The Ultimate Michigan Hunting Cheatsheet - Fall 2026 Edition
Updated: 6 hours ago
Fall means primetime in Detroit's outdoors - especially for the Michigan hunting community ready for crisp mornings and cool evenings in the woods! Here is Expedition Detroit's breakdown of the game, dates, equipment, and special regulations for the 2026 Michigan hunting season.
Michigan hunters, start your engines: September is BACK and the woods are ready for your arrival!
Before trekking out into the woods, we always encourage both seasoned and fresh hunters to pause for a moment and review the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' annual fishing guide and hunting summaries. These summaries are truly invaluable resources for reviewing recent changes to DNR regulations, restrictions, and procedures, such as last year's mandatory deer harvest reporting requirements.
Regardless if you’re a veteran woodsman or as green as hunters come, reading through the 2026 Michigan Hunting Regulations Summary is a worthwhile investment prior to heading out to your stand. Especially for this year...our friends at the Natural Resources Commission were busy this season drafting up several landmark changes to decades-old hunting regulations.
That's where we step in. Ladies and gentlemen, meet our fourth annual Michigan Hunting Cheatsheet: Expedition Detroit's curated summary of the most important information for hunters within the Detroit region - UPDATED FOR THE 2026 FALL SEASON.
Whitetail Deer
When: October 1st - November 14th for early archery, November 15th - 30th for regular firearm, and December 1st - January 1st for late archery.
NEW: Muzzleloader season in the lower peninsula has been eliminated; instead, hunters can use all legal firearms to harvest any legal deer from December 4th - 6th.
There is also a late antlerless firearm season open on public and private lands from December 7th, 2026 - January 1st, 2027.
NEW: The extended late antlerless deer season and the January archery season have been eliminated.
Hunting Equipment: Compound or crossbow all season (although must wear "hunter's orange" clothing during firearm seasons); firearms during various phases of season.
NEW: The "limited firearms deer zone" has been eliminated.
Beginning Sept. 12, 2026, hunters can use all legal firearms across the Lower Peninsula; be sure to check your local ordinances regarding which firearms are legal.
Where: Private or public lands within southeast Michigan.
Limit: 1 per tag.
Licenses Required: Base License and either Deer License or Deer Combo License.
Waterfowl (Ducks, Coots, Mergansers, and Geese)
When:
Geese: September 1st - 30th, October 17th - December 13th, December 26th - January 3rd, and February 6th - 15th.
Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers: October 17th - December 13th and December 26th - 27th.
Hunting Equipment: Shotgun.
Where: Private or public lands within Southeastern Michigan.
Limits:
Ducks: Daily limit is 6, season-long possession is 18.
Coots: Daily limit is 15, season-long possession is 45.
Mergansers: Daily limit is 5, season-long possession is 15.
Dark Geese (Canada, brant and white-fronted): Daily limit is 5, season-long possession is 15.
Light Geese (snow, blue and Ross’s): Daily limit is 20, season-long possession is 60.
Licenses Required: Base License and Waterfowl Hunting License.
Physical federal duck stamps purchased and received at a post office must be signed by the hunter.
Electronic federal duck stamps are valid July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, and do not need to be signed by the hunter.
More information: 2026 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Summary.
Wild Turkey
When: September 15th - November 14th.
Hunting Equipment: Shotgun, crossbow, or compound bow.
Where: Private or public lands within within Southeastern Michigan; however, Monroe County is closed to fall turkey hunting.
Limit: One bearded or beardless turkey, any sex, per tag.
Licenses Required: Base License and Fall Turkey License.
More information: 2026 Fall Turkey Hunting Summary
Pheasant
When: October 20th - November 14th and December 1st - January 1st (male only).
Hunting Equipment: Shotgun.
Where: Private or public lands within Southeastern Michigan.
Bag Limits: Daily limit is 2, season-long possession is 4.
Licenses Required: Base License and Pheasant License (required only for hunters 18 years of age and older hunting on public lands).
More Information: 2026 Small Game Hunting Guide.
Quail
When: October 20th - November 14th.
Hunting Equipment: Shotgun.
Where: Private or public lands within Southeastern Michigan. At Highland Recreation Area, quail may be harvested only by field trial participants in the field trial areas on days with authorized field trials.
Bag Limits: Daily limit is 5, season-long possession is 10.
Licenses Required: Base License.
Ruffed Grouse
When: September 15th - November 14th and December 1st - January 1st.
Hunting Equipment: Shotgun.
Where: Private or public lands within Southeastern Michigan.
Bag Limits: Daily limit is 3, season-long possession is 6.
Licenses Required: Base License.
Fox and Gray Squirrel
When: September 15th - March 31st.
Hunting Equipment: Rifle (.22-caliber), shotgun, compound bow, crossbow, or air gun.
Where: Statewide on private or public land.
Bag Limits: Daily limit is 5, season-long possession is 10.
