December hunting and trapping opportunities
This winter, you may still enjoy many outdoor activities, including hunting, as long as you practice proper social distancing by staying at least 6 feet from those who don't live in your household. If you are heading to deer camp with others outside your household, remember to wear masks if you are indoors or can’t be 6 feet apart. Plan to sleep in separate rooms, tents or trailers if possible.
Learn more about upcoming hunting and trapping opportunities:
Enjoy small game hunting with just your base license. Small game species currently open to hunting:
- Cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare through March 31.
- Ruffed grouse through Jan. 1.
- Squirrel hunting (both fox and gray) through March 31.
- Pheasant, in portions of Zone 3, through Jan. 1.
Visit Michigan.gov/Hunting for small game hunting information and see the 2020 Hunting Digest for regulations and bag limits.
There are still ample waterfowl hunting opportunities throughout December.
North Zone goose hunting is open through Dec. 16.
Middle Zone duck, coot and merganser hunting is open Dec. 12-13 and goose hunting is open through Dec. 16.
South Zone duck, coot, merganser and goose hunting is open through Dec. 6 and again Dec. 26-27. Late goose season in the South Zone will open again Jan. 23-Feb. 8, 2021.
The 2020 Waterfowl Digest, available at Michigan.gov/Waterfowl, has season dates, regulations, bag limits and additional waterfowl hunting details.
If you plan to hunt at one of the Wetland Wonders, please be aware of the changes to the waterfowl drawing procedures for this year.
December deer hunting opportunities include:
- Archery deer hunting season is open through Jan. 1.
- Extended archery season will be open through Jan. 31 in the urban deer management zone of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.
- Muzzleloader season is open Dec. 4-13 statewide.
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Only Zone 3 and the full counties of Bay, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Muskegon, Oceana and Newaygo are open to the use of all legal firearms during the muzzleloading season. See pages 22-23 of the Hunting Digest.
- Late antlerless firearm season is open Dec. 14-Jan. 1, 2021 in select Lower Peninsula deer management units. Valid licenses for the season include an antlerless, deer or deer combo license.
The late antlerless hunt is a private-land-only hunt except for hunters hunting with muzzleloaders in Zone 3. If you are hunting with a muzzleloader on public land, you may harvest either an antlered or antlerless deer with a deer or deer combo license. Antlerless deer may also be taken with a public-land antlerless license.
If you are hunting on private land, you may harvest antlerless deer only during the late antlerless season. You may use a private-land antlerless license or an unused deer or deer combo license to take an antlerless deer.
Deer hunting regulations can be found in the 2020 Hunting Digest, available at Michigan.gov/Deer.
Deer check stations and CWD testing
This year, to protect hunters and DNR staff, procedures have been updated at deer check stations. In addition, stations will be limited in number and hours of availability.
- Hunters are required to wear masks to DNR deer check stations and to remember social distancing guidelines, staying 6 feet away from other individuals.
- You will be asked to remain in your vehicle at most check stations.
- Deer cooperator patches will be available only at DNR deer check stations, during check station hours of operation, while supplies last.
Deer heads from southern Jackson, southern Isabella and western Gratiot counties, and the core chronic wasting disease surveillance area in the Upper Peninsula (portions of Dickinson, Menominee and Delta counties) will be accepted for CWD testing through Jan. 4.
If you wish to submit your deer for CWD testing and you are outside these areas, your deer head can be submitted to a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved lab for testing. Hunters will be charged a fee to have their deer heads tested. Visit Michigan.gov/CWD and click on “For Hunters” for information about outside labs conducting CWD testing.
- Coyote hunting is open year-round; trapping is open through March 1.
- Raccoon hunting is open through Jan. 31; trapping is open through March 31.
- Fox (red and gray) hunting and trapping seasons are open through March 1.
- Trapping opportunities are also available for badger, beaver, muskrat, mink and otter. See the Fur Harvester Digest for season dates and bag limits.
Find additional information on fur harvesting regulations, bag limits and seasons in the 2020 Fur Harvester Digest, available at Michigan.gov/Trapping.
This year, printing and distribution of hunting digests will be limited. For on-demand digest access that travels where you do without the need for internet access, consider downloading DNR hunting and fishing digests to your phone. They are available for download on Android and Apple devices. Find the current digests and downloading instructions at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests.
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