Gun-Toting Ted Nugent Draws Ire From MI Wildlife Officer Over 'Appalling' Remarks

MICHIGAN — A Michigan wildlife commissioner on Thursday slammed Ted Nugent after he said the musician made several "appalling" remarks during a state legislature meeting in June.

Nugent railed against Michigan's state laws concerning hunting and game management, and called conservation officers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources "jack-booted thugs."

Nugent was speaking to legislators while police said he was carrying a concealed firearm into the state Capitol despite a weapons ban in the building. Police said troopers didn't notice the alert of a possible weapon — even though the system makes a loud noise when it detects a weapon — until after Nugent left the screening area, MLive reported. State police say they're investigating the lapse in security.

Speaking at a Thursday meeting, Natural Resources Commission John Walters said he was "insulted" by Nugent's testimony at the Michigan Capitol, Fox 2 Detroit reported.

"They're not going out willy-nilly trying to cause problems," Walters said. "I have met many, many conservation officers over my career, and I have not found one that is disrespectful and misguided and overreaching in their ability to serve our state of Michigan."

At the June meeting, Nugent specifically attacked Michigan's ban on Russian boar and baiting deer, as well as laws that prevent hunters from shooting deer, mourning doves and wolves.

Walters fired back against each of those claims, arguing that deer baiting spreads diseases such as chronic wasting disease, wild hogs, or boar, are banned because they're "incredibly destructive" and that sandhill cranes are not a game species in Michigan and are protected by the federal government, the Detroit News reported.

A decision to make mourning doves a game species was put forth to Michigan voters in 2006, and it was defeated. Wolves are a federally protected species.