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Deer Zone 2/3 · Southwest Lower Peninsula
Mecosta County Hunting
Mecosta County sits in the Lower Peninsula, deer Zone 2/3. This guide covers its 4 deer units, universal antlerless limits, CWD and baiting status, bear and turkey units, public land with acres and the 2026-27 season table.
Photo: USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Out in southwest Michigan, Mecosta County spreads across 555 square miles around Big Rapids. The 2024 population stood near 41,947, up 4.0% on 2020. Deer Zones 2 and 3 meet inside the county, 52% Zone 2 and 48% Zone 3 by area. Hunters here line up at the Cadillac customer service counter for DNR business. Conservation officers work it from Law Enforcement District 4. 2 public properties on the state and federal lists sit at least partly inside the line, 2 state game areas among them.
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.
Mecosta County season dates for 2026-27
23 species and 55 dated segments apply in Mecosta County; the last column checks each against today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status 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 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (firearm/bait/dogs) | Baldwin BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (firearm/bait/dogs) | Gladwin BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (archery only) | Baldwin BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (archery only) | Gladwin 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 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| 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 1 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 12, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 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 | |
| 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.
DMUs that overlap Mecosta County
Universal antlerless licenses ($20 each, 10 per hunter) count against a limit of 10 in Mecosta County. Early antlerless firearm runs Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 in Mecosta County, and late antlerless follows Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. The 3-point antler restriction does not apply here; only the combo restricted tag needs 4 points.
| DMU | Called | Type | UAL limit | APR | 2025 reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 054 | Mecosta county | County unit | 10 | Statewide only | 4,353 |
| DMU 354 | Lakeview unit; Mecosta – Montcalm | Overlay unit | 10 | Statewide only | — |
| DMU 359 | Core CWD area | Overlay unit | 10 | Statewide only | — |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multi-county | Overlay unit | 10 | Statewide only | — |
Firearm dates
Long guns and slugs from Nov 15 through Nov 30; the LP December hunt is Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026.
Bows and crossbows
Two bow segments: Oct 1 to Nov 14, 2026, then Dec 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
Youth and disability hunts
Liberty Hunt Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026, Independence Hunt Oct 15 to Oct 18, 2026.
Baiting and feeding
The Lower Peninsula ban on deer and elk baiting and feeding covers the county.
Deer unit index · Antlerless rules
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.
Mecosta County public hunting land
The list holds every game area, flooding, park and refuge touching Mecosta County, 2 in all, largest first within each type. National forest land in Mecosta County: 3,416 acres.
- State game areas, 2 listedMartiny Lake State Game Area (7,783 acres), Haymarsh Lake State Game Area (6,783 acres)
- National forest and districtsHuron-Manistee National Forest (3,416 acres in county), White Cloud Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest)
Neighbouring-county options: Edmore State Game Area 3,809 acres, 19 miles out; Langston State Game Area 3,257 acres, 22 miles out; Mark Knee Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 4,091 acres, 24 miles out; Deadman Swamp State Wildlife Management Area 1,885 acres, 25 miles out; Vestaburg State Game Area 2,970 acres, 27 miles out.
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park does not allow hunting or trapping.
Michigan land hub · All game areas · National forests and refuges
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.
Mecosta County antlered and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for Mecosta County came to 4,353 deer, 43% of them antlerless. Across the four full years on file, 2022 was the high mark with 5,448 deer. 886 deer are in for 2026 to date, before the Nov. 15 opener.
| Year | Antlered | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | 561 | 325 | 886 |
| 2025 | 2,477 | 1,876 | 4,353 |
| 2024 | 2,720 | 2,027 | 4,747 |
| 2023 | 2,691 | 1,983 | 4,674 |
| 2022 | 3,248 | 2,200 | 5,448 |
DNR Harvest Report Summary (reported deer by county, all seasons, read October 22, 2026; 2026 is in progress). Checked October 22, 2026.
Mecosta County: CWD and TB
CWD core-area rules reach Mecosta County, the centre of Michigan's focused testing this fall. CWD has turned up in Mecosta County, one of 18 counties so far. DNR testing data list 12 tested and 0 positive in 2026. Deer donated through Hunters Feeding Michigan from Mecosta County need a CWD and bovine TB test.
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 12 | 0 |
Testing kits and drop boxes · LP bait ban, UP bait rules
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.
