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WHITE TAILED DEER -
ARCHERY: October 1st - November 14th & December 1st - January 1st, 2006.
FIREARMS: November 15th - November 30th.
LATE FIREARMS: December 19th - January 1st, 2006 (anterless on private land only)
MUZZLELOADING: Zone 1 - December 2nd - December 11th.
MUZZLELOADING: Zone 2 - December 9th - December 18th.
MUZZLELOADING: Zone 3 - December 2nd - December 18th.
RABBITS - September 15th - March 31st. 5 per day limit.
OUTLOOK: Cottontail populations are good throughout their range. Rabbits are the most popular small game animal; the annual harvest is about
500,000 rabbits each year. Snowshoe hare populations are down due to cyclic population fluctuations and declining habitat in some portions of their
range in Michigan, primarily because of declining habitat.
SQUIRREL - September 15th - March 1st. 5 per day limit 10 in possession.
OUTLOOK: Squirrels are at moderate to high levels throughout their range. Hunters generally can expect another good year for squirrel hunting
throughout most areas.
RUFFLED GROUSE - September 15th - November 14th. & December 1st - January 1st, 2006. 5 per day 10 in possession.
OUTLOOK: The outlook for the upcoming season is not as promising as when we were at the peak of the grouse population cycle between 1998 and
2000. The population is at the low end of its cycle and this year may be the bottom of the trough. Previous peak years were 1975, 1981, 1989 and
1999. Hunters should note that increased or decreased abundance of animals at a regional scale does not ensure the same trend locally. Areas of good
habitat will continue to provide the best grouse hunting opportunities. Grouse are most abundant in the Upper Peninsula, followed by the northern
Lower Peninsula and southern Lower Peninsula. The best counties in the Upper Peninsula are Delta, Dickinson and Iron. The best counties in the
northern Lower Peninsula are Crawford, Kalkaska and Oscoda. In west Michigan, good numbers of grouse may be found in Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa
counties. In east Michigan, try Sanilac and Tuscola counties. Moderate-aged aspen stands with good availability of fall berries may have the most
birds.
WOODCOCK - September 24th - November 8th. 3 per day limit 6 in possession.
OUTLOOK: Woodcock hunters may expect a season similar to last year. Hunters could take up to 140,000 woodcock this fall. Although good numbers of
grouse and woodcock can be found in all parts of Michigan, the highest densities are located in the northern two-thirds of the state. The west end
of the Upper Peninsula should have good numbers of birds during the early season.
PHEASANTS - Oct. 10-31 in the Upper Peninsula. The Lower Peninsula runs from Oct. 20-Nov. 14. The bag limit is two male pheasants per day/four in
possession.
OUTLOOK: Pheasants are expected to be up slightly this year. Winter survival was improved from last year, thanks to our mild winter and warm dry
spring weather.
QUAIL - October 20th - November 14th. 5 per day limit 10 in possession.
OUTLOOK: Quail can be hunted only in Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kent, Lapeer,
Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Montcalm, Oakland, Saginaw, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
Expect to find an improved quail population from last year due to mild winter conditions. Hunters could take an estimated 3,000 quail this
fall.
TURKEY - October 3rd - November 14th. 1 bird limit either sex. in 11 hunt units in portions of the Lower Peninsula and three hunt
units in the Upper Peninsula. Some units will be open for fall turkey hunting only on private lands.
OUTLOOK: Turkey numbers should be excellent in areas open for fall hunting. Mild winter weather resulted in good survival and spring
nesting conditions, and should produce a good crop of young birds.
DUCKS: Starting Dates: North (Upper Peninsula) and Middle (northern Lower Peninsula) zones -- Oct. 1; South Zone (southern Lower Peninsula) --
Oct.15.
OUTLOOK: Mallard, wood duck, black duck and green-winged teal harvested in the state, come from Michigan and forested areas of Ontario.
These populations have been stable over the past several years except Michigan mallards, which are declining. Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie are
great areas to hunt diving ducks. Look for these areas to be hot spots again in 2005, as well as Saginaw Bay and the St. Mary's River System in the
eastern Upper Peninsula.
GEESE - An early season, Sept. 1-15, will be offered in the Lower Peninsula, except for Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron counties (Sept. 1-10). In the
Upper Peninsula, this early season will be Sept. 1-10. The regular goose season in the Upper Peninsula is Sept. 24-Oct. 1. In the Lower Peninsula,
the regular season is Oct. 1-16 and Nov. 24-Dec. 5. In the South Zone the late Canada goose season will be Dec. 31-Jan. 29.
OUTLOOK: Michigan’s local population of giant Canada geese now supplies more than 70% of the state’s total Canada goose harvest
More Information: Michigan DNR
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