How Old Do You Have to Be to Hunt in Michigan?

There is no minimum age to hunt in Michigan. How old you have to be to hunt in Michigan depends on what you want to do: children under 10 can hunt through the Mentored Youth Hunting Program with an adult at their elbow, kids can buy their own Junior license at 10, and most supervision requirements fall away once a hunter turns 17 and has completed hunter education. The rules shift at four ages — under 10, 10, 14, and 17 — and each shift changes either the license, the supervision, or both.

Under Age 10: The Mentored Youth Program

Michigan’s Mentored Youth Hunting Program is the entry point for the youngest hunters. A single license costs $7.50 and bundles a base license, deer license, spring and fall turkey licenses, an all-species fishing license, and a fur harvester’s license.¹ Hunter education is not required.

The supervision standard is the tightest in the state. The child must stay within arm’s length of the mentor whenever handling a hunting device and while actively hunting.¹ The mentor has to be at least 21, have previous hunting experience, and hold a current regular Michigan hunting license (not an apprentice license). One mentor, one mentored youth.

Ages 10 Through 16: Junior License

At 10, a young hunter can buy a Junior Base License for $6, which covers small game. Deer, turkey, and other species need their own licenses on top. To buy any of these, the child has to show proof of hunter education certification or be enrolled in the apprentice program.²

A hunter-education-certified youth aged 10 through 16 must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. There is one exception worth knowing: the supervision requirement doesn’t apply if the youth is hunting on land where a parent or guardian regularly lives.³ For families with rural property, that changes what an afternoon hunt looks like. Away from the family’s land, an adult has to be present.

Firearm Deer, Bear, and Elk Under 14

Firearm hunting for big game adds a location rule for the youngest licensed hunters. A child under 14 who holds a license to hunt deer, bear, or elk with a firearm may only hunt on private property, and must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or another adult at least 18 who has been authorized by the parent or guardian. This restriction does not apply to children hunting under an apprentice license or to mentored youth under 10, whose own supervision rules already apply. If you are planning a firearm deer hunt with a 10-, 11-, 12-, or 13-year-old, confirm you have private land to hunt before the season opens.

Age 17 and Older

Once a hunter is 17 or older and has completed hunter education, no supervision is required. A 17-and-older hunter who has not finished the course can still hunt on an apprentice license, but must be accompanied by someone at least 21 who holds a regular (non-apprentice) license for the same game. That companion cannot be supervising more than one other apprentice hunter at the same time, and no adult may accompany more than two apprentice licensees at once.⁴

“Accompany” has a specific legal meaning: the supervisor must stay close enough to give immediate aid and keep uninterrupted visual and verbal contact with the apprentice.⁵ That is a looser standard than the arm’s-length rule for mentored youth, but it still means being in the same spot, not a different corner of the woods.

The Apprentice License

The apprentice license lets a new hunter of any age try the sport before taking the hunter education course. You can hold an apprentice license for a given species (deer, turkey, base, and so on) for up to two license years; after that, you have to complete hunter education to keep hunting that species.⁴ An apprentice license costs the same as the regular version.

For an apprentice hunter under 17, the supervisor must be a parent, guardian, or another person authorized by them, and must be at least 21.⁵

Hunter Education

Anyone born on or after January 1, 1960 has to show proof of hunter education (or a previously held hunting license) before buying a Michigan hunting license. The two exceptions are the apprentice license and the mentored youth license.⁴

There is no minimum age to take the course. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or authorized adult during the course, which lets a child earn certification early and be ready the day they turn 10. Courses cover firearm safety, wildlife identification, and hunting ethics, and are offered in formats that combine online study with an in-person field day.

A hunter education certificate earned in another state, a Canadian province, or another country counts in Michigan.⁴

Waterfowl: Federal Duck Stamp at 16

A Michigan license by itself isn’t enough for ducks and geese. Federal law requires anyone 16 or older who hunts migratory waterfowl to buy and carry a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, known as the duck stamp.⁶ The stamp is $25 for the 2025–2026 season.⁷ Hunters under 16 don’t need one.

Hunter Orange

Michigan requires hunters of every age to wear hunter orange (or another color approved by the Natural Resources Commission) during firearm seasons. It has to be the outermost layer and visible from all sides. Camouflage patterns count only if at least 50% of the pattern is hunter orange.⁸ A vest and hat over whatever a young hunter is wearing underneath is the simple answer; check the fit before opening day.

Penalty for Hunting Without a License

Hunting without a valid license is a misdemeanor under MCL 324.43558, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine between $500 and $2,500, plus court costs. Age does not exempt the hunter, and a parent or guardian who lets an unlicensed minor hunt can face consequences too. A $6 Junior license or a $7.50 mentored youth license is a small piece of paperwork against those numbers.

Quick Reference by Age

Under 10 — Mentored Youth Hunting license, $7.50. Mentor must be 21+ with a regular license, within arm’s length at all times. One youth per mentor.
10 to 13 — Junior Base License ($6) plus species licenses. Hunter education or apprentice enrollment required. Adult 18+ must accompany, except on land where a parent or guardian regularly lives. Firearm hunting for deer, bear, or elk is limited to private land.
14 to 16 — Same licensing as 10–13. Private-land firearm restriction no longer applies. Adult accompaniment still required, with the same residential-property exception.
17 and older — Regular license after hunter education, no supervision needed. On an apprentice license, must be accompanied by someone 21+ holding a regular license for the same game.

1
Michigan Legislature. Bill Analysis – Mentored Youth Hunting License (H.B. 4957)
2
Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and Hunting License Information
3
Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary
4
Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 324.43520 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt)
5
Michigan Legislature. 1105 Enrolled Analysis – Hunting Age/Apprentice License
6
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Duck Stamp
7
USPS.com. Spectacled Eiders 2025-2026 Federal Duck Stamps
8
Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 324.40116 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt)