Michigan’s fall hunting seasons open Tuesday, September 15, with turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbit and gray squirrel among the species now legal to pursue statewide.
Fall turkey hunters will operate under two management units for the season, which runs September 15 through November 14. Turkey Management Unit M covers the entire Upper Peninsula except Isle Royale, where fall turkey hunting is prohibited, with a license quota of 2,200 birds sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Turkey Management Unit I spans the entire Lower Peninsula except Monroe County and carries no license quota. Every hunter must hold an annual base license and a fall turkey license, and the harvest is one turkey per license, of either sex and either bearded or beardless.
Small-game hunters need only a base license to pursue the eleven species now open, though additional licenses may apply for specific animals. Season windows include ruffed grouse September 15 through November 14 and again December 1 through January 1, woodcock September 15 through October 29, and snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbit and gray squirrel each running September 15 through March 31. Sharp-tailed grouse and ring-necked pheasant open later in the fall on separate schedules.
Every harvested turkey must be reported within 72 hours of the kill or before possession is transferred, whichever comes first. Reports are submitted through the state Department of Natural Resources website or its mobile app. A new version of the MiHunt map, the department’s interactive hunting-lands tool, is available for the fall and lets users layer their own data across public and private ground.
Beyond the September 15 openers, the fall calendar carries a steady rhythm through winter. Elk hunt period one runs September 23 through October 4 in Elk Management Unit X, and hunt period two runs December 1 through 15 in units H and X. Bobwhite quail is open October 20 through November 14 in select counties, and ring-necked pheasant runs October 10 through 31 in Zone 1 and October 20 through November 14 in Zones 2 and 3. The archery early segment for deer runs October 1 through November 14 statewide, followed by the Independence Hunt October 15 through 18, the regular firearm season November 15 through 30, and the archery late segment December 1 through January 1, 2027. The December firearm season for the Lower Peninsula runs December 4 through 6.
Michigan’s coyote hunting and trapping season runs essentially year-round, and hunters carrying a valid base license may also pursue feral pigeon, house sparrow, starling and woodchuck year-round. Ground squirrels, red squirrels, porcupines and Russian boar remain open to both hunting and trapping under a hunting license across the calendar.
