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Benzie County · Northern Lower Peninsula
Michigan hunting around Bendon
Public ground measured from Bendon, the Benzie County deer units and antlerless limits, bear and turkey units, CWD and baiting status, reported harvest and the shops that serve hunters.
Photo: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (20 mi from Bendon), standing in for the town. clembore (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Benzie County, in the northern Lower Peninsula, is home to the unincorporated community (a Census-designated place) of Bendon. The closest edge of Grass Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area sits less than a mile out from Bendon, making it the base town. A 10-mile circle around Bendon takes in close to 62,155 mapped public acres on 5 properties. Closest on the list is Grass Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area, with its nearest line less than a mile out.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer; public acreage and boundary distances within 10 miles are a GIS measure over the DNR wildlife property, park hunting-land and state forest layers and the USFS, USFWS and NPS boundaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Bendon
Bendon: DMUs, antler rules and baiting
County DMUs sit under bigger overlay units in Michigan, so a spot near Bendon can be in several at once.
All of Benzie County is deer Zone 2. The DNR set the Benzie County antlerless use limit at 3 licenses for 2026-27. Expect an antler point rule in DMU 010 (3+ points on one side). Benzie County is open to the early antlerless firearm hunt (Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026) and the late one (Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027).
| DMU | Kind | Antler points | Antlerless cap | 2025 harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 010 (Benzie County) | County unit | 3+ points on one side | 3 | 1,323 |
No CWD-positive free-ranging deer is listed for Benzie County. The 2024 CWD table shows 0 positive of 131 tested in Benzie County. The DNR donation page lists Benzie County as a bovine TB test county. The Lower Peninsula baiting and feeding ban covers this county.
Zones and units from counties.json (DNR layers) and the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits, CWD areas, TB area and baiting from the DNR 2026 deer regulation summary; county CWD tests from DNR CWD testing data; donation testing from the DNR deer donation page; DMU harvest from the DNR harvest report summary. Checked October 22, 2026.
Land open to hunting around Bendon
Sorted by nearest boundary, then by centre distance. Each property page carries its own closed areas, safety zones and season notes.
314,151 acres make Traverse City Forest Management Unit (State Forest) the largest property near Bendon. None of the Wildlife Division game areas falls within 10 miles of Bendon. SWMA floodings in reach: Grass Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area and 1 more. State forest land nearby falls under Traverse City Forest Management Unit (State Forest) and Cadillac Forest Management Unit (State Forest). Little Betsie River Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) offers managed aspen for grouse.
| Name | Direction | Land type | Manager | Nearest line | Centre point | Size (ac) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area 0.6 mi to Bendon Main area | S | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 0.6 mi | 2.1 mi | 2,627 | – |
| Traverse City Forest Management Unit (State Forest) 0.6 mi to Bendon | E | State forest unit | DNR Forest | 0.6 mi | 8.7 mi | 314,151 | deer, bear |
| Lake DuBonnet Flooding State Wildlife Management Area 3.6 mi to Bendon | NE | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 3.6 mi | 4.5 mi | 1,040 | – |
| Little Betsie River Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 6.3 mi to Bendon | S | GEMS grouse site | DNR GEMS | 6.3 mi | 6.3 mi | 4,183 | ruffed grouse, woodcock |
| Cadillac Forest Management Unit (State Forest) 8.7 mi to Bendon | S | State forest unit | DNR Forest | 8.7 mi | 37 mi | 234,198 | deer, bear |
| Betsie River State Game Area 18 mi to Bendon | W | State game area | DNR Wildlife | 10+ mi | 18 mi | 741 | – |
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 20 mi to Bendon | N | National lakeshore | Park Service | 10+ mi | 20 mi | – | Reserved hunts |
| Petobego State Game Area 25 mi to Bendon | NE | State game area | DNR Wildlife | 10+ mi | 25 mi | 787 | – |
| Headquarters Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area 25 mi to Bendon | E | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 10+ mi | 25 mi | 715 | – |
| Tippy Dam Recreation Area 26 mi to Bendon | S | Recreation area | DNR Parks | 10+ mi | 26 mi | 102 | – |
Lands, acreage and notes from DNR property lists, DNR GIS acreage and federal hunting pages (lands.json); boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json; centre distances are straight lines from the Census point for Bendon. Checked October 22, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Bendon area deer and turkey harvest
County totals from the DNR harvest report summary, with the 2026 figure still growing.
In 2025, 1,323 deer were reported from Benzie County. Among the 83 counties, Benzie placed 69th. The 2022 count stood at 1,412. The running 2026 figure is 143 deer, before the Nov. 15 opener.
The 2026 turkey total for Benzie County is 61 so far, 74th among counties. Survey estimates for fall 2025 put Benzie County at 24 turkeys from 137 hunters.
Deer and 2026 turkey from the DNR harvest report summary (2026 is season to date, retrieved October 22, 2026); fall 2025 turkey survey from the DNR wildlife publications (Report 3754). Checked October 22, 2026.
Michigan DNR offices for Bendon hunters
DNR customer service centers sell licenses and answer hunting questions in person. The one nearest Bendon is listed first.
DNR Traverse City Customer Service Center · E 9.5 mi
Huron-Manistee National Forests Cadillac/Manistee Ranger Station, about 29 mi out
Huron-Manistee National Forests Supervisor's Office, about 36 mi out
From the DNR customer service center page and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 22, 2026.
Benzie County bear and turkey units near Bendon
What a Bendon hunter applies for: the bear unit and its numbers, then the turkey and elk units.
