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.
As Michigan’s 2025 deer season gets underway, the Department of Natural Resources offers observations, considerations and tips for our deer hunters who are preparing to hit the woods and fields.
We’ve provided a brief overview of recent data, trends, and observations regarding weather conditions, past hunting season results and factors since the prior Michigan hunting season that might affect what hunters will see and experience in the season ahead. These are general overviews of each region and might not reflect conditions at the specific location where you hunt. Bear in mind that insights on Michigan’s hunting season results are offered by two different sources. For many years, the Michigan Deer Harvest Survey has been completed by mail following conclusion of the hunting seasons to estimate participation and harvest. Beginning with the 2022 season, successful Michigan deer hunters have been required to report their harvest. You can find summaries of these results and other reports in the deer section of our Wildlife publications page.
Hunters should be aware of important regulations or recent changes in each region and be prepared to report their harvest and assist with disease testing priorities in each region. Information and helpful resources are included to assist our hunters with planning accordingly. A detailed summary of all regulations is not provided, but readers can find additional regulations information through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, the mobile-friendly Deer Hunting Regulations Summary and the desktop-formatted digital version of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary – all available through links on our Deer page.
Deer harvest reporting is mandatory for all successful hunters. Deer hunters are required to report their harvest within 72 hours or before transferring possession of the deer. The Deer harvest reporting page includes links for reporting your harvest or downloading the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app, along with reporting instructions, tips, a demonstration video and resources to get assistance if you encounter difficulties with reporting your harvest.
In 2025, the DNR is conducting focused collection for bovine tuberculosis (TB) and chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing in the counties noted under each regional section below. Hunters in these counties are encouraged to submit samples to continue our ongoing surveillance efforts. Hunters outside of surveillance counties are eligible for free CWD testing by using a lymph node extraction kit that includes overnight shipping. The DNR is pleased to provide these resources and empower hunters across the state to assist with their own CWD testing efforts. Deer harvested from outside of the TB surveillance counties can still be turned in for TB testing at the hunter’s request, and all heads tested for CWD are also screened for TB. Information is provided below regarding where to submit samples, how to pick up and use free CWD testing kits, and how disease testing results are reported.
Basic information about how to find a place to hunt can benefit those new to deer hunting, new to one of the regions of our state or even seasoned veterans looking for a new area or more details about their go-to hunting spot. Hunters can use the Mi-HUNT mapping application to identify hunting lands (with approximate boundaries of all types of lands open to public hunting), State of Michigan facilities (Wildlife Division field offices, boat launches and access sites and state forest campgrounds) and types of habitat (using aerial photos and maps of vegetation types). Mi-HUNT may be used from a computer to scout new hunting areas or explore more details and find directions for reaching any site of interest or can be used from a mobile device for similar purposes while also viewing your location and marking locations of interest encountered in the field. A variety of information is also available regarding the types and locations of lands open to public hunting,
Hunters can start by visiting the DNR Where to hunt page. From there, links are available to the Mi-HUNT app and video tutorials regarding how to use it (either on a computer or mobile device). Links to explore state game areas and learn about hunting on national forests or commercial forest lands are also provided. The Public lands page is another source of information on the approximately 4.6 million acres of public lands stewarded by the DNR.
For each region, other important considerations are also provided regarding how the distribution of deer, hunting opportunities or accessibility might vary across the area.
The total number of Upper Peninsula (U.P.) hunters in 2024 was similar to the prior year, but buck harvest increased compared to 2023. Hunters benefited from an extremely mild 2023-2024 winter that saw the number and condition of deer entering the season rebound following harsh conditions in the previous two years. This rebound might be slowed down in some areas this year. The 2024-2025 winter included periods of deep snow that lasted nearly long enough to be considered a severe year, though U.P. deer encountered considerably worse conditions in six out of the prior 10 years. Fortunately, deer had favorable conditions in the U.P. during the summer of 2025. Overall, deer numbers and condition of deer in the higher snowfall zone areas might decline somewhat compared to the 2024 season. As is typically the case, the highest deer numbers in the U.P. are expected in the south-central portion, where winters are generally milder and agriculture is most prevalent.
Hunters pursuing an antlered buck in the U.P. with a single deer or combo deer license should familiarize themselves with antler point restrictions (APRs) in the region. Consult the Upper Peninsula APRs section of the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, available through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions accessible through links on our Deer page. Review the APR requirements based on the options you have for licenses to purchase and the seasons in which you’ll be hunting.
