Michigan Hunting Season Details for 2026-2027 – Units, Permits & Species

Welcome to your complete guide for the Michigan hunting season! Whether you’re a seasoned backwoods veteran or just getting your feet wet in the Great Lakes State’s rich hunting tradition, this resource covers everything you need for a successful 2026-2027 season. We’ve gathered all the essential information about dates, top species, hunting zones, and licensing requirements to help you plan your outdoor adventures.

This guide breaks down the latest official dates, key species, tag details, and public-land tools for the 2026–2027 cycle in a beginner-friendly way. We verified the calendar against current Michigan DNR materials available in July 2026. One quick note up front: fresh 2026 summaries are already live for deer, bear, elk, turkey, waterfowl, and furbearers, while upland/small-game details are still coming from the latest official small-game page available at publication time.

If you like comparing rules across states, you can also browse the broader state hunting seasons hub.

Michigan Hunting Season Overview 2026–2027

This year brings a few changes worth paying attention to, especially for deer hunters. The big headline is that the old limited-firearms zone in the Lower Peninsula is gone, which opens the door to all legal firearms statewide in the LP. The December muzzleloader window has also been shortened and renamed in the Lower Peninsula as the December firearm deer period, while the late antlerless opportunity now starts earlier and runs through Jan. 1. In plain English: the calendar is a little cleaner, but the details matter more than ever.

For new hunters, that’s actually a good thing. The official framework is easier to read than it used to be, and the state has solid digital tools for maps, access, and licensing. Just don’t assume every species follows the same pattern. Deer is mostly statewide with DMU nuances, bear is tightly tied to BMUs and drawing quotas, elk is highly limited, and waterfowl timing changes by zone. So yes, it’s manageable—but only if you match the right animal to the right unit and dates.

Quick-Glance: Key Species, Dates & Methods

All Big Games: Archery & Rifle

Deer 🦌

Here’s the official deer calendar for 2026:

What matters most this year

• The Lower Peninsula limited-firearms zone has been eliminated.
• Late antlerless starts earlier than before and continues through Jan. 1.
• All deer activity now wraps by Jan. 1; the old January extension is gone.
• Statewide bag limit is two antlered deer, except DMU 117, where it’s one.
• Youth 16 and under, mentored participants, and apprentice license holders are exempt from APRs.

Tag basics

• Base license required first.
• Deer license or combo license needed for deer take.
• Antlerless permits and managed-hunt tags may apply depending on area.

Bear 🐻

Bear is very unit-driven, so don’t just look at one opener and call it good.

Bear tag notes

• Application window: May 1 – June 1, 2026
• Drawing results: June 22, 2026
• Leftover sales for unsuccessful applicants: July 6 at 10 a.m. ET
• Leftover sales for those who didn’t apply: July 13 at 10 a.m. ET
• Nonresidents may apply, but leftover bear tags are not available to them
• License is valid only in the assigned BMU and hunt period

Elk 🫎

Elk is the dream tag. Also, let’s be honest, it’s the “don’t assume you’re drawing this year” tag.

Elk license notes

• Resident-only drawing
• Application window: May 1 – June 1, 2026
• Results: June 22, 2026
• Successful applicants must prepay with an elk receipt
• Mandatory online orientation is required before the final license is issued

Turkey Season: Spring, Fall & Youth 🦃

Spring turkey

• TMU M: April 18 – May 31, 2026
• TMU NN: April 18 – May 1, 2026
• Statewide Hunt 0234: May 2 – May 31, 2026
• TMU ZZ private-land Hunt 0301: April 18 – May 31, 2026
• TMU ZZ Hunt 0302: April 18 – May 1, 2026
• TMU ZZ Hunt 0303: May 2 – May 31, 2026
• Drawing application period: Jan. 1 – Feb. 1, 2026
• Drawing results: March 2, 2026
• Leftover sales for unsuccessful applicants: March 9 at 10 a.m. ET
• Open sales for nonapplicants: March 16 at 10 a.m. ET
• Youth spring licenses available beginning March 1, 2026

Fall turkey

• TMU I, Hunt 0401: Sept. 15 – Nov. 14, 2026, unlimited quota
• TMU M, Hunt 0402: Sept. 15 – Nov. 14, 2026, quota 2,200
• Fall tags go on sale Aug. 15, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET

Handy turkey notes

• Isle Royale is closed to spring turkey pursuit.
• Hunt 0234 is flexible and useful, but public-land access differs by region.
• Hunt 0301 is private-land only in TMU ZZ, except Fort Custer with permission.

