Deer hunting

• Archery deer season: Now through Jan. 1, 2025, statewide on public or private land.

• Muzzleloader deer season: Dec. 6-15, statewide on public or private land.
  • In zones 2 and 3, you can use all legal firearms. If you are hunting in the limited firearm deer zone, you must follow equipment requirements for that zone.
  • In the Upper Peninsula (Zone 1), only muzzleloading firearms may be used.
  • See page 52 of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary for more muzzleloading equipment information.

• Late antlerless firearm deer season: Dec. 16 – Jan. 1, 2025, on public and private lands ONLY in the Lower Peninsula (excluding deer management units 115, 145 and 245). See page 9 of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary for a map of open deer management units.

• Licenses for the extended late antlerless firearm deer season cost $5 and go on sale Dec. 1, but you cannot use them until the extended late antlerless firearm deer season opens Jan. 2–12, 2025, on public and private lands in Allegan, Barry, Bay, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, Shiawassee, St. Clair (excluding DMU 174), Washtenaw and Wayne counties, as well as DMUs 311 (Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties), 312 (Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Branch counties) and 332 (Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac counties). During this season, you may harvest an antlerless deer with the following licenses: single deer license, deer combo license (regular and/or restricted kill tags), mentored youth license deer kill tag, inclusive mentored license deer kill tag, universal antlerless license and/or extended late antlerless deer license. You may also harvest an antlerless deer with a deer management assistance permit issued for private land in the area where you are hunting.

Check the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary, available at Michigan.gov/Deer, for deer hunting regulations, including information on the types of deer that may be harvested in each season and antler point restrictions.

Pheasant hunting

Select counties in Zone 3 are open to pheasant hunting through Jan. 1, 2025, for the taking of male pheasants. Find the map of counties on page 7 of the Small Game Hunting Regulations Summary.

The final pheasant releases of 2024 will occur this month on 10 state game areas throughout southeast Michigan:

• Cass City (Tuscola County).
• Crow Island (Bay and Saginaw counties).
• Dansville (Ingham County).
• Erie (Monroe County).
• Lapeer (Lapeer County).
• Leidy Lake (St. Joseph County).
• Pte. Mouille (Monroe and Wayne counties).
• Rose Lake (Clinton and Shiawassee counties).
• Stanton (Montcalm County).
• Johns Marsh (St. Clair County).

License requirements

All pheasant hunters must have a base license, and some may also need a $25 pheasant license.

This additional license is required for anyone 18 or older who is planning to hunt pheasants on any public land in the Lower Peninsula or on lands enrolled in the Hunting Access Program. Private-land pheasant hunters statewide and hunters on public lands in the Upper Peninsula do not need the pheasant license. Additionally, lifetime license holders, hunters 17 and younger, and those hunting pheasants only at a game bird hunting preserve do not need the pheasant license.

The sale of the $25 pheasant license funds the pheasant release program, with pheasants supplied by the Michigan Association of Gamebird Breeders and Hunting Preserves.

To learn more about the pheasant release program, including pheasant management units, license requirements and season dates, visit Michigan.gov/SmallGame.

Small game hunting

• Cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hair: open through March 31, 2025.
• Fox and gray squirrel (black phase included): open through March 31, 2025.
• Ruffed grouse: open through Jan. 1, 2025.

Waterfowl hunting

North Zone

• Goose season: open through Dec. 16.

Middle Zone

• Goose season: open through Dec. 20.
• Duck season: open Dec. 14-15.

South Zone

• Goose season: open through Dec. 8, Dec. 28 – Jan. 5, 2025, and Feb. 1-10, 2025.
  • Allegan County GMU: open through Dec. 8 and Dec. 21 – Feb. 15, 2025.
  • Muskegon County GMU: open through Dec. 21.
• Duck season: open through Dec. 8 and Dec. 28-29.

Waterfowl hunting information is available in the Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Summary and at Michigan.gov/Waterfowl.

Furbearer hunting and trapping

Fur harvesting regulations, bag limits and season dates are available in the Furbearer Harvest Regulations Summary and at Michigan.gov/Trapping.

Hunting seasons:

• Coyote hunting: open through April 15, 2025.
• Fox (gray and red): open through March 1, 2025.
• Raccoon hunting: open through March 31, 2025.
• Opossum, skunk and weasel hunting: year-round.

Trapping seasons:

• Coyote and fox (gray and red) trapping: open through March 1, 2025.
• Raccoon trapping: open through March 31, 2025.
• Opossum, skunk and weasel trapping: year-round.
• Badger, beaver, bobcat, muskrat, mink, and otter trapping opportunities are available for some areas; see pages 5-6 in the Furbearer Harvest Regulations Summary for open units and season dates.

Find hunting land

Find lands open to public hunting near you with Mi-HUNT.