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Starting today, tens of thousands of applicants for Michigan’s highly coveted bear and elk licenses can learn whether they will be participating in this year’s hunts.
Annual drawing results for bear and elk seasons are now available. Learn whether you’re one of the lucky hunters at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or by calling 517-284-9453. Hunters are responsible for obtaining their drawing results.
With more than 100,000 people in total applying every year to hunt bear and elk, the $5 applications are wildly popular.
For some hunting periods, the odds of landing a license are long, although each unsuccessful applicant earns credit for future hunts. Bear hunters can get a license sooner by applying for the second or third hunting periods in most Upper Peninsula units.
This year, 6,278 bear licenses and 200 elk licenses are available.
Elk hunt changes
While bear hunting dates and quotas remain similar to last year, elk hunters will see significant changes.
On April 8, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission voted to establish elk hunting regulations for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The regulations:
- Change the elk season dates to provide hunters with more opportunity. This year, Hunt Period 1 will be Sept. 23-Oct. 4 and Hunt Period 2 will be Dec. 1-15. That equates to more hunting days, and more contiguous hunting days, from previous years.
- Decrease the number of state-issued elk licenses to 200, compared to 260 offered in prior years. This is based on a recommendation from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help stabilize the elk herd in the northern Lower Peninsula.
- Give successful elk hunters 72 hours to present the elk head or entire animal for registration as directed by the DNR. Previously, hunters had to register the entire elk within 24 hours of harvest.
Learn more in the 2026 Elk Hunting Regulations Summary.
Digital kill tags for bear
Digital kill tags are now available for bear season, offering a convenient alternative to traditional paper tags.
Benefits include:
- Immediate access after purchase.
- No trip to the store.
- No waiting for tags to arrive by mail.
- If you don't lose your phone, you won't lose your tag.
- No cellular service required.
- Easy harvest reporting.
Digital tags are optional. Traditional paper licenses and kill tags remain available statewide.
Digital tags are only available through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish App.
Learn more at the DNR’s eHarvest tags webpage.
Bear & elk hunt transfers
Successful applicants in the bear or elk drawings may transfer their drawing success to an eligible person they know or to someone on the DNR hunt waiting list.
Those eligible to receive a hunt transfer are people with an advanced illness and youth hunters who applied for the current-year bear and elk drawings and were not selected for a license.
Learn more at the DNR’s bear and elk hunt transfer program webpage or by calling the Wildlife Division at 517-648-4222.
Pure Michigan Hunt
Want to win a hunting package worth thousands of dollars – as well as hunting licenses for elk, bear, turkey, antlerless deer and waterfowl?
Simply buy an application – or multiple applications – for our Pure Michigan Hunt.
Each $5 Pure Michigan Hunt application helps fund Michigan's wildlife habitat restoration and management.
Visit Michigan.gov/PMH for more details, to purchase an application(s) or for information about our great sponsors.
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