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Michigan County Finder

Answer six questions and get Michigan counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026 season dates, public land and DNR harvest reports.

How the Michigan finder works

Michigan hunters must report every deer and turkey, and the DNR publishes the reports by county. This tool scores all 83 counties for the species you pick using reported deer harvest for 2022–2025 (antlered, antlerless and archery) and spring 2026 turkey harvest, USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as state forests, state game areas and national forests.

Season fit uses the DNR's 2026 calendar: archery, regular firearm (Nov. 15–30), the Upper Peninsula muzzleloader and Lower Peninsula December and late antlerless firearm seasons, bear hunt periods by bear management unit, elk hunt periods and the spring 2027 turkey hunts.

Species covered

  • White-tailed deer
  • Elk
  • Black bear
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Sharp-tailed grouse
  • Forest grouse
  • Quail

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • American woodcock

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

Michigan hunting FAQ

When is Michigan's 2026 firearm deer season?

The regular firearm season runs Nov. 15–30 statewide. Archery runs Oct. 1–Nov. 14 and Dec. 1–Jan. 1; the December firearm (Lower Peninsula) and muzzleloader (Upper Peninsula) seasons run Dec. 4–6.

Which Michigan counties have the highest deer harvest?

Sanilac, Saginaw, Montcalm and Jackson counties in the southern Lower Peninsula lead the reported harvest. Pick white-tailed deer to rank every county.

Can I hunt bears with hounds in Michigan?

Yes. Bear licenses are drawn by bear management unit and hunt period, and dogs are allowed in the open units. Choose Hounds as your method to rank counties with an open bear unit.

Michigan harvest leaders

The counties with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

White-tailed deer (2022–2025 average)

  1. Sanilac County: 8,697 per year
  2. Saginaw County: 7,452 per year
  3. Montcalm County: 7,332 per year
  4. Jackson County: 7,132 per year
  5. Lapeer County: 6,876 per year

Wild turkey (2026)

  1. Allegan County: 653 per year
  2. Jackson County: 565 per year
  3. Saginaw County: 518 per year
  4. Newaygo County: 506 per year
  5. Montcalm County: 480 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. St. Clair County: 28,205 per year
  2. Tuscola County: 24,132 per year
  3. Saginaw County: 23,924 per year
  4. Manistee County: 20,653 per year
  5. Huron County: 17,261 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Saginaw County: 9,248 per year
  2. Gladwin County: 8,692 per year
  3. Huron County: 7,979 per year
  4. Lapeer County: 6,278 per year
  5. Bay County: 5,756 per year