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Southeast Lower Peninsula · 2026-27
Genesee County Hunting
Deer units and antlerless limits, reported harvest since 2022, CWD testing, the baiting rule, bear, turkey and waterfowl units and every public property in Genesee County, all taken from DNR data.
Photo: USDAgov (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Genesee County covers 637 square miles of land and 13 of inland water, with county offices in Flint. The Census counted 402,279 people there for 2024, about 632 to each square mile. For deer it is Zone 3 ground throughout, under 2 units. The Bay City office is the nearest of the 13 DNR customer service centers. DNR law enforcement places it in District 9. No public hunting property is recorded inside the county line.
Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates (population), DNR region from the DNR wildlife region layer, deer zones from the DNR zone layer, law enforcement districts from the DNR district layer, customer service centers from the DNR contact page. Checked October 22, 2026.
What is open in Genesee County this season
Archery and the Nov. 15 rifle opener are statewide, but bear units, fall turkey units, waterfowl zones and bobcat units decide the rest for Genesee County.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Liberty Hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, early | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Independence Hunt | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular firearm | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, late | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | December firearm | Lower Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit I | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall second part | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Fall | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Fall | Open quail county | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Crow | Summer | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Crow | Late winter | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans days | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth weekend | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Management season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Management season | Statewide | Mar 2, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Coyote | Regular hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Feral swine | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Skunk | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Woodchuck | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 hunting regulation summaries (deer, bear, elk, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearer editions), checked October 22, 2026.
Genesee County DMUs, limits and antler rules
New for 2026, use limits cap antlerless licenses by county; Genesee County allows 5. Two antlerless-only gun windows apply: Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Genesee County has no extra antler point rule beyond the statewide 4-point restricted tag.
| Unit | DNR name | Type | Antlerless cap | Antler restriction | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 025 | Genesee county | County unit | 5 | Statewide only | 4,957 |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multi-county | Overlay unit | 5 | Statewide only | — |
Gun deer
The firearm opener is Nov 15, 2026, closing Nov 30; three December firearm days follow.
Archery deer
Early archery Oct 1 to Nov 14, 2026; late archery Dec 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
September and October hunts
Youth hunters take to the woods Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 in the Liberty Hunt.
Bait status
No bait and no feeding: Genesee County is under the Lower Peninsula ban.
Compare DMUs · Use limits statewide
Units from the Wildlife Conservation Order chapter XII and the county-to-unit list, use limits from the 2026 deer summary, early and late antlerless counties from the WCO list, antler rules from WCO 3.101l, baiting from the deer summary, reported harvest by unit from the DNR harvest report summary. Checked October 22, 2026.
Genesee County game areas, forests and refuges
Without a game area inside Genesee County, hunters drive to the properties on the map.
Across the boundary, closest first: Holly Wildlife Unit of Holly State Recreation Area 3,224 ac, 14 miles out; Seven Lakes State Park 1,481 ac, 15 miles out; Holly Recreation Area 8,084 ac, 16 miles out; Ortonville Recreation Area 4,781 ac, 17 miles out; Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area 718 ac, 19 miles out.
Public land from the DNR wildlife property, park hunting-land and managed-lands layers and federal records; state forest acres from the DNR state forest lands (LOTS parcels); national forest acres from USFS land statistics; Commercial Forest acres from the DNR Commercial Forest program; HAP from the DNR HAP property list. Acres within 10 miles of the county seat are a GIS measure. Checked October 22, 2026.
Deer reports from Genesee County
4,957 deer were reported from Genesee County in 2025, ranking it 25th of 83 counties. Set beside the 4,400 of 2022, the 2025 tally moved +13% over three seasons. Reports for 2026 stand at 1,030 (459 antlerless) and will climb after Nov. 15.
| Year | Antlered harvest | Antlerless harvest | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (in progress) | 571 | 459 | 1,030 |
| 2025 | 2,862 | 2,095 | 4,957 |
| 2024 | 2,444 | 1,787 | 4,231 |
| 2023 | 2,480 | 1,579 | 4,059 |
| 2022 | 2,700 | 1,700 | 4,400 |
DNR Harvest Report Summary (reported deer by county, all seasons, read October 22, 2026; 2026 is in progress). Checked October 22, 2026.