Bear, turkey and bird units in Mecosta County
Bear drawing and harvest
Bear licenses for Mecosta County are drawn by unit: Gladwin and Baldwin. Those units registered 147 bears in 2025 (preliminary), unit-wide.
| BMU | Period | 2026 dates | Quota | Nonresident max | 2025 applicants | 2025 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | 1 | Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 | 95 | 4 | 1,165 | 8–9 |
| Baldwin | 1 | Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 | 395 | 19 | 2,762 | 7–8 |
| Unit | Registered, 2024 | Registered, 2025* | Success rate 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | 43 | 33 | 48% |
| Baldwin | 150 | 114 | 42% |
Wild turkey
For spring turkeys Mecosta County is unit NN; the 2026 hunts below are the latest published, and 2027 dates are not out yet. Fall turkey is unit I, Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026, quota unlimited. Reported 2026 turkeys in Mecosta County: 283 spring, 9 fall to date. Survey estimates for fall 2025 in Mecosta County: 76 birds taken.
| Unit | Season 2026 | Quota | Hunt number |
|---|---|---|---|
| NN | April 18–May 1 | 18,000 | 0134 |
| Statewide | May 2–May 31 | Unlimited | 0234 |
Upland and waterfowl
Bear drawing by unit · Turkey unit details
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.
Mecosta County legal hunting light
Ducks and geese stop at sunset and early teal and woodcock start at sunrise; these deer times are for big game and most small game.
| 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.
Mecosta County town guides and adjacent counties
Mecosta County has 4 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Big Rapidsseat · 8,565 residents (2024) · 20,373 public acres close by
- Barryton411 residents (2024) · 9,264 public acres close by
- Mecosta475 residents (2024) · 9,070 public acres close by
- Paris18,457 public acres close by
Cross the Mecosta County line and you are in one of 6 Michigan counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Mecosta County processors, taxidermists and shops
Listings with a Mecosta County address lead each group, and shops just over the line fill it out.
DNR and agency offices
Wildlife field offices keep short hours and share one DNR phone line; call first.
Meat processors
Taxidermy
Preserves and guides
Gun and bow shops
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.
Before you burn in Mecosta County
Mecosta County status today: open the Michigan county list.
- Permit season: 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): Mecosta County is not on this list.
- Who sets a ban: (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.
Places to shoot in Mecosta County
The first six Mecosta County ranges are cards; any others are in the table.
Takes sporting clays, rifle, handgun, shotgun
Takes sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
DNR range nearest the county: Barry County Shooting Range, Barry County, 69 miles.
Shoots coming up here
| Date and event | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 ▸ IDPA Match at Action Pistol Group | Action pistol | Register |
| Nov 12, 2026 ▸ Colorado CHP Renewal at Action Pistol Group | Action pistol | Register |
| Nov 14, 2026 ▸ Intro to Competitive Shooting at Action Pistol Group | Action pistol | Register |
| Nov 21, 2026 ▸ USPSA Match at Action Pistol Group | Action pistol | Register |
| Nov 28, 2026 ▸ Steel Challenge at Action Pistol Group | Steel Challenge | Enter |
| Dec 5, 2026 ▸ IDPA Match at Action Pistol Group | Action pistol | Register |
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Events held in Mecosta County
1 upcoming event (NWTF banquet), read October 22, 2026.
On the calendar
| Dates | Name | Place | Link | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 30, 2027 | Crossroads Chapter NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Big Rapids (Mecosta Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
Mecosta County hunting questions
How many DMUs touch Mecosta County?
4 units: DMU 054, DMU 354, DMU 359 and DMU 486.
How does a Mecosta County hunter give a deer to Hunters Feeding Michigan?
Take it tagged and reported to a participating processor; Kellysdeerprocessing.Com is the closest name we list.
How does Mecosta County rank for deer harvest?
29th of 83 counties in 2025 (4,353 deer).
Is there an antlerless quota for Mecosta County?
No per-unit quota; licenses sell over the counter and 10 may be used in the county.
Does the Lower Peninsula bait ban cover Mecosta County?
Yes. Every Lower Peninsula county is under it.
How many CWD deer has Michigan found?
389 confirmed since 2015, statewide.
What turkey unit is Mecosta County in?
Spring unit NN, fall unit I.
Which bear unit is Mecosta County in?
Gladwin and Baldwin, by the DNR bear unit layer.
How do I report a deer shot in Mecosta County?
Online or in the Hunt Fish app within 72 hours of recovery, before you hand it to anyone.
Which state game areas are in Mecosta County?
Martiny Lake State Game Area and Haymarsh Lake State Game Area.
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.
Mecosta County trip checklist
DMU lines in Mecosta County follow roads and rivers as well as county borders, so confirm your unit on the DNR map before you buy licenses.
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: James St. John (CC BY 2.0); RTD Photography (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0); born1945 (CC BY 2.0); michaelhunter5 (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).