When and where to hunt

Hunting hours

When is it legal for me to hunt waterfowl? Legal hunting hours (one half-hour before sunrise to sunset) for Time Zone A are printed in the table. Hunting hours for the early teal season differ; see the Zone A early teal season hunting hours table. To determine the opening (a.m.) or closing (p.m.) time in another zone, add the minutes shown on the map for the zone to the time from the Zone A hunting hours table. The hunting hours listed in the table reflect Eastern Time. If you are hunting in Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson or Menominee counties (Central Time), you must make an additional adjustment to the printed time by subtracting one hour.

Hunting time zones map

Isle Royale of Keweenaw County (not pictured in map above) is closed to hunting and trapping.

Zone A early teal season hunting hours table (September 2024)

Hunting hours listed for the early teal season are sunrise to sunset.

Zone A hunting hours table (September – October 2024)

Hunting hours listed are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

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Zone A hunting hours table (November – December 2024)

Hunting hours listed are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset (adjusted for daylight saving time).

Zone A hunting hours table (January – February 2025)

Hunting hours listed are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset (adjusted for daylight saving time).

Waterfowl hunting zones

What are the waterfowl hunting zones?

Michigan is divided into waterfowl (duck, coot, common gallinule and goose) hunting zones: North, Middle and South. The North Zone includes all of the Upper Peninsula. The dividing line between the Middle Zone and South Zone is a line beginning at the Wisconsin border in Lake Michigan, due west of the mouth of Stony Creek in Oceana County; then due east to, and southeasterly along the south shore of Stony Creek to Scenic Drive, southeasterly along Scenic Drive to Stony Lake Road, easterly along Stony Lake and Garfield Roads to M-20, east along M-20 to U.S. 10 Business Route (BR) in the city of Midland, east along U.S. 10 BR to U.S. 10, easterly on U.S. 10 then crossing U.S. 75 to state highway M-25 (west of the town of Bay City), easterly along M-25 into Tuscola County then northeasterly and easterly on M-25 through Tuscola County into Huron County, turning southeasterly on M-25 (near the town of Huron City; also locally named North Shore Road) to the centerline of Willow Creek in Section 4, T18N R14E, Huron County, then northerly along the centerline of Willow Creek to the mouth of Willow Creek into Lake Huron, then directly due east along a line from the mouth of Willow Creek heading east into Lake Huron to a point due east and on the Michigan/USA-Canadian border.

Safety zones

Safety zones are all areas within 150 yards (450 feet) of an occupied building, dwelling, house, residence, cabin or any barn or other building used in a farm operation. No person may hunt or shoot at any wild animal or wild bird with a firearm within a safety zone without the written permission of the owner or occupant of the property. The safety zone applies to hunting only. It does not apply to indoor or outdoor shooting ranges, target shooting, law enforcement activities or the lawful discharge of firearms for any nonhunting purpose.

Public lands

You can find places to hunt by visiting Michigan.gov/MiHunt. The interactive DNR map application Mi-HUNT can help you plan your hunting and other outdoor recreation adventures. It is the responsibility of the users of these maps to be aware of all regulations relevant to their hunting activities and locations. These maps show approximate boundaries of the lands open to public hunting.

State lands

Over 4.5 million acres of public lands are managed by the DNR and open to hunting!

Where do I find the rules for state lands?

You can find the state land use rules at Michigan.gov/DNRLaws. Please keep in mind that you cannot:

• Cut branches, limbs, trees or other vegetation for shooting lanes on public lands.
• Block any gate, road or trail on public lands.
• Camp on public lands without a permit. Permits are free and are available online at Michigan.gov/Camping or at any DNR office. They must be posted at your campsite. A fee is charged for camping at designated campsites in state parks and recreation areas, state forest campgrounds and some state game areas.

State parks and recreation areas

Yes. Some state parks and recreation areas are open to hunting. Approximately 92 percent of state park and state recreation area lands are open to hunting. State parks are closed to hunting unless opened by law (see Michigan.gov/DNRLaws).

