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Lower Peninsula county guide
Livingston County Hunting
Hunting Livingston County in 2026-27: the Lower Peninsula deer rules, every DMU that crosses the county line, antlerless license limits, disease rules, public land, towns, services and legal light.
Photo: Dobis Images (CC BY 2.0)
Some 565 square miles of land lie inside Livingston County, and Howell is the seat. Roughly 196,976 residents in 2024 means close to 348 people per square mile. All of it lies in deer Zone 3, covered by 2 deer management units. Walk-in DNR help is at Lansing, 30 miles from the middle of the county. The county is part of DNR Law Enforcement District 9. Hunters can pick among 7 public properties here, the biggest being Pinckney Recreation Area.
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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Livingston County
Livingston County dates from September to March
Livingston County is in Lower Peninsula Zone 3. The 44 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Livingston County deer units and antlerless limits
Livingston County carries a universal antlerless use limit of 5, set by county across the Lower Peninsula for 2026. The early antlerless weekend (Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026) and the late antlerless hunt (Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027) both reach Livingston County. No unit in Livingston County carries the Lower Peninsula 3-point rule; one antler of 3 inches makes a legal buck on a single license.
| Deer unit | Name | Unit type | Licenses usable | Antler points | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 047 | Livingston county | County unit | 5 | Statewide only | 5,463 |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multi-county | Overlay unit | 5 | Statewide only | — |
November firearm
Firearm deer opens Nov. 15 and closes Nov 30, 2026; December firearm Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026.
Two archery segments
Archery runs Oct 1 to Nov 14, 2026 and again Dec 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
Special hunts
The Liberty Hunt for youth and hunters with disabilities is Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026; the Independence Hunt is Oct 15 to Oct 18, 2026.
Deer bait
Livingston County follows the peninsula-wide rule: no deer bait and no feeding, on any land, public or private.
All DMU pages · Antlerless limits by county
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.
Livingston County acres open to hunters
7 listed properties reach into Livingston County; acres for properties that cross a county line are for the whole property.
- Recreation areas: 3Pinckney Recreation Area (11,687 ac*), Brighton Recreation Area (4,568 ac), Island Lake Recreation Area (4,112 ac*)
- State game areas in the county (3)Gregory State Game Area (2,706 ac), Oak Grove State Game Area (2,390 ac), Hillcrest State Game Area (257 ac)
- State wildlife areas: 1Unadilla State Wildlife Area (1,189 ac*)
Worth the drive next door: Highland Recreation Area 4,458 ac, 17 miles out; Chelsea State Game Area 802 ac, 19 miles out; Seven Lakes State Park 1,481 ac, 19 miles out; Malan Waterfowl Production Area 141 ac, 19 miles out; Proud Lake Recreation Area 2,433 ac, 20 miles out.
Skip Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park; the DNR lists no hunting there.
Land by DNR type · State game areas
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.
Livingston County deer, year by year
Livingston County produced 5,472 reported deer in 2025, 19th among Michigan's 83 counties. Reporting began in 2022, when the county logged 4,905 (+12% since). The 2026 license year is under way: 983 reports as of Oct. 22.
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 480 | 503 | 983 |
| 2025 | 2,878 | 2,594 | 5,472 |
| 2024 | 2,594 | 2,281 | 4,875 |
| 2023 | 2,642 | 1,883 | 4,525 |
| 2022 | 2,894 | 2,011 | 4,905 |
DNR Harvest Report Summary (reported deer by county, all seasons, read October 22, 2026; 2026 is in progress). Checked October 22, 2026.
Deer disease rules, Livingston County
The DNR county list shows no CWD-positive deer in Livingston County. Results for Livingston County: 274 tested and 0 positive in 2022. No CWD or TB test is required to donate from Livingston County.
| Year | Tests | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 274 | 0 |
CWD core area and zone · Bait and feeding by peninsula
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.
Livingston County bear, turkey and upland units
Bear numbers
Dansville, the bear unit over Livingston County, carries no 2026 hunt.
