LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Legislation that has advanced another step in Michigan would let hunters kill frogs year round and lift a ban against spearing frogs by using an artificial light.
The House passed the bill 69-39 Thursday after changing a version that previously cleared the Senate. The House also voted 84-24 to prohibit hunting reptiles or amphibians for commercial purposes.
Michigan now bans killing any species of frog between mid-November and late spring.
It also bars frog-spearing — or "gigging" — which is popular among young people in southern states, according to a legislative analysis.
The bill's opponents say frog-spearing is inhumane and frogs need protection to breed.
Supporters counter that it makes no sense to prohibit frog-spearing with a flashlight because hunters already can use artificial light to net or hook frogs.