Benzie County falls in the Baldwin BMU; bear licenses are drawn with preference points. The 2024 DNR survey put Baldwin BMU hunter success at 42%. Bendon turkey hunters apply in unit NN; the spring 2027 structure is not published yet. Unit I fall turkey: Sept. 15 – Nov. 14, licenses unlimited.
| Unit | Periods | Quota 2026 | Points to draw | Bears, 2024 | Bears, 2025* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin BMU | 1 | 395 | 7–8 | 150 | 114 |
| Turkey unit | Hunt number | Open | License quota | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring unit NN | 0134 | April 18 – May 1 | 18,000 | Spring 2026 |
| Fall unit I | 0401 | Sept. 15 – Nov. 14 | Unlimited | Fall 2026 |
Units from counties.json (DNR layers); bear hunts, quotas and points from the DNR 2026 bear summary; registered bears and the 2024 survey from the DNR bear data and bear harvest reports; turkey hunts from the DNR spring turkey summary and fall turkey summary; small game units from the small game, waterfowl and fur harvester summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Bendon: hunting calendar
Archery and the Nov. 15 rifle opener are statewide, but bear units, fall turkey units, waterfowl zones and bobcat units decide the rest for Bendon.
| 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 | |
| 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.
Bendon venison processors, taxidermists and gun shops
The DNR issues taxidermy permits but publishes no list of holders, so taxidermists come from directory listings. Call before you drive.
| Kind | 15 mi | 35 mi | Closest listing | Distance | In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer cutting | 0 | 1 | Chupp's Custom Butchering | 26 mi SE | Manton |
| Taxidermists | 3 | 13 | Spikehorn whitetail shoulder mount`s | 1.3 mi NE | Interlochen |
| Hunting preserves | 1 | 2 | Luther's Pheasant Hunting | 13 mi SE | Buckley |
| Hunting shops | 18 | 40 | The Gun Store | 7.8 mi NE | Traverse City |
Deer cutting
Taxidermists
Hunting preserves
Hunting shops
Processors from the DNR Hunters Feeding Michigan list, DNR deer sample sites and Yellow Pages; shops from the DNR license agent map (license-only counters left out) and Yellow Pages; preserves from the DNR game bird preserve directory and Yellow Pages; taxidermists from Yellow Pages (the DNR taxidermy permit list is not public). Checked October 22, 2026; hours were not checked.
Shooting hours at Bendon
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.
Bendon area hunting events
Read October 22, 2026. 2 upcoming events fall inside about 30 miles, covering NWTF banquet and RMEF banquet.
On the calendar
| Held | What | Miles away | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2027 | Traverse Bay Chapter Banquet in Traverse City, MI / RMEF banquet | 15 | Traverse City (Grand Traverse Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Apr 10, 2027 | Tri-County Longbeards NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | 9 | Thompsonville (Benzie Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
Shooting near Bendon
The three closest to Bendon, each card with its access rule.
Lines: archery, 3D archery
Lines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Lines: trap, skeet, 5-stand, rifle, handgun
About 24 miles to Supply Road Shooting Range, the nearest range on DNR land. Hours and rules
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 22, 2026.
Bendon hunting FAQ
Which public hunting land lies closest to Bendon?
Closest is Grass Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area, with its nearest line less than a mile out. Second closest to Bendon is Traverse City Forest Management Unit (State Forest).
Is Benzie County in the North, Middle or South Zone?
Benzie County is in the Middle Zone. Season dates for each zone are in the table above.
What deer units cover Benzie County?
The county’s unit is DMU 010 (Benzie County). DMU 010 carries antler point limits.
How many mapped public acres can Bendon hunters reach?
Roughly 62,155 acres sit inside 10 miles. Counting land farther out, the table on this page lists 10 places to hunt.
May I bait deer near Bendon?
Benzie County: no CWD on record. Baiting and feeding deer are banned across the Lower Peninsula.
What is the antlerless license limit in Benzie County?
The limit for Benzie County is 3. No drawing is needed; a hunter may buy up to 10 a year.
How many turkeys does Benzie County report?
Benzie County is unit NN in spring and I in fall. The fall season is Sept. 15 – Nov. 14. 61 turkeys have been reported from the county in 2026.
Which BMU holds Bendon?
Benzie County is in the Baldwin BMU. 395 2026 licenses, by drawing. 114 bears were registered there in 2025 (preliminary).
What time can I shoot on the firearm opener near Bendon?
Opening day legal light is 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. in Zone A, later to the west.
What dates is the firearm deer season around Bendon?
The regular firearm season runs Nov 15 to Nov 30, 2026. The three-day LP December firearm hunt is Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026.
Who mounts deer for Bendon hunters?
Spikehorn whitetail shoulder mount`s lies 1 mile from Bendon. 13 taxidermy shops fall within 35 miles of Bendon.
Which processor nearest Bendon will cut a Michigan deer?
Shortest drive: Chupp's Custom Butchering, 26 miles. 1 deer processor are on file within 35 miles of Bendon.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above; harvest reporting and the antlered deer limit from the DNR 2026 deer regulation summary. Checked October 22, 2026.
Bendon trip checklist
Before leaving Bendon, confirm your DMU, the antlerless use limit and any closed areas on the property you plan to hunt.
Other photos on this page: GlacierNPS (Public domain); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); Don Henise (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0); Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); RTD Photography (CC BY-SA 2.0).