CWD zones and TB lists for Genesee County
Chronic wasting disease has been found in free-ranging deer from Genesee County; it is one of 18 such counties since 2015. County testing rows: 252 tested and 0 positive in 2022. Donated deer from Genesee County must be CWD tested first.
| Harvest year | Deer tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 252 | 0 |
Bovine TB and CWD guide · Two-gallon UP bait rule
CWD areas and county lists from the 2026 deer summary and the WCO; tests by county from the DNR CWD testing data (results current to 10/16/2026 for 2026); TB from the deer summary; donation testing from the Hunters Feeding Michigan county lists. Checked October 22, 2026.
Genesee County bear and turkey numbers
Black bears
There is no bear hunt in Genesee County; the Dansville BMU is closed.
Turkey units and reports
Spring turkey unit ZZ covers the county. Spring 2027 hunts have not been published, so the 2026 hunts are shown. In fall the county is unit I: Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026. Spring 2026 reports put Genesee County at 383 birds. 10% of fall 2025 hunters in Genesee County took a bird, per the DNR survey.
| Unit | Dates (2026) | License quota | Hunt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | May 2–May 31 | Unlimited | 0234 |
| ZZ* | April 18–May 31 | Unlimited | 0301 |
| ZZ | April 18–May 1 | 8,000 | 0302 |
| ZZ | May 2–31 | 8,000 | 0303 |
Genesee bird and furbearer units
Bear units · Compare turkey units
Bear units from the DNR bear unit layer; quotas, applicants and points from the 2026 bear summary; registrations from the same summary (2025 preliminary) and survey success from the DNR bear harvest reports; turkey hunts from the spring 2026 and fall 2026 summaries, reported turkeys from the turkey harvest report summary, fall 2025 survey from the DNR turkey report; elk from the elk summary and DNR elk report; bird units from the small game, waterfowl and furbearer summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Genesee County shooting time on key dates
Use the column for the hunting-time zone that covers Genesee County on the DNR map. Zone D is the far western Upper Peninsula.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:59 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 7:15 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 7:11 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 7:16 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 7:31 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
Zone A times from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer hunting hours table, zone offsets from the DNR hunting hours map legend, checked October 22, 2026. Hunting hours for every zone.
Base camps in and around Genesee County
Base camp choices in Genesee County follow, seat first; each town page maps the closest open ground.
- Flintcounty seat · 79,735 people in 2024
- Argentine3,766 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Goodrich2,016 people in 2024 · 14,071 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Grand Blanc7,924 people in 2024 · 10,803 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Otter Lakemostly next door · 357 people in 2024 · 6,277 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
Tiles below open the 6 counties that share a line with Genesee County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Genesee County hunting services
Genesee County businesses show first; the nearest ones in adjoining counties follow.
Agency desks serving Genesee
Most DNR customer service centers open Monday to Friday; check before you drive.
Deer processors
Mounts and taxidermy
Guided hunts
Outdoor stores
DNR customer service centers and field offices from the DNR contact page; processors from the Hunters Feeding Michigan list, DNR disease sample sites and directory listings; preserves from the DNR game bird preserve directory; shops from the DNR license agent map (license-only counters removed) and directories. Checked October 22, 2026; call ahead. All Michigan hunting services.
Fires, permits and bans around Genesee County
See the Michigan county list for Genesee County today.
- When a permit is needed: Any time the ground is not snow-covered.
- Counties where DNR burn permits are not issued electronically (southern Lower Peninsula; local fire dept/government issues permits): Genesee County is on this list.
- Who declares bans: (1) The DNR sets daily burn permit status by county and township ('No' = no open debris burning allowed).