Turkeys in Livingston County
Unit ZZ sets the spring hunts in Livingston County; 2027 dates are pending. Unit I covers fall turkey, Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026. 472 gobblers were reported from Livingston County in spring 2026. In fall 2025, 417 hunters tried Livingston County (21% success by survey).
| Unit | Spring 2026 | Licenses | Hunt no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Units for birds and furbearers
Compare bear units · All 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.
Livingston County legal hunting light
The DNR hunting-time map splits the state into Zones A to D from east to west. Each step west adds 6 minutes to the Zone A times below.
| 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.
Livingston County towns, plus bordering counties
Start from a Livingston County town: its page lists land in reach and the closest processors.
- Howellseat of county · 9,914 people · 8,270 mapped public acres nearby
- Brighton7,933 people · 9,207 mapped public acres nearby
- Pinckney2,339 people · 23,976 mapped public acres nearby
Livingston County touches 6 other Michigan counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Livingston County DNR offices and hunting businesses
Gas stations and grocery counters that only sell licenses are left out; these are hunting shops.
DNR doors closest to Livingston County
Customer service centers sell licenses and answer questions on weekdays; call ahead, since hours vary.
Butchering and processing
Taxidermists
Game bird preserves and guides
Hunting shops nearby
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 Livingston County
The Michigan burn ban page shows Livingston 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): Livingston County is on this list.
- Burn bans come from: (1) The DNR sets daily burn permit status by county and township ('No' = no open debris burning allowed).
- Public land fires: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Where Livingston County hunters sight in
Livingston County: 5 ranges, covering clubs, indoor bays and archery as listed.
Disciplines: trap, shotgun, skeet, handgun, smallbore rimfire
Disciplines: shotgun, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery
Disciplines: shotgun, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire
Livingston County shoot dates
| Date and match | Category | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 2026 ▸ LC&SA NRL22 Match at Livingston Conservation & Sports Association (LC&SA) | NRL22 rimfire | Register |
| Jan 17, 2027 ▸ LC&SA NRL22 Match at Livingston Conservation & Sports Association (LC&SA) | NRL22 rimfire | Register |
| Jan 22-24, 2027 ▸ 2027 Howell Bullseye Tournament | NASP | Match details |
| Feb 20-21, 2027 ▸ 2027 Howell 3D | NASP | Match details |
| Feb 21, 2027 ▸ LC&SA NRL22 Match at Livingston Conservation & Sports Association (LC&SA) | NRL22 rimfire | Register |
| Mar 5, 2027 ▸ 2027 Michigan Senior Night at Howell | NASP | Match details |
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Fishing in Livingston County
Lakes, rivers, boat ramps and bait shops for Livingston County are on State Fishing Spots, our sister site.
Livingston County: short answers
Which bear unit covers Livingston County?
Dansville, which has no 2026 hunt.
Does hunter orange apply to turkey hunters in Livingston County?
No. Turkey hunters are exempt from the orange rule.
Which Livingston County property has the most acres?
Pinckney Recreation Area, at 11,687 acres on our list.
Do I still take deer to a check station in Livingston County?
No; reporting is online or in the app. Heads for testing are taken only after reporting.
Do I need hunter orange in Livingston County?
Yes, from Aug. 15 through April 30 while taking game, with listed exceptions.
Is there a limited firearms zone in Livingston County?
No. The zone was eliminated for 2026; all legal firearms may be used.
Does the late antlerless season reach Livingston County?
Yes; the late antlerless firearm hunt runs Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 there.
Is there a deer processor in or next to Livingston County?
Great Lakes Custom Meats & More, Richardson's Deer Processing and Mark's Deer Processing sit nearest on the Michigan list we keep.
Which DMU numbers apply in Livingston County?
DMU 047 and DMU 486, from the county-to-unit list in the deer summary.
What is the universal antlerless use limit in Livingston County?
5 licenses for 2026.
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.
Livingston County checks before the drive
Where this page and the DNR summaries differ, follow the summaries and the WCO. Check township ordinances in Livingston County; some restrict firearm discharge.
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.
Other photos on this page: Arvind Govindaraj (CC BY 2.0); Dawn Endico (CC BY-SA 2.0); varnent (CC BY-SA 2.0); Barbara Eckstein (CC BY 2.0); AcrylicArtist (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0).