If you're an avid hunter, Tuesday, Sept. 15, is your chance to kick off the season as numerous Michigan seasons get underway.
Sept. 15 marks the start of fall turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbit, and gray/fox squirrel hunting seasons in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR says turkey hunters will need to report all harvested turkeys within 72 hours of the take or before transferring possession of the turkey, via the DNR's website or mobile app.
This season, a new version of the MiHunt map is available, giving users the opportunity to access a variety of features and the ability to add their own data to the DNR's interactive hunting lands map.
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Here's what to know about fall hunting seasons.
What hunting seasons start Tuesday?
These Michigan hunting seasons start Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to the DNR:
- Turkey hunting: Sept. 15 until Nov. 14. Limit one fall license per year, for one turkey of either sex on public and private lands in the designated fall turkey management unit.
- Ruffed grouse hunting: Sept. 15 to Nov. 14 and Dec. 1 to Jan. 1, 2027
- Woodcock hunting: Sept. 15 to Oct. 29. Hunters will need a free woodcock stamp; includes registration with the federal Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program.
- Snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbit and gray/fox squirrel hunting: Sept. 15 to March 31, 2027
When can I hunt Elk in Michigan?
Elk hunting season will start with hunt period 1 at Elk Management Unit X from Sept. 23 to Oct. 4. Then, EMU H and X will conduct hunt period 2 from Dec. 1-15, and hunt period 1 in EMU I and X from Dec. 1-15.
When can I hunt bears in Michigan?
Bear hunting season is already underway in some Upper Peninsula communities and is broken up across geographic zones during the fall.
When can I hunt Bobwhite quail?
Bobwhite quail hunting season will run from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14 in select counties.
When can I hunt ring-necked pheasant?
Ring-necked pheasant hunting season will start in Zone 1 from Oct. 10-31, in Zone 2 and Zone 3 from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14 and in the December pheasant management unit from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1, 2027.
When can I hunt sharp-tailed grouse?
Sharp-tailed grouse hunting season in Zone 1 will run from Oct. 10-31, per the DNR.
When can I hunt waterfowl in Michigan?
Duck, coot and merganser season in the North Zone will open on Sept. 26, accorging to the DNR.
Statewide common gallinule, Virginia rail, sora rail and Wilson's snipe season and North Zone and Middle, South and Allegan GMU goose season are already open.
The waterfowl season is broken up into several time periods based on hunting zone and species and the complete timeline can be found on the DNR's hunting season calendar website.
When can I hunt deer in Michigan?
Statewide archery early segment will run Oct. 1 to Nov. 14, the DNR said. The independence hunt is Oct. 15-18.
Regular firearm season statewide is Nov. 15-30.
Statewide archery late segment will run Dec. 1 to Jan. 1, 2027. December firearm season in Lower Peninsula DMUs and muzzleloader season in U.P. DMUs will both run Dec. 4-6. Late antlerless firearm season in Lower Peninsula DMUS, except 145 and 245, will run Dec. 7 to Jan. 1, 2027.
When can I hunt coyotes in Michigan?
Coyote hunting and trapping seasonis essentially year round. Hunting and trapping season is Oct. 15 to March 1, 2027, but the management season fills the remaining months.
What species can I hunt year-round in Michigan?
According to the DNR's hunting season calendar, the following animals can be hunted year-round with a valid Michigan hunting license:
The ground squirrel (including chipmunks), porcupine, Russian boar and the red squirrel can be hunted and trapped.
The feral pigeon, house sparrow, starling and woodchuck can be hunted year-round with a valid base license.
Where can you find hunting land in Michigan?
The DNR now offers a new version of MiHunt map, an interactive map of lands in Michigan for fall hunting seasons, according to a Sept. 10 news release.
The map now includes species management unit boundaries, cover type layers showing forest makeup, land management agencies and special hunting areas, along with users' imported spatial data, the release said. Hunters can upload property boundaries, waypoints or last season's tracks — visible only to the user who adds it.
“We wanted hunters to build their own adventure rather than be handed a finished one,” said Sarah Mayhew, a data specialist for the DNR Wildlife Division, in the release. “The map opens with lands open to public hunting and nothing else. Everything beyond that is up to you.”
Lansing State Journal reporter Sarah Moore contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hunters set to head outdoors. These 2026 seasons open Tuesday
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