Bear hunting in Michigan: how the drawing (and the waiting) works

These are the 2026 rules. Quotas, units, and hunt periods change every year — confirm in the official DNR bear regulation summary.

The short version

Michigan has more than 10,000 black bears — most in the U.P., with a growing population in the northern Lower Peninsula. Every bear license goes through a drawing, and most hunters wait years. That wait is the system working as designed.

How the drawing works

• Apply May 1 – June 1 ($5), one hunt choice per year.
• Don’t get drawn? You earn a preference point; more points mean better odds next year. Many hunters bank points for five to ten years to draw a first-choice unit.
• If you’re drawn, your points reset to zero — even if you don’t buy the license. Don’t apply for a unit you don’t actually want.
• Results post in late June. Leftover licenses, if any, sell first-come to residents only. You can also buy just a preference point ($5) in years you can’t hunt.

Seasons and units

Bear seasons run roughly September into October, split among Bear Management Units across the U.P. and northern Lower Peninsula, each with its own quota and hunt periods. Drummond Island is its own famously hard-to-draw unit with special rules.

Rules and quirks

• Baiting bears is legal with regulations on timing, placement, and materials — read the current summary before you set a barrel.
• Hunting bears with dogs is a deep U.P. tradition, legal in season with specific rules, including a quiet period before some seasons.
• You must use the edible meat. Bears aren’t trophies-only under Michigan law.
• Elevated stands can go up on public land 31 days before your unit’s opener.
• Successful hunters must register their bear; eHarvest digital tags are now an option.
• The Bear and Elk Hunt Transfer Program lets a drawn hunter transfer the tag to an eligible person — a popular way to pass a hunt to a kid or a veteran.

The signpost

Rules change every year. Unit maps, quotas, and drawing odds live at Michigan.gov/Bear — check them before you burn your points.

New to hunting, or returning after years away? Start with Hunting in Michigan, explained and the rules of the woods.