Start here
Hunting in Michigan, explained
The plain-English orientation to Michigan hunting: who sets the rules, what licenses you need, the calendar at a glance, and the five laws every hunter must know. 2026 rules.
Read the orientation →Hunting
Michigan hunting, in plain English.
Seasons, licenses, and the rules of the woods — explained the way a neighbor would, with a signpost to the official DNR source on every page. These guides cover the 2026 license year, and hunting regulations change every year: the official regulation summary is always the final word.
New this year
What changed in Michigan hunting for 2026 (a lot)
The 2026 rule changes were the biggest in decades: the rifle zone is gone, deer seasons end January 1, digital tags arrived — and the one-buck rule lands in 2027.
See what changed for 2026 →What are you hunting?
Deer
Deer hunting in Michigan: the 2026 rules in plain English
Michigan's deer seasons, licenses, baiting rules, and disease zones — including the sweeping 2026 changes and the one-buck rule arriving in 2027.
Read the guide →Turkey
Turkey hunting in Michigan: spring drawings, guaranteed licenses, and fall birds
How Michigan's spring turkey drawing works, the guaranteed no-drawing licenses, the new three-unit system for 2026, and the fall season.
Read the guide →Bear
Bear hunting in Michigan: how the drawing (and the waiting) works
Michigan's black bear hunt runs on a preference-point drawing — here's how points work, when to apply, and the rules drawn hunters need to know.
Read the guide →Elk
Elk hunting in Michigan: the rarest tag in the state
Yes, Michigan has wild elk — about 1,000 in the northeast Lower Peninsula — and an elk tag is the hardest draw in Michigan hunting. Here's how the lottery works.
Read the guide →Small game
Small game hunting in Michigan: what your base license already covers
Rabbits, squirrels, grouse, pheasants, woodcock and more — the seasons, limits, and the few extra stamps and licenses small game requires.
Read the guide →Waterfowl
Waterfowl hunting in Michigan: the four things you need, and where the ducks are
Michigan duck and goose hunting explained: the license-stamp-HIP-steel checklist, the three-zone seasons, and the famous managed waterfowl areas.
Read the guide →Furbearers & coyotes
Furbearers, coyotes, and trapping in Michigan: the fine-print license
Michigan's fur harvester license, the year-round coyote framework, night-hunting rules, and the five species only residents may take.
Read the guide →Before you go
The pieces that apply no matter what you hunt: getting licensed (including the beginner on-ramps), the statewide laws, and where you're allowed to be.
Licenses & your first hunt
Michigan hunting licenses and your first hunt, explained
How Michigan's base-license system works, hunter safety, the apprentice and mentored-youth on-ramps, discounts, and the new digital tags.
Read the guide →The rules of the woods
The rules of the woods: Michigan's hunting laws, plain and simple
The laws that apply no matter what you hunt in Michigan: hunting hours, hunter orange, safety zones, trespass, transport, stands, dogs, and Sunday quirks.
Read the guide →Where to hunt
Where to hunt in Michigan: 7 million public acres, decoded
State forests, game areas, national forests, Commercial Forest land, and the Hunting Access Program — where you can legally hunt in Michigan and how to find it.
Read the guide →The signpost
Michigan Porch explains; the DNR decides. Before you hunt, confirm everything in the official regulation summaries at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests, buy licenses at eLicense or in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, and report poaching at 800-292-7800. Fishing too? See Fishing in Michigan.