Furbearers Season

• Bobcat hunting: Jan. 1 – March 1 in Units A, B, C; shorter windows in D, G, H
• Coyote hunting: Oct. 15, 2026 – March 1, 2027
• Fox hunting: Oct. 15, 2026 – March 1, 2027
• Raccoon hunting: Oct. 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027
• Opossum / skunk / weasel hunting: year-round

Trapping highlights

• Beaver: Nov. 1, 2026 – April 23, 2027
• Muskrat: Nov. 1, 2026 – April 23, 2027
• Fisher / marten: Dec. 4–13, 2026
• Otter: Oct. 25 or Nov. 1/10 starts by unit, through March 31, 2027
• Mink: zone-based starts from Oct. 25 to Nov. 10, through March 1, 2027

Important restrictions

• Some management-period take is private-land only.
• Isle Royale is closed to beaver and otter trapping.
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is closed to beaver and otter trapping.
• Dog use for coyote and raccoon is prohibited April 16 – July 7.

Upland Birds Season

Editorial note: the state’s latest official small-game page was still the active public reference for these birds at publication time.

Upland Animals Season

• Cottontail rabbit: Sept. 15, 2026 – March 31, 2027
• Snowshoe hare: Sept. 15, 2026 – March 31, 2027

These are solid beginner options, especially if you’re learning to read cover, edges, and cutovers without the pressure of a once-in-a-lifetime draw tag.

Other Small Games Season

Migratory Birds Season

Ducks, Scaup, Mergansers & Geese

Scaup note: the retrieved official date table did not list a separate scaup opener line, so treat scaup timing under the duck framework and double-check the current bag-limit language before heading out.

Other Waterfowls Season

• Youth Waterfowl Weekend: Sept. 19–20, 2026
• Veterans and Active-Duty Military Waterfowl Days: Sept. 19–20, 2026
• Coot: follows duck-zone timing
• Light goose: same zone structure as dark goose, with extended South Zone opportunities

More Games Season

• Russian boar: year-round
• Porcupine: year-round
• Feral pigeon, house sparrow, starling: year-round
• Ground squirrel, red squirrel, woodchuck: year-round

That makes the state a pretty handy place for filling gaps between major openers. There’s almost always something available if you know where to look.

Game Units & Public Access – Maps, Zones & Where to Go 🔗

For zoning, dates, and updates, the cleanest starting point is the official Michigan DNR season calendar. For boots-on-the-ground planning, use the Mi-HUNT public access map to locate state game areas, HAP parcels, GEMS sites, Wetland Wonders units, and other lands open to public access.

Beginner tip: if you’re looking at deer, bear, elk, turkey, and waterfowl in the same weekend of research, keep a little note beside each acronym. DMU, BMU, EMU, and TMU sound similar, but they definitely do not mean the same thing.

License Details: Resident, Youth, Nonresident, Short-Term & Add-Ons 🎟️

Add-on reminders

• Base license is the gateway purchase for most pursuits.
• Waterfowl hunters also need HIP; hunters 16+ need the federal duck stamp.
• Woodcock requires a free woodcock stamp.
• Sharp-tailed grouse requires a stamp.
• Pheasant license rules apply on specified public Lower Peninsula lands and HAP ground.

FAQ

Do I need a base license first?

Yes. It’s the starting point for most of the calendar and also unlocks additional license purchases.

Can I hunt public land without guessing where I’m allowed to go?

Absolutely. Use Mi-HUNT, HAP listings, GEMS locations, and state game area tools before you drive anywhere.

Are leftover tags available for bear and turkey?

Yes, depending on category. Bear leftovers begin in July after the draw; spring turkey leftovers follow the March schedule; fall turkey is sold beginning Aug. 15.

Is there a special youth or disability opportunity for deer?

Yes. The Liberty Hunt runs Sept. 12–13, 2026, and the Independence Hunt runs Oct. 15–18, 2026.

Is night hunting allowed?

Rules vary a lot by species and method, so there isn’t one simple statewide answer I can responsibly give for every animal. Check the current species-specific DNR summary before heading out after dark.

Prepare for Your Michigan Hunt

Here’s the smartest way to approach this state in 2026–2027: build your plan around geography first, not just species. The Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula can feel like two different worlds on the same license calendar. Deer timing, waterfowl zones, antlerless access, turkey land rules, and even firearm options can shift depending on exactly where you stand. If you’re new, don’t try to master every opener at once. Pick one lane—say archery deer in the LP, a spring gobbler trip, or a rabbit-and-grouse combo weekend—then learn the unit map, public access points, and license stack for that one pursuit. That’s how you avoid the classic “I had the right gear but the wrong unit” mistake, which, frankly, happens more than people admit.