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Macomb County · Lower Peninsula hunting
Sterling Heights, Michigan hunting guide
Trip notes for hunters staying in Sterling Heights: nearby public land with acres and miles, 2026-27 dates for Macomb County, DNR shooting hours and the closest processors.
Photo: Photo of Bald Mountain Recreation Area, 16 mi from Sterling Heights; the town itself is not shown. Michelle Caldwell (CC0 1.0)
In Macomb County, Sterling Heights is a city in southeast Michigan. 134,342 people lived in Sterling Heights in the 2024 estimate. The 10-mile ring around Sterling Heights holds no mapped public hunting acres. The nearest choice is Salt River Marsh State Wildlife Area, roughly 14 miles away by its mapped centre.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; 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 Sterling Heights
State and federal hunting land by miles from Sterling Heights
Properties whose boundary comes within 10 miles of Sterling Heights lead the table, nearest line first; mapped lands farther out follow by distance to their centre.
No state game or wildlife area reaches inside 10 miles of Sterling Heights.
| Property | Direction | Category | Agency | Boundary miles | Centre miles | Acres | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt River Marsh State Wildlife Area 14 mi to Sterling Heights | NE | State wildlife area | DNR Wildlife | farther | 14 mi | 60 | – |
| W.C. Wetzel Recreation Area 14 mi to Sterling Heights | NE | Recreation area | DNR Parks | farther | 14 mi | 911 | – |
| Chesterfield Township State Game Area 15 mi to Sterling Heights | NE | State game area | DNR Wildlife | farther | 15 mi | 142 | – |
| Bald Mountain Recreation Area 16 mi to Sterling Heights | NW | Recreation area | DNR Parks | farther | 16 mi | 4,519 | Restricted zones |
| St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area 19 mi to Sterling Heights | E | State wildlife area | DNR Wildlife | farther | 19 mi | 30,158 | – |
| St. John's Marsh State Wildlife Area 22 mi to Sterling Heights | E | State wildlife area | DNR Wildlife | farther | 22 mi | 3,059 | – |
| Horseshoe Lake State Game Area 23 mi to Sterling Heights | NW | State game area | DNR Wildlife | farther | 23 mi | 419 | – |
| Pontiac Lake Recreation Area 23 mi to Sterling Heights | W | Recreation area | DNR Parks | farther | 23 mi | 3,757 | – |
| Proud Lake Recreation Area 25 mi to Sterling Heights | W | Recreation area | DNR Parks | farther | 25 mi | 2,433 | Partly closed |
| Algonac State Park 26 mi to Sterling Heights | E | State park | DNR Parks | farther | 26 mi | 1,376 | Partly closed |
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 Sterling Heights. Checked October 22, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Sterling Heights season dates, 2026-27 license year
Private ground and public ground share these dates in Sterling Heights; a state park, refuge or national lakeshore can set its own limits.
| Animal | Segment | Area | Starts | Ends | Open 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.
Sterling Heights deer units, limits and CWD
Deer around Sterling Heights: the zone and units first, then disease rules and the baiting picture.
For deer, Sterling Heights and the rest of Macomb County are Zone 3. The universal antlerless use limit for Macomb County is 5, out of the 10 a hunter may buy statewide. Antlerless-only firearm days reach Macomb County twice: Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
| DMU | Kind | APR | Universal antlerless limit | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 050 (Macomb County) | County unit | None | 5 | 2,360 |
The DNR has listed no CWD deer for Macomb County. 110 deer from Macomb County went through DNR CWD testing in 2022 (0 positive). Like the rest of the Lower Peninsula, the county bans deer baiting and feeding.
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.
Deer and turkey reported near Sterling Heights
Antlered and antlerless reports for Macomb County, plus turkey reports and the fall turkey survey.
For 2025 the Macomb County total was 2,360 reported deer, all seasons. Statewide, Macomb County came in 54th. Reporting began in 2022, when the county logged 2,122. The 2026 season to date shows 427 reported deer.
In the first year of mandatory turkey reports, Macomb County logged 170 spring and 8 fall turkeys to date. The fall 2025 estimate for Macomb County is 63 turkeys (25% success).
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.
Sterling Heights: bear, turkey, elk and small game
Preference points shown are the resident range needed in 2025 for the first hunt period.
Macomb County lies in the Dansville BMU, which has no bear season. Macomb County is spring unit ZZ. Spring 2027 hunts have not been published, so the 2026 hunts are listed. In fall, Macomb County is unit I: Sept. 15 – Nov. 14, quota unlimited.
| Turkey unit | Hunt no. | Runs | Licenses | Which year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring unit ZZ | 0301 | April 18 – May 31 | Unlimited (private land) | Spring 2026 |
| Spring unit ZZ | 0302 | April 18 – May 1 | 8,000 | Spring 2026 |
| Spring unit ZZ | 0303 | May 2 – 31 | 8,000 | 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.
