Tennessee Legalizes Deer Baiting with New $50 Buy-In 🍎

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the newsletter. If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week.

With that said, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey and get this mid-week dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about this morning:

• Legalized bait - A new Tennessee law allows baiting…for a fee 💰

• Michigan following suit - Michigan trying to follow in Tenneessee’s footsteps 👀

• Could it be? - Connecticut is trying this whole bear hunt thing again 🙊

• Fees could still rise - Wisconsin still not ruling out fee hike 📈

• Hunter ed in schools - Michigan eyeing new program 🎓

• Where’s the truck? - Watch as this nice old chevy just goes floating on by 🛟 

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TENNESSEE LEGALIZED DEER BAITING WITH NEW $50 BUY-IN

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee flipped a 10-year ban on its head earlier this month when he signed House Bill 938 into law.  Effective July 1, 2025, Volunteer State hunters can now legally hunt whitetail deer over bait on private land, provided they pay the state an appropriate fee to participate. This change, introduced by Representative Kip Capley and Senator Joey Hensley, ends Tennessee’s long-standing prohibition on hunting over bait, aligning the state with more than 22 others, including neighbors like Arkansas, Kentucky, and Georgia.

“A lot of other states allow hunting over bait anyway, like Texas and several other states, so that’s my reason for supporting it,” state senator Joey Hensley, a primary sponsor of the bill, said. “I just don’t think that people should be penalized because they’re hunting over bait, especially on their property. That’s what this bill does, but it requires people to get a license that would generate additional revenue.”

Will the Michigan DNR budge on baiting to get higher license fees? Some think so: That fee hike is unpopular, particularly in the state House. But lawmakers like state Rep. Parker Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs, think it might spur negotiations on baiting.  Read the full story. 

Several Wyoming hunting applications due June 2: June 2 is a big day for Wyoming hunters — it’s the deadline to submit applications for many fall hunts for residents and nonresidents. Applications must be submitted on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website by midnight MDT.  Read the full story.

A proposal on hunting black bears in CT moved forward. Here’s what it says: After years of unsuccessful attempts to allow black bear hunting in the state, a revised bill has cleared a key hurdle with state lawmakers, possibly making hunting the animals one step closer to reality. Read the full story.

Proposed fishing and hunting license fee increases still alive in Wisconsin budget negotiations: As Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders continue negotiations over the 2025-26 Wisconsin state budget, at least one broadly-supported conservation measure – increases to fishing and hunting license fees – is still in play Read the full story.

Wisconsin DNR Accepting Applications for Sandhill State Wildlife Area Learn to Hunt Deer Program: Sandhill's Learn-to-Hunt workshops include classroom instruction, hands-on field experience and a mentored hunt on thousands of acres of intensively managed wildlife habitat. This unique opportunity provides participants with a rich educational experience while achieving deer management objectives on the 9,150-acre property. Read the full story.

NRA Says Michigan Bill Would Create a Hunter Safety Course for Public Schools: If passed, HB 4285 will create a voluntary firearm safety and hunter education program that NRA-ILA says would “teach responsible firearm handling, cleaning and maintenance, and safe hunting practices. Students who complete the program would earn their Hunter Safety Certification, empowering them with the knowledge and responsibility that comes with firearm ownership and outdoor stewardship.” Read the full story.

VIDEO // ^{_{SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN}}

🦦 There’s likely a couple back at the boat ramp still bickering about what the hell went on here. There’s not a lot of info out there regarding this peculiar happening, so let’s just go ahead and write the story ourselves.

Seriously though, it looks like the driver is still in it and trying to apply the brakes…

It’s easy. Copy your link below and send it to your friends. If they sign up, you get free stuff.

Now, do it. (Please).

Oh, and one more thing…