Small game hunting season begins Sept. 1 with the opening of the early Canada goose season and continues until rabbit and hare season ends on March 31. Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists across the state say hunters should find conditions similar to last year -- with a couple of improved opportunities -- in Michigan's wood lots, farm fields and wetlands.

Rabbits

Season: Cottontail rabbits and varying (or snowshoe) hare can be hunted from Sept. 15 - March 31, statewide. The daily bag limit is five in combination with a possession limit of 10.

Outlook: About 83,000 hunters pursue rabbits and hares in Michigan. Cottontail populations are good throughout their range over much of the state. Look for thick cover, such as briar patches and brush piles, often adjoining agricultural fields. Snowshoe hare populations, however, are cyclical and are down somewhat because of declining habitat throughout their range, which is roughly the northern two-thirds of the state. Look for early-successional forests, such as aspen stands, and low-lying swamps with blow-downs and brush piles.

Squirrels

Season: Sept. 15 - March 1. Hunters may bag five per day with 10 in possession.

Outlook: Both fox and gray squirrels are at moderate to high levels across much of the state. Look for areas with good acorn or nut production or in wood lots adjoining corn fields. Wildlife officials report increasing hunter activity during the latter part of the season in January and February. Roughly 83,000 hunters pursue squirrels each year.

Ruffed Grouse

Season: Sept. 15 - Nov. 14 and Dec. 1 - Jan. 1, statewide. The bag limit is five per day/10 in possession in the northern two-thirds of the state, three per day/six in possession in Zone 3 (southern Michigan).

Outlook: Grouse populations are cyclical, typically rising and falling over a 10-year period, and should be on the increase for the next couple of years. Grouse are birds of early-successional forests -- think young to moderate-aged aspen stands (with trees about the diameter of a baseball bat) and tag alder thickets -- but the cycle does not ensure locally high numbers in poor habitat. Areas with good berry and wild fruit production often are productive grouse covers. Grouse are most numerous in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula but hunters may find local populations in areas with good habitat in southern Michigan as well. The best populations in the Upper Peninsula are in the central U.P., though there are good opportunities on both ends, too. In the northern Lower Peninsula, the northernmost counties often are best. About 89,000 hunters say they pursue ruffed grouse in Michigan. Grouse and woodcock hunters are asked to assist the DNR in monitoring populations by reporting their results. Cooperator forms can be found on the DNR Web site at www.michigan/dnr.

Woodcock

Sept. 19 - Nov. 2. The daily bag is three with a possession limit of six.

Outlook: Although woodcock populations are in long-term decline because of decreasing habitat quality, hunters can expect about the same results they enjoyed last year, when roughly 38,000 hunters said they pursued woodcock. Found in all parts of Michigan, woodcock are migratory and they are commonly associated with grouse hunting. Although their population densities are higher in the northern two-thirds of the state, they often can be found in good numbers in southern Michigan later in the season as the birds begin to head south. The best woodcock habitat is in young cover along streams and on swamp edges; the long-beaked birds feed by probing the earth for worms and other invertebrates that are adapted to moist soils. Peak migration occurs in mid-October in the northern portions of the state. Hunters are reminded that they must have a Harvest Information Program (HIP) endorsement printed on their small game licenses to legally take woodcock. See the 2009 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide for details.

Pheasants

Season: Oct. 10-31 in the Upper Peninsula, Oct. 20 - Nov. 14 in the Lower Peninsula and Dec. 1 - Jan. 1 in selected areas of Zone 3. The limit is two cocks daily, with four in possession.

Outlook: Pheasant populations have been in decline for a number of years, primarily because of changes in agricultural practices, and there's no reason to assume they will improve dramatically this year. Typically, the best habitat is on private lands that have been managed for pheasants, especially those that are enrolled in federal set-aside programs. Generally speaking, hunters who enjoyed success last year should find similar hunting conditions in the same areas, though a cold wet spring may have negatively impacted this year's hatch. The best counties for pheasant hunting occur in Shiawassee, Livingston, Lenawee, Hillsdale, Huron, Ionia and Montcalm, though locally abundant populations can be found almost anywhere. Look for warm-season grasses, especially idled farm fields. Late-season hunters can have success in cattail and shrub lands adjoining picked agricultural fields. About 46,000 hunters pursue pheasants in Michigan.

