Michigan Hunting Season Calendar: Dates, Licenses, and Baiting Rules

Michigan hunting season dates for 2026 span from early September through February 2027, with the Department of Natural Resources setting distinct windows for deer, elk, bear, turkey, small game, waterfowl, and fur-bearers under the Wildlife Conservation Order. The exact opener depends on the species, the weapon, and, for waterfowl and some upland birds, the zone you’re hunting.

Deer Season Dates for 2026

Deer is the season most hunters plan the rest of the year around. The 2026 calendar opens with the Liberty Hunt on September 12–13, which is limited to youth hunters and those with qualifying disabilities. The early antlerless firearm season follows on September 19–20.

Archery opens October 1 and runs through November 14, then reopens December 1 through January 1, 2027. The Independence Hunt, for hunters with qualifying disabilities, falls October 15–18. Regular firearm season keeps its traditional dates of November 15–30. Muzzleloading runs December 4–13 in Zones 1, 2, and 3, and the late antlerless firearm season closes the calendar from December 14 through January 1, 2027.¹

Archery and the Independence Hunt overlap in mid-October, and the December archery reopener gives bowhunters another window after firearm season clears the woods. Weapon and tag requirements differ by season, so confirm your license type before switching between them.

Elk, Bear, and Turkey

Elk

Elk hunting is lottery-only and concentrated in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. The 2026 season has a September hunt from September 23 through October 4, targeting elk outside the core range, and a December hunt from December 1 through 15 used to manage the broader herd. Quotas are small: 40 any-elk and 60 antlerless-only permits for the September period, and 30 to 40 antlerless-only permits for each December Elk Management Unit.²

Bear

Bear dates split by peninsula. In the Upper Peninsula, the first hunt period begins the Wednesday before the second Saturday in September and runs through October 21. The second period starts the following Monday and extends through October 26, and a third period runs September 25 through October 26. Lower Peninsula hunts are shorter: the first opens on the second Saturday in September for 10 days, and the second runs from the first Friday after October 1 for six days.³ Every bear hunt requires a separate license and a successful drawing.

Turkey

Spring turkey opens April 18, 2026 in most Turkey Management Units, with the statewide TMU season running May 2–31. Some units, including TMU M and TMU ZZ, have extended windows running April 18 through May 31.⁴ Fall turkey dates typically run September 15 through November 14, with license quotas that vary by unit. TMU I has unlimited fall licenses; TMU M caps availability at around 2,200 licenses sold first-come, first-served.⁵

Small Game and Upland Birds

Cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, and fox and gray squirrel share one long window: September 15 through March 31.⁶ Seven months in the field makes small game the most accessible entry point for new hunters.

Ruffed grouse runs in two segments: September 15 through November 14, then December 1 through January 1. Ring-necked pheasant dates vary by zone. Zone 1 in the Upper Peninsula runs a short October window; Zones 2 and 3 in the Lower Peninsula open late October through mid-November, with Zone 3 getting a December reopener through January 1. Quail runs late October through mid-November and is limited geographically to protect small local populations.¹

Waterfowl and Migratory Birds

Michigan divides waterfowl hunting into North, Middle, and South Zones to align seasons with migration. For 2026, the duck opener is September 26 in the North Zone, October 3 in the Middle Zone, and October 17 in the South Zone.⁷ Each zone gets a short bonus weekend later in the season. Merganser and coot dates mirror the duck schedule in all three zones.

Goose seasons run considerably longer. The North Zone has a continuous season from September 1 through mid-December. The South Zone runs in multiple segments: an early September period, a mid-October through mid-December stretch, and late segments extending into February 2027.⁷ The Allegan County Goose Management Unit runs on its own schedule, with seasons as late as mid-February.

