Michigan

Check out the latest info for Michigan. Image by Rich Waite

Season Dates (2024):

Archery season is Oct. 1-Nov. 14 and Dec. 1-Jan. 1, though there are earlier opportunities including the two-day Liberty hunt (open to youth and adults with qualifying disabilities) and two-day antlerless gun hunt. The firearm season is Nov. 15-30, and the late muzzleloader season in zones 1, 2, and 3 is Dec. 6-15. There are additional late-season opportunities as well. Check the MICHIGAN DNR WEBSITE to confirm season dates.

The Grade: B

Michigan definitely has the potential to produce the giant whitetails the Midwest is known for, but heavy hunting pressure limits the trophy potential compared to neighboring states. Still, deer populations are high, and whitetail hunters enjoy a diversity of habitat in Michigan, from the Big North Woods to the rolling ag fields of the Lower Peninsula. There is also a good bit of public land available. According to the DNR, Michigan has more acres of public land than any other state east of the Mississippi, albeit mostly in the Upper Peninsula. Further, DNR officials report it ranks No. 1 in the country for total archery harvest and fluctuates between No. 2 and 4 in total deer harvest.

“Michigan as a state has a reputation for producing small bucks, but (two years ago), nearly two-thirds of all bucks (more than 172,000) reported harvested had at least one antler with four points to a side,” said Chad Stewart, deer, elk, and moose management specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Antler Nation Knowledge:

The Wolverine State offers several public lands programs. State and federal hunting grounds are ABUNDANT. County lands open to hunters are more difficult to find, but these tracts often go overlooked because of that. Also, remember the HUNTING ACCESS PROGRAM (HAP), which was established in 1977 to increase hunting opportunities in southern Michigan. It’s since expanded to other areas and provides a long list of ACCESS POINTS.

“Our state has a hunter access program that offers access to private land for the public,” Stewart said. “Hunters looking for a location to hunt can hunt these private properties. Landowners can receive payment for opening their property to hunters.”

Michigan isn’t a popular destination for giant bucks. But if a big Michigan whitetail is your goal, look to southern counties. Looking at combined Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young entries, the highest concentration of record deer come from the southwestern corner of the state. Focus on areas between Ottawa, Lapeer, Berrien, and Lenawee counties, though be aware most of the ground in those counties is privately owned.

The northern half of the L.P. and U.P. are filled with public land that’s often overlooked. The deer hunting isn’t as good, but POCKETS OF OPPORTUNITY EXIST.