LANSING, MI-- Bear hunters are asking the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to ban solid chocolate in bait.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which can be toxic to bears and other wildlife in high quantities. Last winter, four bears in New Hampshire died from chocolate toxicity near a 90-pound bait pile containing chocolate.
The Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, Michigan Bear Hunters Association, and the U.P. Bear Houndsmen Association are asking DNR biologists to study the matter for a possible conservation order in the 2017 regulation cycle.
Officials with the Michigan United Conservation Clubs are asking hunters to voluntarily refrain from using chocolate in baits until a ban is approved.
