Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center

Mitchell State Park*, Cadillac

This “A to Z” introduction to waterfowl hunting will start in the classroom, then head outside on trails (compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines) for hands-on practice. You’ll learn how to choose a spot, scout effectively, select and set decoys, conceal a layout or blind, call ducks and geese with confidence, and understand licenses, stamps and core regulations so you’re legal and safe on opening day. You’ll leave with practical, firsthand experience to boost your odds this season.

Cost is $35, which includes lunch and door prizes. Read more

Deer hunting begins with the Liberty Hunt and early antlerless firearm season.

Deer hunting season dates, regulations and more are available in the 2025 Hunting Regulations Summary, available at Michigan.gov/Deer.

• Liberty Hunt: Sept. 13-14 – open to youth and hunters with disabilities
• Early antlerless firearm: Sept. 20-21
• Deer Drop-In Mondays
• Mandatory harvest reporting
• Expanded disease testing opportunities
• EHD confirmed in six counties
• Hunting regulations on your phone
• Tree stand safety reminders
• Questions? Contact us Read more

The fall turkey season is an excellent way to enjoy the changing seasons while pursuing a gobbler for your holiday meal.

• Season dates and bag limit
• Turkey management units
• Purchasing your license
• Turkey patch program
• Know before you go

Season dates and bag limit

The fall turkey season is Sept. 15 – Nov. 14. You can purchase one fall turkey license per year, which is valid for one bird of either sex on public and private lands within the designated fall turkey management unit.

Turkey management units Read more

Pearl, MS – The Buck Hut Magnum from Millennium Treestands® is a water-resistant soft shell hut designed for the modern hunter, delivering unparalleled durability, versatility, and comfort in the field.

Incorporating tough, water-resistant soft shell material and durable powder-coated steel design, the Buck Hut Magnum is constructed to tackle the roughest hunting conditions – season after season. The blind is designed not to spook game animals, featuring 14 black windows and a black interior. Suitable for bows, crossbows, and firearms, each window utilizes an adjustable height shooting rest for rock-solid shots. Additionally, it boasts a roomy interior and 7-foot height, making it ideal for standing shots with a bow.

Its sturdy tower features two adjustable legs to guarantee stability on any terrain. Lastly, the Buck Hut Magnum has a removable platform pad that can be removed during hot weather or added to provide extra warmth for those cold winter hunts.

Buck Hut Magnum Read more

Michigan’s annual bear hunting season begins this week! Here’s what you need to know before heading into the field.

• Season dates
• Bear registration
• Bear hunting regulations
• Bear management cooperator patch
• Bear meat: Preventing trichinosis
• Questions? Contact us
• See details below: Read more

Plan ahead to ensure you end up with quality game meat in the freezer.

Some early season hunting opportunities have already begun in Idaho, with additional archery seasons and moose hunts starting in September. While early season hunts can provide an excellent opportunity to harvest a big game animal, warm weather brings additional challenges when it comes to properly caring for game meat to prevent it from spoiling, especially when dealing with larger animals like moose and elk.

The key to preserving meat in hot weather is to begin the cooling process as quickly as possible. Meat spoils the quickest around the ball joints in the hip and underneath the front shoulders. Your harvest should be immediately skinned, reduced to quarters, and quickly transported to cold storage. In larger animals it may even be necessary to make some cuts in between muscles to the bone to allow heat to escape. Larger muscle masses take a long time to cool, and meat can spoil in a matter of hours if heat cannot escape.

Failure to cool meat down fast enough may result in what is commonly referred to as bone souring. Read more

Drawing results are available to hunters who applied for the antlerless deer hunting access permits for Deer Management Unit 352 in the Upper Peninsula or for reserved deer hunts in the Lower Peninsula.

Check your drawing results online at eLicense, in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or call 517-284-9453 to see if you were successful. Leftover licenses for remaining deer hunting access permits will be available beginning Monday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m. until the quotas are met. There is no guarantee that leftover access permits will be available.

You can buy a license online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, from any license agent or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. Keep in mind, licenses bought online will be mailed to you seven to 10 days after purchasing.

Check drawing results ?

Early Canada goose and teal seasons are imminent (a few states have already opened resident only Canada goose seasons), so it’s time to check your waterfowl hunting kit – shotguns, boats, decoys, and blind bags, if you haven’t already. Following are ten go-time tips for hunters who are giddy for the most wonderful time of year.

ONE: Clean that filthy gun. Okay, okay, some hunters are good about gun maintenance, and the irons are tended to and spick and span right after the hunt – possibly stored much like a valuable archeological relic. Then there are the rest of us. Tear them down and get them ready for game day. This includes checking for magazine plugs and making sure said shotgun has the appropriate choke tube installed (remember you threw it in the corner of the closet the day after turkey season…).

Bonus Tip: Do. Not. Over-lubricate. Read more

Early goose and teal hunting seasons, as well as common gallinule, Virginia rail, sora rail and Wilson’s snipe seasons, open Sept. 1.

We get a lot of teal questions this time of year. Here is a highlight from the 2025 waterfowl hunting regulations summary that is one of the most frequently asked:

What can I hunt during the early teal season?

Only blue-winged and green-winged teal may be harvested during the early teal season. Hunters are strongly encouraged to refresh their duck identification skills for this season. Do not shoot if you are not sure of your target. The daily bag limits and possession limits are the same as those allowed in the regular duck hunting season.

The full waterfowl hunting regulations summary information, with information on teal hunting and everything else waterfowl, is now available online in mobile-friendly and desktop PDF formats.

Whether you’re looking for season dates and bag limits, hunting hours or anything in between, you can find it all at the link below.

Waterfowl regs summary ?