Michigan hunting seasons
Season dates for 2026-27, straight from the Michigan DNR regulations — starting with what you actually want to know.
Open right now in
Michigan
Deer Opens Sep 12 29 days away Turkey Opens Sep 15 32 days away Duck Opens Sep 1 18 days away Dove Closed No open season in MI
Dates checked against the Michigan DNR regulations Aug 14, 2026.
Deer season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| December Firearm Cut to three days starting the first Friday in December. | Lower Peninsula DMUs | Dec 4 – Dec 6 |
| Early Antlerless Firearm Now the second weekend in September. Public and private land, excluding DMUs 145 and 245. | Lower Peninsula DMUs | Sep 12 – Sep 13 |
| Independence Hunt Hunters with qualifying disabilities only. Private land and some public land by permit. | Statewide | Oct 15 – Oct 18 |
| Late Antlerless Firearm Starts the Monday after the December firearm season. Excludes DMUs 145 and 245. | Lower Peninsula DMUs | Dec 7, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 |
| Regular Firearm The limited firearms deer zone is gone — all legal firearms may now be used across the Lower Peninsula. | Statewide | Nov 15 – Nov 30 |
| Archery (early segment) Crossbows are legal statewide during this segment. | Statewide | Oct 1 – Nov 14 |
| Archery (late segment) The old January archery season is gone. In the Upper Peninsula the late segment is crossbow-legal only for senior license holders. | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 |
| Muzzleloader Cut to three days starting the first Friday in December. | Upper Peninsula DMUs | Dec 4 – Dec 6 |
| Liberty Hunt Youth 16 and under and hunters with qualifying disabilities. | Statewide | Sep 12 – Sep 13 |
Turkey season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Season Open in turkey management units I and M. TMU I is unlimited; TMU M is capped at 2,200 licenses sold first come from Aug. 15. Isle Royale and part of Keweenaw County are closed — check the unit map in the Fall Turkey Digest. | Statewide | Sep 15 – Nov 14 |
| Spring Season Michigan sets spring hunt periods by a formula in the Wildlife Conservation Order and prints them in the Spring Turkey Digest each winter. The 2027 dates were not posted as of Aug. 14, 2026. Applications run Jan. 1 - Feb. 1. | Statewide | Not set yet |
Duck season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Early Teal Blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal only. | Statewide | Sep 1 – Sep 9 |
| Regular Season | Middle Zone | Oct 3 – Nov 29; Dec 12 – Dec 13 |
| Regular Season | North Zone | Sep 26 – Nov 22; Nov 28 – Nov 29 |
| Regular Season | South Zone | Oct 17 – Dec 13; Dec 26 – Dec 27 |
| Youth Waterfowl Weekend | Statewide | Sep 19 – Sep 20 |
| Veterans & Active-Duty Days | Statewide | Sep 19 – Sep 20 |
Dove season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| No Open Season Michigan has no mourning dove hunting season. Doves are not a game species here and none of the DNR's 2026 season calendars list one — Michigan hunters travel out of state for doves. | Statewide | No open season |