MI Hunting Seasons & Public Land

Michigan Hunting Seasons 2026 & DMU Map

Deer Sep 12–Jan 31. Turkey Sep 15–May 31. Bear Sep 9–Sep 7.

222 Seasons44 Species

Direct Answer

Michigan hunting seasons cover 222 season dates across 129 DMUs for White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Black Bear and more. Most seasons are open to any licensed hunter within the posted dates. Use the tables below for exact opening and closing dates by species and dmu.

Season data sourced from the Michigan wildlife agency. Always verify dates and regulations on the official site before hunting—regulations can change during the season.

Michigan Hunting Seasons by Species

Deer

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone Independence-Hunt-areasFirearmOct 15Oct 18
Zone Liberty-Hunt-areasFirearmSep 12Sep 13
Zone extended-late-antlerless-firearmFirearmJan 2Jan 10
Zone january-archeryArcheryJan 2Jan 31
Zone lower-peninsula-dmus-minus-3FirearmSep 19Sep 20
Zone lower-peninsula-dmus-minus-3FirearmDec 14Jan 1
StatewideArcheryOct 1Nov 14
StatewideFirearmNov 15Nov 30
StatewideArcheryDec 1Jan 1
StatewideMuzzleloaderDec 4Dec 13
DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone I_TMUFirearmSep 15Nov 14
Zone M_TMUFirearmSep 15Nov 14
Zone M_TMUFirearmApr 18May 31
Zone NN_TMUFirearmApr 18May 1
Zone ZZ_TMUFirearmApr 18May 1
Zone ZZ_TMUFirearmApr 18May 31
Zone ZZ_TMUFirearmMay 2May 31
StatewideFirearmMay 2May 31

Bear

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone Amasa_BMUDog_trainingJul 8Sep 3
Zone Amasa_BMUFirearmSep 9Oct 21
Zone Amasa_BMUFirearmSep 14Oct 26
Zone Amasa_BMUDog_trainingSep 14Apr 15
Zone Amasa_BMUFirearmSep 25Oct 26
Zone Baldwin_BMUDog_trainingJul 8Sep 7
Zone Baldwin_BMUFirearmSep 12Sep 22
Zone Baldwin_BMUDog_trainingSep 14Oct 1

+ 40 more Bear seasons

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone 2TrappingOct 15Nov 14
Zone 3TrappingNov 1Mar 1
Zone badger-1TrappingOct 15Nov 14
DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone Unit_ATrappingNov 1Apr 23
Zone Unit_BTrappingNov 1Apr 23
Zone Unit_CTrappingNov 1Apr 23
StatewideTrappingApr 24Oct 31

Bobcat

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone Unit_ATrappingNov 1Nov 14
Zone Unit_ATrappingDec 1Jan 18
Zone Unit_AFirearmJan 1Mar 1
Zone Unit_BTrappingNov 1Nov 14
Zone Unit_BTrappingDec 1Jan 18
Zone Unit_BFirearmJan 1Mar 1
Zone Unit_CTrappingDec 10Dec 29
Zone Unit_CFirearmJan 1Mar 1

+ 6 more Bobcat seasons

Bobwhite Quail

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone quail-countiesFirearmOct 20Nov 14

Common Gallinule

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
StatewideFalconrySep 1Nov 9
StatewideFirearmSep 1Nov 9
StatewideFirearmSep 19Sep 20
StatewideFirearmSep 19Sep 20
StatewideFalconryDec 28Jan 10
StatewideFalconryFeb 20Mar 9

Coot

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone middleFirearmOct 3Nov 29
Zone middleFirearmDec 12Dec 13
Zone northFirearmSep 26Nov 22
Zone northFirearmNov 28Nov 29
Zone southFirearmOct 17Dec 13
Zone southFirearmDec 26Dec 27
StatewideFirearmSep 19Sep 20
StatewideFirearmSep 19Sep 20

+ 2 more Coot seasons

Cottontail Rabbit

DMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
StatewideFirearmSep 15Mar 31

Michigan Hunting Season FAQ

When does hunting season start in Michigan?

Michigan hunting season currently spans Sep 12 to Jan 31 for Deer, with other species opening at different times. Dates vary by dmu and weapon. This page lists 222 Michigan season dates across 129 DMUs.

What can you hunt in Michigan?

Michigan offers hunting for 44 species, including White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Black Bear and more. Each species has its own season dates, weapon rules and bag limits.

How many hunting DMUs does Michigan have?

Michigan is divided into 129 DMUs. Season dates, harvest rates and public-land access differ by unit—use the tables above to compare units before you apply or buy a tag.

State Resource

Always verify season dates and regulations with the official state wildlife agency:

Michigan Official Hunting Regulations

View Michigan on the map

See DMU boundaries, public land, and walk-in access areas for Michigan on our interactive hunting map.

Also see Michigan public land, license, and regulations.

Hunt Michigan with offline maps