to which they are released as
part of conservation efforts.
Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a positive fiscal impact for the DNR. The bill would allow for continued
collection of the $25 pheasant hunting license fees, which equate to approximately $175,000
annually. This fee revenue is deposited into the Pheasant Subaccount of the Game and Fish
Protection Account. Current law ends the collection of these fees on January 1, 2026. The bill
would extend the fee collection for five years, ending in 2031. Assuming that fee revenue
remained consistent, this would total roughly $875,000 in revenue over five years.
Fiscal Analyst: Jonah Houtz
SAS\S2324\s803a
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official
statement of legislative intent.
Page 3 of 3 Bill Analysis @ www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa sb803/2324


Statutes affected:
Senate Introduced Bill: 324.43525
As Passed by the Senate: 324.43525