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Lower Peninsula county guide
Mason County Hunting
Hunting Mason 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: USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Some 495 square miles of land lie inside Mason County, and Ludington is the seat. Roughly 29,093 residents in 2024 means close to 59 people per square mile. All of it lies in deer Zone 2, covered by 1 deer management unit. Walk-in DNR help is at Cadillac, 54 miles from the middle of the county. The county is part of DNR Law Enforcement District 4. Hunters can pick among 2 public properties here, the biggest being Ludington State Park.
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.
Mason County dates from September to March
Mason County is in Lower Peninsula Zone 2. The 41 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 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (firearm/bait/dogs) | Baldwin BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (archery only) | Baldwin BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| 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 2 | 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 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 13, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| 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 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Bobcat Unit G | Jan 1, 2027 | Jan 20, 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.
Mason County deer units and antlerless limits
Mason 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 Mason County. A buck taken in DMU 053 must have at least 3 points on one antler.
| Deer unit | Name | Unit type | Licenses usable | Antler points | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 053 | Mason county | County unit | 5 | 3+ points | 4,294 |
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
Mason 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.
Mason County acres open to hunters
2 listed properties reach into Mason County; acres for properties that cross a county line are for the whole property. State forest land adds 126 acres in Mason County, managed by the Cadillac Forest Management Unit FMU. Huron-Manistee National Forest adds 60,660 acres of federal land. Mason County has 15 Commercial Forest parcels (791 acres) that hunters may enter on foot.
- State parks, 1 listedLudington State Park (3,243 ac)
- State game areas in the county (1)Pere Marquette State Game Area (396 ac)
- State forest by management unitCadillac Forest Management Unit (126 ac in county)
- USDA Forest Service landHuron-Manistee National Forest (60,660 ac in county), Manistee Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest), Baldwin Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest)
Worth the drive next door: Pentwater River State Game Area 2,599 ac, 15 miles out; Silver Lake State Park 2,962 ac, 20 miles out; Manistee River State Game Area 4,378 ac, 23 miles out; Tippy Dam Recreation Area 102 ac, 33 miles out; Little Widewaters Flooding Wildlife Management Area 225 ac, 34 miles out.
Land by DNR type · State game areas · State forests by FMU · Federal land · CF rules
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.
Mason County deer, year by year
Mason County produced 4,294 reported deer in 2025, 30th among Michigan's 83 counties. Reporting began in 2022, when the county logged 4,727 (-9% since). The 2026 license year is under way: 864 reports as of Oct. 22.
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 361 | 503 | 864 |
| 2025 | 1,982 | 2,312 | 4,294 |
| 2024 | 1,995 | 2,326 | 4,321 |
| 2023 | 2,051 | 2,075 | 4,126 |
| 2022 | 2,150 | 2,577 | 4,727 |
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, Mason County
The DNR county list shows no CWD-positive deer in Mason County. Mason County has not been a focused surveillance county since 2022, so its samples fall in the remainder-of-state total. No CWD or TB test is required to donate from Mason County.
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.
Mason County bear, turkey and upland units
Bear numbers
Baldwin sets the bear quotas for Mason County. Registered bears for these units in 2025: 114 (preliminary).
| Unit | Period | 2026 season | Quota | Nonres. | 2025 first choice | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin | 1 | Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 | 395 | 19 | 2,762 | 7–8 |
| BMU | Bears 2024 | Bears 2025* | Survey success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin | 150 | 114 | 42% |
Turkeys in Mason County
Unit NN sets the spring hunts in Mason County; 2027 dates are pending. Unit I covers fall turkey, Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026. 152 gobblers were reported from Mason County in spring 2026. In fall 2025, 129 hunters tried Mason County (31% success by survey).
| Unit | Spring 2026 | Licenses | Hunt no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| NN | April 18–May 1 | 18,000 | 0134 |
| Statewide | May 2–May 31 | Unlimited | 0234 |
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.
Mason 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.
Mason County towns, plus bordering counties
Start from a Mason County town: its page lists land in reach and the closest processors.
- Ludingtonseat of county · 7,577 people · 7,963 mapped public acres nearby
- Custer300 people · 28,180 mapped public acres nearby
Mason County touches 4 other Michigan counties, and Manitowoc (WI) and Sheboygan (WI) beyond the border.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Mason 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 Mason 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 Mason County
See the Michigan county list for Mason County today.
- Burn permit: 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): Mason County is not 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).
- Warming fires: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Where Mason County hunters sight in
Mason County: 2 ranges, covering clubs, indoor bays and archery as listed.
Disciplines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, rifle, handgun
About 72 miles away, Supply Road Shooting Range is the closest range on DNR land. Full page
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Mason County, dinners, classes and hunts
On file for this county: 1 upcoming event (NWTF banquet).
Dates ahead
| When | Event | Location | Tickets or entry | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2027 | Gold Coast Gobblers NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Ludington (Mason Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
Small public hunting areas in Mason County
1 smaller public area in Mason County, 396 acres together, each with its own section below: acres, office, zones, DNR map and the facts its agency documents give.
Pere Marquette State Game Area
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | State Game Area |
| Acres | 396 (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS Acres field) |
| County | Mason |
| DNR office | Cadillac Customer Service Center |
| Map point | 43.9288, -86.4105 (directions) |
| Zones | Deer Zone 2; Bear Management Unit Baldwin; Spring Turkey Hunt Unit NM; Waterfowl Middle Zone |
Mason County: short answers
Does the late antlerless season reach Mason 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 Mason County?
Makkedah Meat Processing & Bul, Ma and Pa's Deer Processing and Wilson's Deer Processing sit nearest on the Michigan list we keep.
Which DMU numbers apply in Mason County?
DMU 053, from the county-to-unit list in the deer summary.
What is the universal antlerless use limit in Mason County?
5 licenses for 2026.
How many deer were reported in Mason County in 2025?
4,294: 1,982 antlered and 2,312 antlerless.
Can I use deer urine lures in Mason County?
Only certified, tested and labeled products; other natural cervid urine lures are banned statewide.
May hunters bait deer in Mason County?
No. Baiting and feeding are banned in the whole Lower Peninsula.
How do I register a bear from Mason County?
Present the unfrozen head and hide at a DNR registration station within 72 hours.
Does hunter orange apply to turkey hunters in Mason County?
No. Turkey hunters are exempt from the orange rule.
Which Mason County property has the most acres?
Ludington State Park, at 3,243 acres on our list.
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.
Mason County checks before the drive
Where this page and the DNR summaries differ, follow the summaries and the WCO.
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: Bailiwick Studios (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Huron-Manistee National Forests (Public Domain Mark 1.0); ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).