U.P. hunters also have the option of using a single deer or combo deer license (both the regular and restricted tags) to harvest an antlerless deer during the archery season. No antlerless license is necessary to use this option. New for this year, this option is available throughout the late segment of the archery season – through Jan. 1 – in all areas of the U.P.
All hunters with a universal antlerless deerlicense can also take an antlerless deer in any open season in DMUs 022, 055, 121, 122, 155 and 255.
In DMU 352, hunters may use a universal antlerless deer license to take antlerless deer in any open season if they also have an antlerless deer hunting access permit. Antlerless deer hunting access permits were available through a drawing only – 500 were available in DMU 352. Successful applicants may acquire an antlerless deer hunting access permit at no charge, but no leftover permits are available. DMU 352 includes DMUs 027, 036, 152 and 252. Remember, throughout the U.P. – including DMU 352 – archers may take an antlerless deer during archery season with a single deer or deer combo License.
DMU 351 is closed to antlerless harvest with a universal antlerless license. Antlerless deer can only be harvested in this unit with a single deer or combo deer license during archery season. DMU 351 includes DMUs 021, 349, 249, 017 and 117.
Hunters in the U.P. are allowed to use bait from Sept. 15 – Jan. 1. Bait cannot exceed 2 gallons of volume at a hunting site and must be spread over a minimum 10-foot-by-10-foot area. To minimize exposure of deer to diseases that may be present, the DNR recommends not placing bait repeatedly at the same point on the ground and only baiting when actively hunting. Review additional rules in the Baiting section of 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions available through links on our Deer page.
In 2025, the DNR is conducting focused collection for CWD testing in the U.P., including deer harvested in Baraga, Chippewa, Dickinson, Houghton, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft counties. Despite no additional cases of chronic wasting disease being detected in Dickinson County since 2018, the DNR encourages hunters to submit samples for testing in these continues to continue our baseline CWD surveillance. CWD testing is free for deer harvested in these counties. More information on testing and a link to find DNR drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites are available on the CWD testing page. All heads tested for CWD are also screened for bovine tuberculosis. Results are posted to the DNR lab results webpage.
Hunters in all other counties are eligible for free CWD testing by using a free lymph node extraction kit that includes overnight shipping. Kits can be picked up from the locations listed on the CWD testing page. Kits include instructions for hunters to extract lymph nodes themselves and submit them to Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for CWD testing. Results from deer submitted to MSU will be sent directly to the hunter and will not appear on the DNR lab results webpage.
The U.P. has ample hunting opportunities on State Forests, National Forests and lands enrolled in the Commercial Forest Program, which includes over 2.2 million acres of privately owned forests across the state that are accessible by foot to the public for fishing, hunting and trapping. More information on these lands is available on the Commercial Forest Program website. Boundaries of all these lands may also be viewed by accessing Mi-HUNT through the DNR Where to hunt page.
As is often the case, a wild card for U.P. hunters this year will be potential effects from the 2024-2025 winter. Average winter conditions across the U.P. were just shy of what would be considered severe, but the average across the region might not factor into outcomes seen at a particular hunting location.
The total number of Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP) hunters in 2024 was similar to the prior year, but harvest increased compared to 2023. A mild preceding winter and what looked to be good fawn production and survival heading into the season likely aided deer hunters in the region.
Total snowfall over the winter of 2024-2025 was above average through much of the region, particularly in the northwest portion. Field personnel did not observe or hear reports of substantial winter mortality, but some did indicate the impression of seeing fewer deer or fewer fawns in the spring and early summer. In certain locations, some felt this might be directly related to poorer visibility as a result of the severe March 28-30 ice storm damage leaving many downed trees and limbs in the woods. Where agriculture occurs in the region, spring planting dates appeared to be late but summer growing conditions were largely favorable, and many field offices reported an increase in crop damage complaints. Soft mast (like apples and berries) and hard mast (like acorns) have been spotty. Some regions on the west side noted concerns regarding loss of beech and oak decline as a result of Beech Bark Disease, Oak Wilt and other factors. Hunters should note what local food sources are available in their areas. As deer prepare for the lean times of winter ahead, they’ll focus feeding on concentrations of high-quality food – though deer movements (especially of bucks) become more unpredictable during the rut.
Hunters in areas with evidence of browse lines (areas near the ground void of vegetation on trees, shrubs and understory plants where browsing deer have heavily eaten), declining mast trees or substantial impacts from crop damage should consider harvesting an extra antlerless deer or two to help manage the deer herd and keep numbers at levels the habitat can sustain.
