Hunt for crop-eating bears could start early, bill says

By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — In 32 years, there has rarely been a season when lifelong farmer Rep. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, hasn’t found bear damage in his cornfield. Now, he’s fighting to do something about it. McBroom, who raises corn to feed his dairy cows, recently introduced a bill to allow hunters to kill crop-eating bears out of season. But some experts say more discussion is needed on viable solutions to farmers’ crop damage. Concerns include the potential impact of hunting bears out of season on the bear population and if there are alternatives, said Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) resource policy manager Amy Trotter.