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:
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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:
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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.
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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.
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Small game regs home page and glossary of terms
Purchasing licenses and stamps
| Season | Area | Season dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobwhite quail hunting | Select counties1 | Oct. 20 – Nov. 14 | Special rules for Ionia and Highland field trial areas apply. Visit the State parks and recreation areas section. |
| Cottontail rabbit hunting | Statewide | Sept. 15 – March 31 | N/A |
| Crow hunting | Statewide | Aug. 1 – Sept. 30 Feb. 1 – March 31 |
N/A |
| Ground squirrel hunting (chipmunk included) | Statewide | Year-round | N/A |
| Ring-necked pheasant hunting | Zone 12 | Oct. 10–31 | Visit the Pheasant license section for license requirements. Only male pheasants can be harvested. |
| Ring-necked pheasant hunting | Zone 2 | Oct. 20 – Nov. 14 |
Visit the Pheasant license section for license requirements. Only male pheasants can be harvested. |
| Ring-necked pheasant hunting | Zone 3 | Oct. 20 – Nov. 14 Dec. 1 – Jan. 1 | Visit the Pheasant license section for license requirements. Only male pheasants can be harvested. |
| Ruffed grouse hunting | Statewide | Sept. 15 – Nov. 14 Dec. 1– Jan. 1 | N/A |
| Sharp-tailed grouse hunting | Zone 1 | Oct. 10–31 | Visit the Sharp-tailed grouse stamp section for stamp requirements. |
| Snowshoe hare hunting | Statewide | Sept. 15 – March 31 | N/A |
| Squirrel hunting (fox and/or gray; black phase included) | Statewide | Sept. 15 – March 31 | N/A |
| Woodchuck hunting | Statewide | Year-round | N/A |
| Woodcock hunting | Statewide | Sept. 15 – Oct. 29 | See the Woodcock stamp section for stamp and HIP requirements. |
1Bobwhite quail can be hunted 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. All other counties are closed to quail hunting.
2Zone 1 pheasant management unit includes all of Menominee County and portions of Delta, Dickinson, Iron and Marquette counties. The remaining portion of Zone 1 is closed to pheasant hunting.
Will there be any pheasant releases in 2024?
Yes. This year, pheasants will be released on 13 state game/wildlife areas throughout southern Michigan. Maps of parking lots for the release sites can be found at Michigan.gov/SmallGame. Fall releases will occur from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14. Some locations will have additional releases in December. Pheasant release locations include:
Will there be any recruitment or “learn to hunt pheasant” events in 2024?
At the time this regulations summary was printed, it was unknown if pheasant releases for pheasant hunting recruitment activities would be able to occur in 2024. If available, event dates and registration details will be posted at Michigan.gov/SmallGame.
Ground squirrel (includes chipmunk), porcupine, red squirrel and Russian boar may be hunted and trapped, and feral pigeon, house sparrow, starling and woodchuck may be hunted, year-round, statewide with a valid base license. For more information on Russian boar, visit Michigan.gov/FeralSwine.
Return to table of contentsCottontail rabbit, fox squirrel, gray squirrel, ground squirrel, red squirrel and woodchuck may be taken year-round, using all legal hunting and trapping methods for those species as permitted by law, on private property without a license or written permit when doing, or physically present where they could imminently cause, damage. Damage means physical harm to forest products, roads, dams, buildings, orchards, apiaries, livestock and horticultural or agricultural crops. For additional information (including additional trapping methods for small game species), please see Wildlife Conservation Order section 5.56.
Crow, house sparrow and starling may be taken if doing or about to do damage to private property or committing or about to commit depredations. A license or written permit is not needed.
Return to table of contentsThe pheasant management unit open to hunting Oct. 10-31 in Zone 1 (Upper Peninsula) includes all of Menominee County and portions of Delta, Dickinson, Iron and Marquette counties. Zones 2 and 3 (Lower Peninsula) are open to pheasant hunting Oct. 20 - Nov. 14. Zone 3 is open to pheasant hunting Dec. 1 - Jan. 1. For detailed descriptions of pheasant management unit boundaries, visit Michigan.gov/DNRLaws or contact a DNR customer service center, listed at Michigan.gov/ContactDNR.
Return to table of contents
The sharp-tailed grouse management unit open to hunting Oct. 10-31 in Zone 1 (Upper Peninsula) includes the area shown below. For detailed descriptions of sharp-tailed grouse management unit boundaries, visit Michigan.gov/DNRLaws or contact a DNR customer service center, listed at Michigan.gov/ContactDNR.
Return to table of contents
What are the bag limits for small game?
| Species | Daily bag limit | Possession limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bobwhite quail | 5 | 10 |
| Cottontail rabbit and/or snowshoe hare | 5 | 10 |
| Crow | No limit | No limit |
| Ground squirrel (including chipmunk) | No limit | No limit |
| Ring-necked pheasant (male only) | 2 | 4 |
| Ruffed grouse (Zone 1 and Zone 2) | 5 | 10 |
| Ruffed grouse (Zone 3) | 3 | 6 |
| Sharp-tailed grouse | 2 | 4* |
| Squirrel (fox, gray, black phase included) | 5 | 10 |
| Woodchuck | No limit | No limit |
| Woodcock | 3 | 9 |
*Sharp-tailed grouse have a season limit of six birds.
Can I harvest more of a small game species after I have reached the daily bag limit?
No. You cannot take or attempt to take in any one day more than one daily limit per small game species listed above. You cannot kill or wound any game animal without making a reasonable attempt to retrieve it and include it in your daily bag limit. Wounded game animals reduced to possession should be immediately killed and included in the daily bag limit.