- Fires on public land: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Genesee County shooting ranges and match dates
11 ranges in Genesee County, as of October 22, 2026.
Lines: sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery
Lines: archery
Lines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Lines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle
Lines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, rifle, handgun
| Range or club | Closest town | Lines on file | Who may shoot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flint Bowmen Inc. (sportsmen's club) | Grand Blanc | Public per DNR list | |
| Compass Outdoors (indoor range) | Flint | archery | Access not stated |
| Gabriel Pistol Range (indoor range) | Flint | rifle/handgun/smallbore rimfire | Members only |
| Linden Sportsman Club (sportsmen's club) | Linden | trap/shotgun/rifle/handgun/smallbore rimfire/archery/3D archery/muzzleloader/air gun/action pistol/silhouette | Access not stated |
| Wolv Muzzle Loading Club (sportsmen's club) | Clio | rifle/muzzleloader/handgun | Members only |
For a state-run range, Ortonville Shooting Range (Lapeer County) is roughly 17 miles away. Details
Matches in the county
| When and what | Kind | Go |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 ▸ IDPA/USPSA Practice at Linden Sportsmen Club | Action pistol | Enter |
| Nov 7-8, 2026 ▸ Pilgrim Powder (NSCA Registered Sporting Clays) at Grand Blanc Huntsman's Club | Sporting clays | Match details |
| Nov 21, 2026 ▸ Situational Awareness Class at Linden Sportsmen's Club | Class | Listing |
| Dec 5, 2026 ▸ AVERT Class at Linden Sportsmen's Club | Class | Listing |
| Jan 16, 2027 ▸ SWARTZ CREEK BULLSEYE | NASP | Match details |
| Feb 6, 2027 ▸ SWARTZ CREEK BULLSEYE | NASP | Match details |
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Events held in Genesee County
NWTF banquet and hunter education field day: 2 upcoming events. Read October 22, 2026.
Still to come
| Held | What | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 | Hunter Education – Field Day – Flint (6140 Bray Rd) / Hunter education field day | Flint (Genesee Co.) | Register | Source |
| Mar 4, 2027 | Flint River Donald T Walker NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Grand Blanc (Genesee Co.) | Event details | Source |
Fishing in Genesee County
Lakes, rivers, boat ramps and bait shops for Genesee County are on State Fishing Spots, our sister site.
Genesee County questions from hunters
Must Genesee County archers wear orange during the November firearm season?
Yes. The archery exemption ends whenever a firearm deer season is open.
When does archery close in Genesee County?
Jan 1, 2027, the end of the late segment.
Are antler point rules in force in Genesee County?
No 3-point rule; the restricted combo tag still needs 4 points.
Which Genesee County meat shops take whole deer?
Start with Jerry B's Deer and Game Processing, J.Deans, Deer Processing and Venison Sausage and Steve's Processing, nearest first.
Is Genesee County in the Upper or Lower Peninsula?
The Lower Peninsula, deer Zone 3.
How much is an antlerless license for Genesee County?
$20 for a universal antlerless license, with 5 usable here.
How many bucks came from Genesee County in 2025?
2,862 antlered deer were reported.
Is Genesee County one of the CWD-positive counties?
Yes, one of 18 with a positive free-ranging deer since 2015.
May I keep a backyard deer feeder in Genesee County?
No. Feeding deer is banned along with baiting across the Lower Peninsula.
Are there bears in Genesee County?
The DNR sets no season here; bear hunts are north and in the Upper Peninsula.
Answers from the DNR 2026 regulation summaries, harvest reporting rules, MCL 324.40116, DNR harvest and CWD data and the sources cited above. Checked October 22, 2026.
Double-check before Genesee County
The DNR can change use limits, quotas and bans between seasons. The regulation summaries and the Wildlife Conservation Order are the legal reference. Township restrictions apply in places; read the local postings.
Sources: DNR 2026 hunting regulation summaries, Wildlife Conservation Order, township restrictions list, Michigan DNR hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 22, 2026.
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