• Algonac State Park
• Bay City State Park
• Coldwater Lake State Park
• Craig Lake State Park
• Duck Lake State Park
• Fisherman’s Island State Park
• Fort Wilkins State Park
• Grand Mere State Park
• Hartwick Pines State Park
• J. W. Wells State Park
• Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park
• Mitchell State Park
• Negwegon State Park
• North Higgins Lake State Park
• Old Mission Point State Park
• Palms Book State Park
• Port Crescent State Park
• Sleeper State Park
• South Higgins Lake State Park
• Sturgeon Point State Park
• Thompson’s Harbor State Park
• Van Buren State Park
• Van Riper State Park
• Wagner Falls Scenic Site
• Warren Dunes State Park
• Watkins Lake State Park

• Cheboygan State Park
• Fayette State Park
• Fort Custer Recreation Area
• Hoeft State Park
• Indian Lake State Park
• Island Lake Recreation Area
• Leelanau State Park
• Ludington State Park
• McLain State Park
• Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area
• Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
• Rifle River Recreation Area
• Silver Lake State Park
• Sterling State Park
• Tahquamenon Falls State Park
• Wilderness State Park

• Seven Lakes State Park

• Holly Recreation Area
• Pinckney Recreation Area
• Sleepy Hollow State Park

Portions of the following state recreation areas are closed to waterfowl hunting from Sept. 1-15. Portions are open beginning Sept. 16.

• Brighton Recreation Area
• Fort Custer Recreation Area
• Ionia Recreation Area
• Island Lake Recreation Area
• Lake Hudson Recreation Area
• Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area
• Ortonville Recreation Area
• Pontiac Lake Recreation Area
• Waterloo Recreation Area

Portions of the following state recreation areas are closed to waterfowl hunting.

• Highland Recreation Area
• Lime Island Recreation Area
• Proud Lake Recreation Area
• Yankee Springs Recreation Area

National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas

Federal waterfowl production areas are open to public hunting except where prohibited. National wildlife refuges are closed to hunting unless expressly permitted. All state laws apply to national wildlife refuge lands. Additional federal regulations also apply and can be found in 50 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) at FWS.gov. Please consult the appropriate national wildlife refuge office for refuge-specific regulations.

Local municipalities

Yes. Some local municipalities may be closed to hunting or the discharge of firearms. Please contact the local municipality office or local law enforcement agency to find out about restrictions.

Are there areas off-limits to waterfowl hunting?

Yes. Each are posted to alert hunters that they are off-limits to hunting:

• In Grand Traverse County: Boardman Lake and those waters of the Boardman River lying north of Airport Road and south of the 8th Street Bridge are closed to waterfowl hunting.
• In Roscommon County: Mud Lake, Lake St. Helen and the South Branch of the Au Sable River connecting these two lakes are closed to public waterfowl hunting.
• There are also other closed areas in the state.

Waterways

Hunting and trapping are exclusive rights of landowner(s) bordering the waterway and their invited guests. You must secure permission from the landowner before float hunting along those waterways that are protected by the recreational trespass law. You can float hunt on and along waterways that are surrounded by public lands and open to hunting.

Rights of way

You can hunt within a road right of way where the adjoining property is publicly owned. If the adjacent property is privately owned, you must have permission from the landowner.

Railroad rights of way are private property. Trespassing on railroad property is a misdemeanor. You must have written permission from the railroad company to be exempt from trespass.

Trespassing

Yes. Trespassing is unlawful and erodes support for recreational hunting. Written or verbal permission is required from the landowner or leaseholder before you hunt on any farmlands, connected woodlots, private land or property that is fenced or enclosed. Hunters are required to produce their hunting licenses to landowners upon request. Unless previously prohibited by the landowner, a person not possessing a firearm may enter on foot upon the property of another person for the sole purpose of retrieving a hunting dog. The person cannot remain on the property beyond the reasonable time necessary to retrieve the dog.

If you wound a game animal and it goes onto private property, you have no legal right to pursue it without permission of the landowner and would be subject to prosecution for trespassing.

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