Sterling Heights hunter services, nearest listing first
Gas stations, grocery and hardware counters that only sell licenses are left out; the shop list keeps gun, archery, outdoor and chain sporting stores. Closest donation processor: Uncle Henry's Gourmet Meats (5.9 mi). Stephens Custom Processing is the nearest processor with a DNR sample drop.
| Type | Inside 15 | Inside 35 | Nearest one | Distance | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing shops | 2 | 9 | Uncle Henry's Gourmet Meats | 5.9 mi W | Troy |
| Mount makers | 5 | 29 | J C Taxidermy | 1.3 mi E | Sterling Heights |
| Preserves, guides | 1 | 5 | Global Hunting Adventures | 14 mi NE | Chesterfield |
| Outdoor stores | 84 | 208 | Dick's Sporting Goods | at town N | Sterling Heights |
Processing shops
Mount makers
Preserves, guides
Outdoor stores
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.
Sterling Heights: DNR and Forest Service contacts
Agency offices near Sterling Heights: the closest DNR customer service center, then any wildlife field, Forest Service or refuge office within 40 miles.
DNR Detroit Customer Service Center, 17 mi S
DNR St. Clair Flats Wildlife Area Field Office (23 mi E of town)
DNR Holly Field Office (31 mi NW of town)
From the DNR customer service center page and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 22, 2026.
Sterling Heights shooting time on key dates
Deer hunters at Sterling Heights get legal light from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, read from the DNR table for the date.
| 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.
Banquets, classes and trials near Sterling Heights
A 30-mile circle drawn around Sterling Heights holds 6 upcoming events. Kinds: DU Firearm Frenzy, DU dinner, DU sportsmen's night, NWTF banquet and outdoor show.
Next dates
| Date | Event | Away | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Almont-Capac Chapter Sportsmans Night Out / DU sportsmen's night | 23 | The Bells Event Center in Almont (Lapeer Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Nov 7, 2026 | St. Clair Flats Sportsman's Night Out / DU sportsmen's night | 25 | Algonac Lions Club in Algonac (St. Clair Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Dec 3, 2026 | West Oakland, Ducks Unlimited, Sportsman's Night Out / DU dinner | 23 | White Lake Inn in White Lake (Oakland Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Feb 19, 2027 | Almont/Capac Chapter Firearm Frenzy / DU Firearm Frenzy | 23 | The Bells Event Center in Almont (Lapeer Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Feb 25–28, 2027 | Outdoorama – Ultimate Hunting Show Detroit 2027 / Outdoor show | 24 | Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi (Oakland Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Mar 11, 2027 | Beard and Spurs NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | 6 | Troy (Oakland Co.) | Event details | Source |
Nearest places to shoot from Sterling Heights
Strike Back Tactical Shooting Range is nearest, roughly 5 miles from Sterling Heights.
Set up for archery, 3D archery
Set up for archery, 3D archery
About 15 miles to Bald Mountain Shooting Range, the nearest range on DNR land. Open
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 22, 2026.
What Sterling Heights hunters often ask
Is there a bear season around Sterling Heights?
No bear hunt is held in the Dansville unit. Look to the Baldwin, Gladwin, Red Oak or UP units.
What do the CWD and baiting rules say for Sterling Heights?
No positives are listed. The LP baiting and feeding ban covers it.
When is firearm deer season near Sterling Heights?
Rifles and shotguns come out on Nov 15, 2026, and the season closes Nov 30, 2026. LP hunters get Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026 as well.
How do turkey hunters do near Sterling Heights?
It is unit ZZ for spring birds. Fall hunting runs Sept. 15 – Nov. 14. Hunters reported 178 in 2026 to date.
Is there a deer processor close to Sterling Heights?
Uncle Henry's Gourmet Meats (Troy) is 6 miles from Sterling Heights. Within 35 miles of Sterling Heights: 9 processor listings.
What are the Nov. 15 deer hours near Sterling Heights?
Zone A: 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. Zone B: 6:59 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. Pick yours on the DNR map.
Which DNR license agents serve Sterling Heights?
Agents, eLicense and the Hunt Fish app all sell them; start with a base license. 47 agents on the DNR map lie inside 15 miles of Sterling Heights, led by Wal-Mart #2559. The closest DNR customer service center is DNR Detroit Customer Service Center, 17 miles out.
Can I get a Michigan buck mounted near Sterling Heights?
J C Taxidermy (Sterling Heights) is nearest to Sterling Heights at 1 mile. Around Sterling Heights the 35-mile taxidermist count is 29.
How many antlered deer may a hunter take in Macomb County?
A hunter may take two antlered deer a year (one in DMU 117). Pick single or combo when you buy.
How do Sterling Heights hunters report game?
Report it within 72 hours of recovery, or before handing it to anyone, online or in the Hunt Fish app. Heads are accepted for CWD or TB testing only after the deer is reported. Stephens Custom Processing also has a DNR sample drop for heads.
How does Macomb County rank for reported deer?
Macomb County: 2,360 reported deer in 2025. Statewide rank: 54th of 83.
How far is Sterling Heights from a state game area or state forest?
Begin with Salt River Marsh State Wildlife Area, roughly 14 miles away by its mapped centre. W.C. Wetzel Recreation Area follows it in the Sterling Heights table.
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.
Last look before a Sterling Heights hunt
Wear hunter orange from Aug. 15 to April 30 when the rules call for it, and report every deer within 72 hours.
Other photos on this page: NPS Photo (Public domain); GollyGforce – Living My Worst Nightmare (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); ksblack99 (Public Domain Mark 1.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); GlacierNPS (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Photommo! (CC BY-SA 2.0); fidelis_o (CC BY 2.0).