by Karen Mehall Phillips - Monday, February 22, 2016
NRA-ILA was quick to spread the good news on Feb. 11 when the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) voted to repeal the state’s long-standing prohibition on hunting with lawfully-possessed firearm sound suppressors, making Michigan the 38th state to permit their use in light of the benefits of suppressor technology to hunters and wildlife alike.
“The NRA considers this a major victory for sportsmen in Michigan,” said Lacey Biles, NRA-ILA Director of State and Local Affairs. “We believe that the NRC’s endorsement of the hearing safety and conservation benefits of suppressors will assist in propelling this important issue forward.”
According to NRA-ILA reports, the NRC had been considering several versions of a rule change regarding hunting with suppressors when it decided to stand with hunters, act in their best interests and repeal the ban altogether. In addition to protecting hunters against permanent hearing loss by diminishing the decibel level of a muzzle blast, they help to increase shot accuracy by reducing felt recoil, making it easier—and more enjoyable—for new shooters to get into hunting and the shooting sports, and benefit wildlife by reducing any stress that occurs at the sound of a shot.
NRA-ILA thanks the NRC Commissioners, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the American Suppressor Association and the numerous hunters through the Great Lakes State who made phone calls and gave public testimony in support of legalizing suppressors. In a state such as Michigan—which sold more than 1.5 million licenses for deer alone in 2009 (the most recent online stat I found)—the good news is sure to spread.