Michigan Proposes Deer Feeding Ban in 11 Counties
Michigan's Department of Natural Resources recommends banning recreational deer and elk feeding in 11 Lower Peninsula counties to limit bovine tuberculosis.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Hunting
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The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has recommended that the Natural Resources Commission prohibit recreational feeding of deer and elk in 11 Lower Peninsula counties. The Commission is considering the rule, with possible action as soon as next month.
Why it matters
Bovine tuberculosis is established in wild deer and cattle in four counties, and the recommended counties are areas of high concern. The recommendation follows 2026 legislation that lifted Lower Peninsula feeding restrictions, which allows 2 gallons of food to be spread within 300 feet of a residence.
The DNR recommendation covers 11 Lower Peninsula counties, with feeding permitted only within 2 gallons of food spread up to 300 feet from a residence under current law. Seven human TB cases have been documented in Michigan, and the Commission has not yet decided whether to adopt the rule.
The players
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The state agency responsible for managing Michigan's wildlife, fisheries and public lands, which made the feeding prohibition recommendation.
Natural Resources Commission
The citizen policy body that sets Michigan DNR rules and is weighing whether to adopt the deer and elk feeding prohibition.
Ken Borton
A Michigan public official quoted in the story on the state's feeding rules and disease concerns.
The details
The Department of Natural Resources presented its recommendation to the Natural Resources Commission this past Thursday. The DNR, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and USDA APHIS Veterinary Services have a memorandum of understanding detailing extra bovine TB monitoring in Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda counties.
Timeline
2019: The Commission banned deer and elk feeding in the Lower Peninsula.
July 2026: Feeding restrictions were lifted after new state legislation passed.
February 2026: House Bill 4445 stalled in Senate committee.
November 2026: The DNR presented its recommendation to the Commission.
December 2026: Feeding restrictions could partially return if the Commission acts.
Season Trajectory
The proposal would partly reverse the 2026 legislation that lifted the feeding restrictions the Commission first imposed in 2019. It reflects a tension between that new state law and the disease concerns that drove the original ban.
If adopted, the rule would bar recreational feeding of deer and elk in the 11 recommended counties, changing what residents there can do on their own property. Hunters and landowners in those counties should expect the 2026 allowances to be restricted if the Commission acts.
The takeaway
Landowners and hunters in the affected Lower Peninsula counties should watch the Natural Resources Commission's next decision, since it could change what feeding is allowed under current law.
What happens next
The Natural Resources Commission is considering whether to pass the feeding prohibition rule, with possible action as soon as December 2026.
Further reading
For related context, see Hunting coverage across the state.
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