Michigan
Unknown
Est. Whitetail Population
595,000
No. Licenses Sold Annually
$31 and up
A base license is $11. A deer permit is $20.
Resident hunting license and deer permit
$171 and up
A base license is $151. A deer permit is $20.
Non-resident hunting license and deer permit
198"
Taken by Troy Stephens in Jackson County in 1996 and ranks No. 42 all time.
Record B&C Typical Stat
222
Total B&C Typical Entries
246 2/8"
The state’s nontypical record wasn’t taken by a hunter. It was picked up alongside a road in 2010 by Ronald Waldron in Lenawee County.
Record B&C Non-Typical Stat
120
Record B&C Non-Typical Entries
Check out the latest deer-hunting info for Michigan. Image by Rich Waite
Season Dates (2025):
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. 5-14. 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 giant whitetails, but heavy hunting pressure limits the trophy potential compared to neighboring states. Still, deer populations are high, and whitetail hunters enjoy habitat diversity in Michigan, from the Big North Woods to the rolling ag fields of the Lower Peninsula. The winter of 2024-2025 was mild compared to previous years, meaning deer were subject to less hardship and mortality.
Public land is fairly abundant here. 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.
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,” Chad Stewart of the Michigan DNR said. “Hunters looking for a location to hunt can hunt these private properties, and landowners can receive payment for opening their property to hunters.”
While Michigan is known for its quantity-over-quality buck harvest, if a big Michigan whitetail is your goal, look to the southern counties. Looking at combined Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young entries, the highest concentration of record deer comes from the state’s southwestern corner. Focus on areas between Ottawa, Lapeer, Berrien, and Lenawee counties, though be aware that 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.
