A Republican lawmaker is proposing legislation that would allow five rare Michigan hunting licenses to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, a change that could reshape access to the state's most coveted hunting opportunities for Northern Michigan residents.
Representative Phil Green, R-67th District, introduced House Bill 5682 this week, which would create what he calls "directors hunt" licenses. The five new tags would be issued to licensed sportsmen's organizations, which would then auction them to top bidders.
The bill currently sits in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House.
A lottery system with a price tag
The existing Pure Michigan Hunt program operates as a lottery. For $5, anyone can apply for a chance to win one of three packages. Winners receive licenses to hunt Michigan elk, bear, antlerless deer, turkey, and a waterfowl stamp.
"For $5, anyone can buy essentially a lottery ticket that, if selected, gives you some difficult licenses to get through traditional means," Green said.
Under the proposed bill, the three lottery licenses would remain in place. The five auction licenses would be added on top of them.
Green said the model mirrors programs in approximately 20 other states that contract with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations to auction restricted hunting tags.
"The department is not authorized legally to do an auction, so therefore we have sportsmen's organizations that are licensed properly to do that," Green said. "Any sportsmen's organization authorized by the department to auction a license up section may retain up to 7.5 percent of the money raised by the auction."
The remaining revenue would go to the state.
Big money on the table
Supporters say the auction model could generate substantial revenue for wildlife conservation and outdoor programs.
Bee Frederick, state and local liaison for Safari Club International, said state agencies across the country are looking for creative ways to supplement budgets that have not kept pace with rising costs.
"Across the country and state agencies are looking for those creative ways to supplement budgets that may not have kept paced with the growing needs of their agencies and then importantly their constituencies as well and the associated rising costs of that," Frederick said.
Other states have seen significant returns from similar programs. John Kupiec, regional representative for Safari Club International, noted that Iowa's deer tags have sold for $50,000 each. A desert bighorn sheep tag in New Mexico fetched $1.3 million last year.
Colorado has offered 18 special auction big game licenses through its Parks and Wildlife department for more than 15 years. Wyoming's governor's big game license coalition auction generated $1.5 million for 73 conservation projects over the last two years.
Kupiec said opening the auction tags to nonresidents could further boost revenue and increase Michigan's visibility as a hunting destination.
"I'm a firm believer that we need to consider opening this type of tag up to non-residents because it opens up the funnel for other folks to bid on the hunt to generate significant increases in revenue for our state," Kupiec said.
Concerns about fairness
Opponents of the proposal raise concerns that auctioning rare licenses creates a pay-to-play system that prices out everyday hunters.
Critics argue the change would make the playing field uneven by allowing wealthy bidders to bypass the lottery system that currently gives all applicants an equal chance.
Proponents counter that the funds raised would benefit all hunters by improving wildlife management and outdoor recreation programs across the state.
"The directors tag, in my humble opinion as a Michigan resident, promotes the culture of ethical hunting," Kupiec said. "It embraces Michigan's rich tradition of hunting and it manages to create the funds to manage wildlife and increase outdoor activities within our state."
What changes and what stays the same
Frederick emphasized that auction license winners would face the same rules as any other hunter. The tags would not come with special privileges.
"This winner of these proposed directors hunt licenses would only be allowed to use it under the same season date, same structure and same method of take as other hunters as well," Frederick said. "So, there'd be no special stipulation for any of these five license holders in this case."
The current Pure Michigan Hunt application process remains open. Winners will be announced in January 2027.
House Bill 5682 remains in the committee stage. If it advances, it would require passage by both chambers and the governor's signature before becoming law.