Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
Deer regs home page and glossary of terms
Purchasing licenses and kill tags
Antlerless deer drawing system
| Season: | Area: | Season dates: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Hunt | Statewide | Sept. 14–15 | Qualified youth and hunters with disabilities only. |
| Early antlerless firearm | Lower Peninsula DMUs (excluding 115, 145 and 245) | Sept. 21–22 | Open on public and private lands. |
| Archery (early segment) | Statewide | Oct. 1 – Nov. 14 | N/A |
| Independence Hunt | Statewide | Oct. 17–20 | Qualified hunters with disabilities only. Open on public (by permit only) and private lands. |
| Regular firearm | Statewide | Nov. 15–30 | N/A |
| Archery (late segment) | Statewide | Dec. 1 – Jan. 1 | Changes to antlerless harvest have occurred in the Upper Peninsula. See the Upper Peninsula APRs chart. |
| Muzzleloader | Statewide | Dec. 6–15 | Equipment regulations have changed for Zone 2. See the Bows, crossbows and firearms section. |
| Late antlerless firearm | Lower Peninsula DMUs (excluding 115, 145 and 245) | Dec. 16 – Jan. 1, 2025 | Open on public and private lands. |
| Urban archery | See when and where to hunt section. | Jan. 2–31, 2025 | All archery regulations apply. |
| Extended late antlerless firearm | See when and where to hunt section. | Jan. 2–12, 2025 | All firearm regulations apply. See the Bag limits section for harvest limits. |
The Liberty Hunt is a statewide firearm deer season that takes place on public and private lands open to firearm deer hunting Sept. 14–15, 2024. Youth 16 years old or younger and individuals with qualifying disabilities can participate in this season.
To qualify for the Liberty Hunt, you must meet one of the following criteria:
The Independence Hunt is a firearm deer season that takes place on private lands and some public lands requiring an access permit (contact local offices to find out if they participate) Oct. 17–20, 2024. Individuals with qualifying disabilities can participate in this season.
To qualify for the Independence Hunt, you must meet one of the following criteria:
The early and late antlerless firearm deer seasons are firearm deer seasons that take place on public and private lands within certain DMUs in the Lower Peninsula. All Upper Peninsula DMUs are CLOSED for the early and late antlerless firearm deer seasons. All hunters are required to wear hunter orange and must have permission from the landowner or leaseholder before hunting on private lands.
The Upper Peninsula (not pictured) is closed to early and late antlerless firearm deer hunting.
What is the urban archery deer season?
The urban archery season is a late archery season that takes place on public and private lands in Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair (excluding DMU 174), Tuscola, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties Jan. 2–31 to manage ongoing human deer conflicts. A single deer license, deer combo license or universal antlerless license are valid during the extended season. All rules and regulations for the archery season apply.
What is the extended late antlerless firearm deer season?
The extended late antlerless firearm deer season is a firearm deer season that takes place on public and private lands Jan 2-12, 2025 within Allegan, Barry, Bay, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, Shiawassee, St. Clair (excluding DMU 174), Washtenaw and Wayne counties, as well as DMUs 311 (Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties), 312 (Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Branch counties) and 332 (Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac counties).
The Upper Peninsula (not pictured) is closed to extended late antlerless firearm deer hunting.
Are there locations that offer special deer hunts?
Yes. The following locations offer special deer hunts:
For detailed descriptions of deer management unit boundaries and antler point restrictions, visit Michigan.gov/DNRLaws or contact a DNR customer service center, listed at Michigan.gov/ContactDNR. Visit Michigan.gov/Deer for an interactive map of deer management units.
APRs vary throughout the state based on the type of deer license and the hunting location. Use the maps and charts to find the APRs for the DMU(s) you want to hunt.
Return to table of contents
Youth hunters 16 and younger and apprentice license holders are exempt from APRs in all seasons, in all deer management units and under all licenses, which also includes the four-point APR on the restricted tag. A legal antlered deer is one with one antler 3 inches or longer. If a youth hunter turns 17 during the season (or prior to it), they must follow APRs.
Return to table of contents
Isle Royale of Keweenaw County (not pictured) is closed to deer hunting.
Youth hunters 16 and younger and apprentice license holders are exempt from
APRs in all seasons, in all deer management units and under all licenses, which
also includes the four-point APR on the restricted tag. A legal antlered deer is one
with one antler 3 inches or longer. If a youth hunter turns 17 during the season
(or prior to it), they must follow APRs.
Isle Royale of Keweenaw County (not pictured) is closed to deer hunting.
Where can I hunt with my universal antlerless deer license in the Upper Peninsula?
If you are hunting in the Upper Peninsula with a universal antlerless deer license:
Are there areas in the Upper Peninsula that I cannot use my universal antlerless deer license?
Yes. You cannot use a universal antlerless deer license in the following areas:
Can I harvest a deer with ear tags?
Yes. Deer with ear tags can be taken following all applicable deer hunting regulations. All exotic cervids, including all white cervids, that do not bear visible identification and are found outside of a fence of a cervidae facility for more than 48 hours may be taken by hunting year-round if the individual has a valid hunting license. To report escaped cervids, call 517-284-9453.
Can I harvest albino and piebald deer?
Yes. Albino and piebald deer can be taken following all applicable deer hunting regulations.
What is the statewide bag limit for antlered deer?
There is a statewide limit of two antlered deer, except in DMU 117, where the bag limit is one antlered deer.
How many deer can I harvest during the Liberty Hunt?
During the Liberty Hunt, you can harvest only ONE antlered deer and multiple antlerless deer (one per valid kill tag).
How many deer can I harvest during the Independence Hunt?
During the Independence Hunt, you can harvest ONE deer, either an antlered deer or an antlerless deer.
How many antlerless deer can I harvest during the extended late antlerless firearm deer season?
You can harvest up to 10 antlerless deer (one per valid kill tag) Jan. 2-12 during the extended late antlerless firearm deer season. See the Deer licenses section to determine which kill tags are valid for this season.
