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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Elk licenses are awarded to hunters using a random weighted drawing system which began in 2003. Each year, unsuccessful applicants receive one additional "chance" for future drawings. This system provides some advantage to hunters who apply consistently year after year while still offering an opportunity to all applicants including those applying for the first time.
All license applicants are eligible for an Any-Elk license, valid for the harvest of a bull elk or antlerless elk. If not selected in the drawing for an Any-Elk license, individuals who specified "Bull or Antlerless" on their application are eligible to be selected for an Antlerless-Only elk license.
In the 2026 elk drawing, applicants had up to 24 chances to be selected - one chance for their current-year application plus up to 22 chances earned in previous elk drawings (2003 – 2025).
For more information, refer to the Michigan Elk Hunting Regulations Summary.
License quota: 200 (70 Any-Elk, 130 Antlerless-Only Elk)
Total Applications: 67,713 (13,866 applied for chance-only)
Total Chances in Drawing: 412,755
Click the "+" to expand the selection for more information.
| Chances | Any-Elk License Eligible Applicants | Any-Elk License Total Chances (Chances x Applicants) | Any-Elk Licenses Awarded | Antlerless Elk License Eligible Applicants | Antlerless Elk License Total Chances (Chances x Applicants) | Antlerless Elk Licenses Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 6,966 | 6,966 | 4 | 3,616 | 3,616 | 9 |
| 02 | 4,608 | 9,216 | 3 | 2,236 | 4,472 | 5 |
| 03 | 3,729 | 11,187 | 5 | 1,726 | 5,178 | 6 |
| 04 | 3,235 | 12,940 | 1 | 1,385 | 5,540 | 7 |
| 05 | 2,818 | 14,090 | 5 | 1,159 | 5,795 | 2 |
| 06 | 2,691 | 16,146 | 3 | 1,068 | 6,408 | 4 |
| 07 | 2,528 | 17,696 | 2 | 1,005 | 7,035 | 6 |
| 08 | 2,043 | 16,344 | 3 | 764 | 6,112 | 7 |
| 09 | 1,915 | 17,235 | 2 | 697 | 6,273 | 1 |
| 10 | 1,584 | 15,840 | 1 | 557 | 5,570 | 7 |
| 11 | 1,399 | 15,389 | 2 | 494 | 5,434 | 5 |
| 12 | 1,200 | 14,400 | 1 | 395 | 4,740 | 6 |
| 13 | 1,047 | 13,611 | 2 | 379 | 4,927 | 3 |
| 14 | 1,000 | 14,000 | 2 | 331 | 4,634 | 7 |
| 15 | 978 | 14,670 | 1 | 339 | 5,085 | 8 |
| 16 | 967 | 15,472 | 2 | 327 | 5,232 | 5 |
| 17 | 1,100 | 18,700 | 1 | 347 | 5,899 | 0 |
| 18 | 1,075 | 19,350 | 4 | 359 | 6,462 | 4 |
| 19 | 1,108 | 21,052 | 3 | 382 | 7,258 | 5 |
| 20 | 1,044 | 20,880 | 6 | 365 | 7,300 | 6 |
| 21 | 1,172 | 24,612 | 4 | 434 | 9,114 | 8 |
| 22 | 1,285 | 28,270 | 3 | 465 | 10,230 | 10 |
| 23 | 1,211 | 27,853 | 6 | 411 | 9,453 | 7 |
| 24 | 1,119 | 26,856 | 4 | 359 | 8,616 | 2 |
| TOTALS: | 47,822 | 412,775 | 70 | 19,600 | 150,383 | 130 |