Hunters pursuing an antlered buck in the NLP with a single deer or combo deer license should familiarize themselves with antler point restrictions (APRs) in the region. Consult the Lower Peninsula APRs section of the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, available through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions accessible through links on our Deer page. Review the APR requirements based on the options you have for licenses to purchase and the seasons in which you’ll be hunting.
NLP hunters also have the option of using a single deer or combo deer license (both the regular and restricted tags) to harvest an antlerless deer. No antlerless license is necessary to use this option.
All hunters with a universal antlerless deer license can also take an antlerless deer during any open season in the NLP. Individuals may purchase up to 10 universal antlerless deer licenses, statewide, per license year, for $20 each. This limit includes discounted DMU 487 antlerless deer licenses, which are available for $5 each.
For information on other seasons and licenses, consult the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, available through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions accessible through links on our Deer page.
Baiting is banned in the entire Lower Peninsula, including both public and private lands. The only exception for the Lower Peninsula baiting ban is hunters with disabilities who meet specific requirements may use bait during the Liberty and Independence hunts only. Hunters with disabilities that wish to bait during the Liberty and Independence hunts should review additional rules in the Baiting section of the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions available through links on our Deer page.
In 2025, the DNR is conducting focused collection for bovine tuberculosis (TB) testing in Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon counties. The DNR requests that hunters who harvest deer from these counties submit samples for TB testing to continue our critical monitoring efforts for the disease. Deer harvested from anywhere else in the state can also be turned in for TB testing at the hunter’s request. More information on testing and a link to find DNR drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites are available on the Bovine tuberculosis testing page. Results are posted to the DNR lab results webpage.
In 2025, the DNR is conducting focused collection for CWD testing in the NLP from Ogemaw and Iosco counties. The DNR encourages hunters to submit samples for testing in these continues to continue our baseline CWD surveillance across the state. CWD testing is free for deer harvested in these counties when submitted through DNR drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites. All heads tested for CWD are also screened for bovine tuberculosis. Results are posted to the DNR lab results webpage.
Hunters in all other counties are eligible for free CWD testing by using a lymph node extraction kit that includes overnight shipping. Due to the risk of bovine tuberculosis, hunters should not extract lymph nodes from deer harvested in the following counties: Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle or Roscommon. For CWD testing of deer harvested in these counties, please submit heads to a DNR wildlife field office and request CWD testing in addition to bTB testing. Otherwise, test kits can be picked up from the locations listed on the CWD testing page. Kits include instructions for hunters to extract lymph nodes themselves and submit them to Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for CWD testing. Results from deer submitted to MSU will be sent directly to the hunter and will not appear on the DNR lab results webpage.
The NLP has ample hunting opportunities on State Forests, National Forests, and lands enrolled in the Commercial Forest Program, which includes over 2.2 million acres of privately owned forests across the state that are accessible by foot to the public for fishing, hunting and trapping. More information on these lands is available on the Commercial Forest Program website. Boundaries of all these lands may also be viewed by accessing Mi-HUNT through the DNR Where to hunt page.
A wild card for NLP hunters this year will be lingering effects from the severe March 28-30 ice storm damage. Deer are not expected to be significantly impacted this year, but hunter access may be an issue. The DNR has worked hard to clear roads and open trails, but backcountry two-tracks might remain inaccessible and formerly familiar hunting areas might look vastly different. Many downed trees and limbs remain in the woods and salvage timber harvest will continue for some time. NLP counties impacted by the ice storm included Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Kalkaska, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle. In years to come, these areas will see a flush of new forest growth that will improve deer habitat in many places, but for this year, hunters should be prepared for potential difficulties reaching some locations and even moving through the woods.
The total number of Southern Lower Peninsula (SLP) hunters in 2024 was similar to the prior year. Buck harvest was also similar, but antlerless harvest increased compared to 2023. Statewide, the early and late antlerless seasons combined with the extended late antlerless season accounted for 26% of the total antlerless deer harvest, and these seasons (plus the January archery season during which hunters heavily emphasized antlerless harvest) were all open in the SLP. SLP hunters invested more time than hunters in other regions, averaging 14 days across all seasons.
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) was confirmed in 15 counties in southwestern and south central Michigan in 2024 and emerged again in summer of 2025, with 8 counties confirmed as of mid-September. An overview of past and ongoing counties affected by EHD can be found at the DNR Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in White-Tailed Deer page. EHD is not sustained within the deer population; it is caused by a virus that is transmitted to white-tailed deer by a biting midge. EHD outbreaks have not been shown to have significant long-term effects on deer populations in Michigan, but deer mortality can be intense in small geographic areas and local impacts may persist for a few years. EHD will likely be confirmed in additional SLP counties until a good frost occurs, which kills off the midges that transmit the virus.