Quail

Season: Oct. 20 - Nov. 14. Quail can be hunted only in Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Montcalm, Oakland, Saginaw, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. The bag limit is five per day/10 in possession.

Outlook: Quail hunting often is associated with pheasant hunting in Michigan and bird populations are patchy at best. Fewer than 2,000 hunters report pursuing quail.

Wild Turkey

Season: Oct. 5 - Nov. 14 in 12 management units totaling 34,976 square miles including most of southern Michigan, five counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and the entire wild turkey management area in the Upper Peninsula. A total of 59,050 licenses are available --12,350 general licenses that may be used on public or private land and 46,700 licenses for private land only. Licenses are issued by lottery, though leftover licenses are available over the counter on a first-come, first-served basis until management unit quotas are met. The limit is one bird of either sex.

Outlook: Wild turkey numbers are in somewhat of a decline in the northern Lower Peninsula, though they remain stable to increasing in many parts of southern Michigan. Roughly 16,000 hunters pursue wild turkeys in the fall hunt, many of them during the archery deer season.

Ducks:

Season: Sept. 26 - Nov. 20 and Nov. 26-29 in the North Zone (Upper Peninsula); Oct. 3 - Nov. 29 and Dec. 5-6 in the Middle Zone; and Oct. 10 - Dec. 6 and Jan. 2-3 in the South Zone. A special Youth Hunt occurs Sept. 19-20 for youngsters 10 to 15 years of age, who must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age. The bag limit for ducks is six per day with no more than four mallards (no more than one hen), three wood ducks, two scaup (bluebill), two redheads, one pintail, one canvasback and one black duck. Five additional mergansers (no more than two may be hooded mergansers) may be taken. Possession limit is two days' daily bag limit.

Outlook: Hunting prospects for Michigan's 40,000 duck hunters are outstanding as continental populations are at or above long-term averages for most species. Michigan experienced good production as well this spring. Water conditions are very good, too, with high water levels on the Great Lakes providing additional marsh habitat. Excellent opportunities for puddle ducks, especially mallards and wood ducks, exist in beaver ponds and small inland floodings. Diving ducks, which generally begin arriving in good numbers around mid-October, should be plentiful on the Great Lakes, though bluebills populations remain below the long-term average.

Canada Geese:

Seasons: The early season is Sept 1-15 except in the Upper Peninsula and Saginaw, Huron and Tuscola counties, where the season is Sept. 1-10. The daily bag limit is five.

The regular goose seasons are Sept. 16 - Oct. 30 in the North Zone; Oct. 3 - Nov. 9 and Nov. 26 - Dec. 2 in the Middle Zone; and Oct. 10 - Nov. 12 and Nov. 26 - Dec. 6 in the South Zone, except in designated goose management units (GMUs). The daily bag limit is two. In the Saginaw County and Tuscola/Huron GMUs, the season is Oct. 10 - Nov. 12, Nov. 26 - Dec. 6 and Jan. 2-31. The daily bag limit is two. In the Allegan County GMU, the season is Nov. 28 - Dec. 21 and Dec. 28 - Jan. 17. The daily bag limit is two. In the Muskegon Wastewater GMU, the season is Oct. 13 - Nov. 14 and Dec. 1-12. The bag limit is two.

The late goose season in southern Michigan (outside of GMUs) is Jan. 2-31. The bag limit is five.

Hunters may harvest other species of geese during the regular and late seasons. The bag limit is 10 snow, blue or Ross' geese in combination, and one white-fronted goose or one brant.

Outlook: Resident Canada goose populations, which account for more than 70 percent of the state's total harvest, are within population goals, so wildlife officials predict good early- and late-season hunts and good regular-season hunts in some areas. However, breeding conditions in northern Canada were difficult this spring, especially for the Mississippi Valley Population, which migrates through the western portion of the state. Roughly 35,000 hunters pursue geese in Michigan.