Licenses Required: Base License.
Furbearer (Coyote, Fox, Weasel, Raccoon, Skunk, and Opossum)
When:
Coyote and Fox: October 15th, 2026 - March 1st, 2027.
Raccoon: October 1st, 2026 - March 1st, 2027.
Opossum, Skunk, and Weasel: Year-round.
Hunting Equipment: Rifle (.22-caliber), other firearm, compound bow, crossbow, or air gun.
Where: Statewide on public and private lands - Unit C regulations apply to the Detroit region.
Bag Limits: No limit.
Licenses Required: Base License and Furbearer License.
Opossum, skunk, and weasel may be harvested year-round, statewide with a valid Michigan fur harvesting license.
Coyote, opossum, raccoon, skunk and weasel can be harvested year-round, using all legal hunting and trapping methods for those species, on private property and without a license when doing or physically present where they could imminently cause damage.
Coyote, fox, opossum, and raccoon can be hunted at night.
More Information: 2026 Furbearer Harvest Summary
Small Game (Rabbit, Red Squirrel, and Woodchuck)
When: September 15th - March 31st (rabbit); year-round (red squirrel and woodchuck).
Hunting Equipment: Rifle (.22-caliber), firearm, compound bow, crossbow, or air gun.
Where: Statewide on private or public land.
Bag Limits: Daily limit is 5, season-long possession is 10 for rabbit; no limit for red squirrel and woodchuck.
Licenses Required: Base License. Cottontail rabbit, red squirrel, and woodchuck may be taken year-round on private property without a license when about to cause damage.
Small Birds (Crow, Feral Pigeons, Starling, and House Sparrows)
When: August 1st - September 30th and February 1st - March 31st for crow; year-round for other birds.
Hunting Equipment: Shotgun or air gun.
Where: Statewide on private or public land.
Bag Limits: No limit.
Licenses Required: Base License. Crows, Starlings, and House Sparrows may be taken by a property owner or designee without a license if doing or about to do damage on private property.
Pest Species: Armadillo, Russian Boar (INVASIVE), and Porcupine
When: Year-round
Hunting Equipment: Any lawful firearm, compound bow, or crossbow.
Where: Statewide on private or public land.
Bag Limits: No limit; Russian Boar but must be reported to Michigan.gov/RussianBoar or by calling 517-336-1928.
Licenses Required: Base License.
Why Hunting Matters for Michigan
For some readers, this inclusion of a Michigan hunting article on our platform may have come as a surprise. The truth is, ethical hunting has represented a cornerstone aspect of Expedition Detroit since its inception almost one year ago. Fall's return to the northern hemisphere means the inclusion of more hunting-specific content, which we understand may be jarring to some readers who subscribed after reading one of our popular backpacking or camping articles.
If you find yourself in that camp - i.e., someone who is neutral or somewhat against hunting - then allow us a moment to explain why we view ethical hunting as a critical component of Michigan's outdoor recreation ecosystem. Actually, its most important component.
To summarize, Southeast Michigan has a serious ecological problem stemming largely from its overpopulation of deer. Car accidents involving deer have risen 6.6% since 2012, making Michigan the second leading state in the U.S. for deer-car accidents. Crop damage on Michigan farms attributable to deer has risen 59.6% since 2014. Milder winters across the Great Lakes region have allowed more deer to survive and reproduce in the spring and early summer. Bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease are spreading throughout herds within the Lower Peninsula.
What exacerbates these problems most for the DNR, however, is that fewer and fewer Michiganders are heading into the woods each year. In the 1990s, led by baby boomers, Michigan had 900,000 deer hunters in the woods. By 2030, the DNR expects about half as many. Beyond the physical detrimental effects of less hunters, the DNR and Michigan's tourism industry has relied on the roughly $2.3 billion in economic impact derived from hunting - a valuable revenue stream that state officials fear will diminish rapidly in the coming years.
Yes, unethical and irresponsible hunters absolutely deserve the scorn of today's mainstream outdoor community. That being said, hunting has a valuable ecological, economic, and cultural position in our state's outdoor heritage. Michigan needs hunters more now than ever in its history, and we at Expedition Detroit are proud to advocate for the development and proliferation of ethical, lawful, and science-backed hunting.
We hope that you'll join us in the woods this season!
GEAR UP FOR THE FALL 2026 HUNTING SEASON WITH EXPEDITION DETROIT!
This cheatsheet is intended only as a high-level and supplemental reference to the Michigan Hunting Summaries. The summaries linked to above include a broad range of very helpful and instructive information, such as legal shooting hours, species-specific limitations (e.g., ducks and other waterfowl), information on lawful stands and baiting practices, and penalties for violations. Any further inquiries regarding applicable rules and regulations should be directed to the Michigan Hunting Regulations Summary or DNR at 517-284-WILD.
You can CLICK HERE to purchase any of the requisite licenses listed above.
Best of luck this season!
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Very informative