Outside of local areas that have experienced pronounced impacts from EHD, deer numbers remain high throughout much of the region. Routinely mild winters and abundant summer foods mean deer are rarely negatively affected by winter mortality. Spring rains did delay planting or flood early planted crops in some areas, and summer drought stressed some crops in growing seasons, but warm weather and some beneficially timed rainfall led to largely favorable growing conditions. Many field offices reported an increase in crop damage complaints.
Hunters pursuing an antlered buck in the SLP with a single deer license or regular tag of the combo deer license must be certain the deer has at least one antler three inches or longer. Antlered deer taken using the restricted tag of the combo deer license must have four or more antler points (each at least one inch long) on at least one side. SLP hunters also have the option of using a single deer or combo deer license (both the regular and restricted tags) to harvest an antlerless deer. No antlerless license is necessary to use this option. All of these options are described as part of the antler point restrictions (APRs) in the region. Consult the Lower Peninsula APRs section of the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, available through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions accessible through links on our Deer page. Review the APR requirements based on the options you have for licenses to purchase and the seasons in which you’ll be hunting.
All hunters with a universal antlerless deer license can also take an antlerless deer during any open season in the SLP. Individuals may purchase up to 10 universal antlerless deer licenses, statewide, per license year, for $20 each. This limit includes discounted DMU 487 Antlerless Deer Licenses, which are available for $5 each.
From Dec. 1 through Jan. 11, hunters can purchase up to 10 extended late antlerless deer licenses for $5 each. These licenses do not count toward the purchase limit of 10 universal antlerless deer licenses. The extended late antlerless firearm deer season takes place on public and private lands Jan. 2–11, 2026, within Allegan, Barry, Bay, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair (excluding DMU 174), St. Joseph, Tuscola, Van Buren, Washtenaw and Wayne counties
The January archery season will take place on public and private lands in Huron, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair (except DMU 174), Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne counties Jan. 2-31.
For information on other seasons and licenses, consult the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, available through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions accessible through links on our Deer page.
Baiting is banned in the entire Lower Peninsula, including both public and private lands. The only exception for the Lower Peninsula baiting ban is hunters with disabilities who meet specific requirements may use bait during the Liberty and Independence hunts only. Hunters with disabilities that wish to bait during the Liberty and Independence hunts should review additional rules in the baiting section of the 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or in digital versions available through links on our Deer page.
Chronic wasting disease is still present in many counties in southern Michigan and continued monitoring is still a priority for the DNR. However, while the DNR continues to get baseline data for CWD presence across the state, the department is not actively seeking samples from counties in the SLP this year.
Though extensive CWD sample collection has already been done in the SLP and resources are being prioritized for collecting data by requesting hunter submission of samples in other parts of the state, hunters in a county with known CWD cases or anywhere else around the state are still eligible for free CWD testing by using a free lymph node extraction kit that includes overnight shipping. Kits can be picked up from the locations listed on the CWD testing page page. Kits include instructions for hunters to extract lymph nodes themselves and submit them to Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU VDL) for CWD testing. Results from deer submitted to MSU VDL will be sent directly to the hunter and will not appear on the DNR lab results webpage. The DNR is pleased to provide these resources and empower hunters across the state to assist with their own testing efforts. Kits include instructions for hunters to extract lymph nodes themselves and submit them to Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU VDL) for CWD testing. Results from deer submitted to MSU VDL will be sent directly to the hunter and will not appear on the DNR lab results webpage.
An overview of publicly accessible lands in the SLP is available by consulting the DNR Where to hunt page. Boundaries of all these lands may be viewed by accessing the Mi-HUNT link on that page.
A wild card for SLP hunters this year will be contending with local areas that have been impacted by EHD. Venison harvested in areas affected by EHD is safe for consumption. It’s not recommended to consume any animals that are visibly sick, but healthy deer harvested from areas where EHD has been present are still safe to eat. While prolonged EHD presence since July or early August can produce substantial impacts to a local deer herd, its distribution on the landscape can be extremely variable. Some locations a short distance from severely impacted areas might not experience any effects of EHD, so even portions of EHD-affected counties are likely to continue to need considerable antlerless harvest efforts. Understanding your local conditions and deer herd should drive your harvest decisions this fall.
Those who suspect they have found a deer that has contracted or died from EHD may submit a diseased wildlife report through the DNR’s Eyes in the Field online system.