Woodcock typically runs September 15 through late October. Wilson’s snipe, Virginia rail, and sora rail share a statewide window from September 1 through early November.¹ An early teal-only season opens statewide September 1–9, and a youth and veterans waterfowl hunt runs September 19–20.⁷

Fur-Bearer and Trapping Seasons

Coyotes can be taken year-round. The regular hunting and trapping season runs October 15 through March 1, and a separate coyote management season covers March 2 through October 14, allowing lethal take to address overabundance on public and private land.⁸

Red and gray fox share the coyote window of October 15 through March 1 statewide. Raccoon hunting runs longer, from October 1 through March 31. Nighttime hunting is permitted for both fox and raccoon.⁹

Trapping seasons for muskrat and mink vary by zone, generally opening between late October and mid-November and closing March 1. Resident beaver trapping starts as early as October 25 in Unit A and runs through late April, with nonresident seasons opening later.⁹

Licenses You Need Before Opening Day

Every hunter needs a base license before buying species-specific tags. Michigan residents pay $11 for the base license; nonresidents pay $151. Common tag prices:¹⁰

Resident deer license: $20 for a single tag, or $40 for the deer combo (two licenses)
Nonresident deer combo: $190 (one regular and one restricted license)
Resident hunt/fish combo: $76 (base license, two deer tags, and annual all-species fishing)
Bear license: $25, plus a $5 application fee
Elk license: $100, plus a $5 application fee (residents only)
Spring or fall turkey: $15 each
Waterfowl license: $12
Fur harvester license: $15

Waterfowl hunters 16 and older also need a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp,” at $28. It’s valid July 1 through June 30 of the following year, and an electronic e-stamp purchased online is immediately valid in the field.¹¹

Anyone born after January 1, 1960 must have a completed hunter safety certificate on file before buying a license. Licenses are sold through the MDNR eLicense portal at mdnr-elicense.com and at authorized retail agents.¹²

Hunter Orange Dates

Hunter orange is required from August 15 through April 30 during daylight shooting hours. The outermost garment, a hat, vest, jacket, or rain gear, must be hunter orange and visible from all sides. Camouflage patterns qualify only if at least 50% hunter orange. The statute defines hunter orange to include blaze orange, flame orange, and fluorescent blaze orange.¹³

That August 15 start precedes most season openers, and the requirement covers all game hunting during daylight in the window, not just firearm deer. Grouse in September, squirrel in October: orange still required.

Baiting Rules Differ by Peninsula

Baiting and feeding deer are banned in the Lower Peninsula. Corn, sugar beets, mineral blocks, and similar attractants are all off-limits. Scent products are allowed only if placed so that deer cannot consume them or make physical contact. Urine-based products used for mock scrapes and drag ropes remain legal.¹⁴

The Upper Peninsula allows baiting from September 15 through January 1, capped at two gallons per hunting site, scattered directly on the ground over at least a 10-by-10-foot area. Spin-cast feeders are permitted within the two-gallon cap. Recreational feeding for viewing in the UP is limited to two gallons per residence per day, placed within 100 yards of the home and at least 100 yards from any livestock or captive deer.¹⁴

The one Lower Peninsula exception allows eligible hunters with disabilities to bait during the Liberty and Independence Hunts, and even then baiting can start no earlier than five days before the season opens.¹⁴

Harvest Reporting Deadline

Deer and turkey hunters must report each successful harvest within 72 hours or before transferring the animal to another person, processor, or taxidermist, whichever comes first. Keep the confirmation number on hand, because anyone in possession of a deer or turkey after the reporting window closes needs to be able to produce it.¹⁵

Reporting happens online at Michigan.gov/DNRHarvestReport or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app. You’ll enter your kill tag license number, date of birth, and details about the harvest and location. The DNR uses that data to set future season dates and bag limits.¹⁵

1
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Hunting Season Calendar
2
Department of Natural Resources. 2026 Elk Hunting Regulations Summary
3
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2026 Bear Hunting Regulations Summary
4
Department of Natural Resources. Turkey
5
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2025 Fall Turkey Hunting Regulations Summary
6
Department of Natural Resources. Small Game Hunting in Michigan
7
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2026-27 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons
8
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment No. 10 of 2025
9
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2026 Furbearer Harvest Regulations Summary
10
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and Hunting License Information
11
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp)
12
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Buy and Apply
13
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 324.40116
14
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Baiting and Feeding Regulations
15
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Harvest Reporting