Representative Wirtz presented House Bill 4445 to the House Committee on Natural Resource and Tourism on Dec. 10, saying the bill would legalize deer baiting during deer season and help address what he described as a deer overpopulation problem and growing crop damage in parts of southern Michigan. "Michigan has the second highest deer population of any state in the country, only behind Texas," Wirtz said, and he described local scenes of large herds and repeated vehicle collisions.

Wirtz told the panel he had discussed the measure with Department of Natural Resources staff but said he was surprised the DNR did not appear in person; the agency submitted written testimony opposing the bill on the grounds it could undermine the Natural Resources Commission's authority to regulate baiting. "This is not true," Wirtz said of the DNR's characterization, adding his bill would not remove the NRC's ability to regulate baiting on "sound scientific practices" and would only prohibit an outright ban.

Dr. Jerry Belunt of Michigan State University, appearing as the committee's scientific witness, described "overabundance" as a value-based term and emphasized uncertainties in large-scale population estimates. Belunt summarized trends showing fewer licensed hunters and a lower antlerless harvest in recent decades, and cited administrative data showing deer damage control permits in the Lower Peninsula rose from about 5,100 in 2015 to over 23,000 in 2024. He also noted that Michigan averaged roughly 62,000 deer-vehicle collisions annually from 2012 to 2023, with substantial human-injury and economic impacts: "These collisions have resulted in over 15,000 human injuries, 135 deaths, and more than $3,000,000,000 in damages," he said.

Committee members questioned the differences between baiting and food plots and whether limits or "guide rails" could reduce risk. Vice Chair McFall asked for the scientific basis for distinguishing bait piles from food plots; Belunt said the critical factor is concentration and repeat visitation. "If you had a 5-gallon pile of corn on the ground ... saliva, for example, on the corn, it would be there for the next year," he said, describing how concentrated bait sites can raise direct and indirect contact rates compared with dispersed food plots.

Lawmakers also discussed management tools such as increasing antlerless harvests, localized permits for crop damage, and regional differences between the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula. Representative Preston criticized the absence of DNR staff at the hearing as "inexcusable," saying the agency should answer committee questions directly. The Farm Bureau submitted written support for the bill and farmers and committee members described substantial yield losses and deterrent costs on some operations.

The committee did not take a vote on HB 4445. It accepted written DNR opposition into the record and heard scientific testimony and member questioning; Representative McFall moved to excuse absent members and the committee adjourned, scheduling its next meeting for Dec. 17.

The measure remains under consideration; proponents urged legalizing baiting as a tool to increase harvest and reduce collisions and crop damage, while scientific testimony and the DNR's written submission highlighted data gaps and regulatory concerns. The committee's next procedural step was not announced during the hearing.