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Don't Let Canned Hunt Ranches Create Wildlife Policy in Michigan
  1. Signatures
    2,337 out of 2,500
    Petitioning
    1. The Governor of MI (+ 2 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The Governor of MI
      • The MI State Senate
      • The MI State House
  2. Created By
    Pamela Black
    Lapeer, MI
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Oct 20, 2011

After years of feral hogs escaping from canned hunting ranches and wreaking havoc on the environment, Michigan wildlife officials decided to ban private ownership of the invasive species. However, the sport hunting industry managed to delay the ban until July under the guise that they would set up regulations instead. When the deadline passed without regulatory laws in place, Gov. Snyder asked for more time, and the deadline was extended to October 8th.

Thousands of people signed a petition on Change.org urging officials not to delay any longer, and the ban finally went into effect on October 8th without requests for another extension. On October 20, the Governor's Office emailed Change.org and confirmed that the ban on feral, invasive swine was in place with established deadlines for enforcement and inspections, a positive sign that Gov. Snyder does not plan to ask for another delay.

Other states in the northern U.S., including New York, are looking to Michigan as an example for feral swine management. With the invasive species ban in place, Michigan can now serve as their role model.

Michigan has enacted laws declaring feral swine as an invasive species. The decision targets the estimated 5,000 feral swine in the state.

However, putting this law into effect has been delayed once again to accommodate canned hunt ranches. Legislature is trying to decide on regulations that will allow the invasive feral swine to still be owned by private breeding and hunting facilities.

While occasional escapes from farms occur, the majority of the feral swine population comes from canned hunt ranches. To quote a Michigan DNRE press release: “The DNRE estimates that there are at least 65 swine hunting or breeding facilities in the state, and that a vast majority of the feral swine running at large in Michigan are animals that have escaped from hunting or breeding facilities.”

Eurasian and Russian wild boars are favored by hunting ranches for their size and the challenge of the hunt. Yet these non-native species are capable of weighing up to 500 pounds and cause considerable property and crop damage. The estimated damage in the U.S. is cited as a conservative $1.5 billion.

Regulating breeding and hunting facilities now is a solution that is too little too late.  A complete ban on invasive, feral swine in Michigan is needed now.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Completely Ban Invasive Swine in Michigan

Greetings,

I recently read on Change.org that Michigan created a law declaring feral swine as an invasive species. I applaud the decision to proactively eliminate the thousands feral swine in the state.

However, I am disappointed in the delay putting this law into effect to accommodate canned hunt ranches. While occasional escapes from farms occur, the majority of the feral swine population comes from these breeding and hunting facilities. To quote a Michigan DNRE press release: “The DNRE estimates that there are at least 65 swine hunting or breeding facilities in the state, and that a vast majority of the feral swine running at large in Michigan are animals that have escaped from hunting or breeding facilities.”

A package of bills known as the Sport Swine Marketing Act is before this legislative session (House Bills 4503, 4504, 4505 and 4506; and Senate Bills 307, 308, 309 and 310). These bills offer no real solution to the feral swine problem, between the low facility licensing fees and minimal punishment for escaped swine.

Eurasian and Russian wild boars are favored by hunting ranches for their size and the challenge of the hunt. Yet these non-native species are capable of weighing up to 500 pounds and cause considerable property and crop damage. The estimated damage in the U.S. is cited as a conservative $1.5 billion.

Regulating breeding and hunting facilities now is a solution that is too little too late. I urge you to seek a complete ban on invasive, feral swine in Michigan.

Thank you,

[Your name]

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