Each fall, Michigan’s forests fall silent as nearly 2,000 black bears are killed—many of them large, mature animals who have survived for years in our wild spaces. The 2025 season was the deadliest yet, with a record number of massive bears taken down in the Upper Peninsula alone. These aren’t just statistics—they're sentient animals who play a critical role in our ecosystem.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may celebrate this as a success of wildlife management, but what it really reflects is an outdated system that relies on killing to maintain balance. The fact that nearly 73,000 people applied for a bear hunting license or preference point in 2025 shows a growing industry, not a conservation success. At a time when public sentiment is shifting toward protecting wildlife, Michigan is encouraging more bear deaths.

These animals face enough challenges: habitat fragmentation, food scarcity in poor foraging years, and the pressures of climate change. Now we’re targeting the strongest and most mature bears—those most critical for maintaining stable, healthy populations. Taking out top predators has ripple effects on ecosystems, affecting everything from plant growth to prey species behavior.

We’re calling on the Michigan Legislature and the Department of Natural Resources to immediately ban black bear hunting statewide and shift resources toward non-lethal population monitoring and conservation practices. Other states have already ended bear hunting in response to public pressure and ecological science. Michigan can, and should, do the same.

Killing bears for sport is not conservation. It’s cruelty. 

Sign this petition to demand that Michigan stop issuing bear hunting licenses and protect these majestic animals before it’s too late.