Michigan

Michigan deer hunting is a beloved state tradition, featuring over 1.5 million acres of public land in the Upper Peninsula (UP) and high-density trophy potential in southern agricultural counties.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) offers over-the-counter combo licenses. The traditional November 15 firearm opener is a cultural institution. Hunters in the UP brave snow and cold to track heavy bucks through hemlock swamps and hardwood hills, while southern hunters take record-class bucks in agricultural woodlots.

Michigan's Pigeon River Country State Forest in the northern Lower Peninsula is home to a thriving wild elk herd numbering over 1,000 animals.

MDNR conducts a strictly regulated resident lottery for bull and antlerless tags in September and December. Successful hunters work with designated guides and state biologists to pursue heavy bulls across northern hardwood forests and open grassy meadows.

Michigan holds over 12,000 black bears, with the vast majority inhabiting the wild, remote Upper Peninsula.

MDNR allocates harvest tags through a preference point draw across BMUs. Hound hunting and baiting are permitted during September and October seasons, delivering high success rates in dense cedar and spruce forests.