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Northern Lower Peninsula · 2026-27
Alcona County Hunting
Deer units and antlerless limits, reported harvest since 2022, CWD testing, the baiting rule, bear, turkey and waterfowl units and every public property in Alcona County, all taken from DNR data.
Photo: Huron-Manistee National Forests (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Alcona County covers 675 square miles of land and 1,116 of inland water, with county offices in Harrisville. The Census counted 10,624 people there for 2024, about 16 to each square mile. For deer it is Zone 2 ground throughout, under 3 units. The Roscommon office is the nearest of the 13 DNR customer service centers. DNR law enforcement places it in District 5. 3 public properties on the state and federal lists sit at least partly inside the line, 1 state game area 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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Alcona County
What is open in Alcona County this season
Archery and the Nov. 15 rifle opener are statewide, but bear units, fall turkey units, waterfowl zones and bobcat units decide the rest for Alcona County.
| 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) | Red Oak BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (archery only) | Red Oak BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| Elk | Hunt period 1 | Elk unit X | Sep 23, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Elk | Hunt period 2 | Elk unit X | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 15, 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 C | Jan 1, 2027 | 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.
Alcona County DMUs, limits and antler rules
New for 2026, use limits cap antlerless licenses by county; Alcona County allows 10. Two antlerless-only gun windows apply: Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Alcona County has no extra antler point rule beyond the statewide 4-point restricted tag. A $5 DMU 487 antlerless license is sold for the northeast unit.
| Unit | DNR name | Type | Antlerless cap | Antler restriction | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 001 | Alcona county | County unit | 10 | Statewide only | 1,424 |
| DMU 452 | TB core area | Overlay unit | 10 | Statewide only | 8,122 |
| DMU 487 | Northeast Lower Peninsula multi-county | Overlay unit | 10 | Statewide only | — |
Gun deer
The firearm opener is Nov 15, 2026, closing Nov 30; three December firearm days follow.
Archery deer
Early archery Oct 1 to Nov 14, 2026; late archery Dec 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
September and October hunts
Youth hunters take to the woods Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 in the Liberty Hunt.
Bait status
No bait and no feeding: Alcona County is under the Lower Peninsula ban.
Compare DMUs · Use limits statewide
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.
Alcona County game areas, forests and refuges
Alcona County overlaps 3 properties on the land list, from state game areas to parks and refuges. The DNR forest land count for Alcona County is 7,457 acres, under Atlanta Forest Management Unit and Grayling Forest Management Unit. The Forest Service holds 113,648 acres here, open with Michigan licenses and seasons. The DNR parcel list shows 79 Commercial Forest acres in Alcona County. Look up the 2 HAP leases in Alcona County before you go; each has its own hunt types.
- State parks (2)Negwegon State Park (4,079 ac*), Sturgeon Point State Park (50 ac)
- State game areas (1 here)Hubbard Lake State Game Area (522 ac)
- Forest management unitsAtlanta Forest Management Unit (398 ac in county), Grayling Forest Management Unit (7,059 ac in county)
- Forest Service groundHuron-Manistee National Forest (113,648 ac in county), Harrisville Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest)
Across the boundary, closest first: Devil's Lake/River Flooding Wildlife Management Area 911 ac, 25 miles out; Rockport Recreation Area 4,281 ac, 38 miles out; Greasy Creek Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 1,080 ac, 40 miles out.
The DNR park layer shows Harrisville State Park as closed ground.
All 328 land pages · Game area list · Forest management units · Federal hunting land · Commercial Forest lands · HAP 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.
Deer reports from Alcona County
4,071 deer were reported from Alcona County in 2025, ranking it 34th of 83 counties. Set beside the 4,246 of 2022, the 2025 tally moved -4% over three seasons. Reports for 2026 stand at 524 (322 antlerless) and will climb after Nov. 15.
| Year | Antlered harvest | Antlerless harvest | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (in progress) | 202 | 322 | 524 |
| 2025 | 2,162 | 1,909 | 4,071 |
| 2024 | 2,311 | 1,953 | 4,264 |
| 2023 | 2,169 | 1,464 | 3,633 |
| 2022 | 2,250 | 1,996 | 4,246 |
DNR Harvest Report Summary (reported deer by county, all seasons, read October 22, 2026; 2026 is in progress). Checked October 22, 2026.
CWD zones and TB lists for Alcona County
So far no wild deer from Alcona County has tested positive. The DNR lists Alcona County under remainder of state in each year since 2022. The TB core area (DMU 452) includes Alcona County. Donated deer from Alcona County must be bovine TB tested first.
Bovine TB and CWD guide · Two-gallon UP bait rule
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.
Alcona County bear and turkey numbers
Black bears
Alcona County lies in the Red Oak bear management unit. Licenses come by preference-point drawing. Unit-wide, 282 bears were registered in 2025, a preliminary figure.
| Unit | Hunt | Dates | Licenses | Nonres. cap | Applicants 2025 | Points 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak | 1 | Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 | 685 | 34 | 9,336 | 9–10 |
| BMU | 2024 | 2025 preliminary | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak | 346 | 282 | 57% |
Turkey units and reports
Spring turkey unit NN covers the county. Spring 2027 hunts have not been published, so the 2026 hunts are shown. In fall the county is unit I: Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026. Spring 2026 reports put Alcona County at 127 birds. 29% of fall 2025 hunters in Alcona County took a bird, per the DNR survey.
| Unit | Dates (2026) | License quota | Hunt |
|---|---|---|---|
| NN | April 18–May 1 | 18,000 | 0134 |
| Statewide | May 2–May 31 | Unlimited | 0234 |
Elk near Alcona County
Unit X of Michigan's elk range overlaps Alcona County. In 2025 the hunts touching these units put 250 hunters afield and took 161 elk.
| Period | Where | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt period 1 | unit X | Sep 23, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
| Hunt period 2 | units H and X | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 |
| Hunt period 2 | units I and X | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 |
Alcona bird and furbearer units
Bear units · Compare turkey units · Elk units X, H, I
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.
Alcona County shooting time on key dates
Use the column for the hunting-time zone that covers Alcona County on the DNR map. Zone D is the far western Upper Peninsula.
| 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.
Base camps in and around Alcona County
Base camp choices in Alcona County follow, seat first; each town page maps the closest open ground.
- Harrisvillecounty seat · 457 people in 2024 · 9,444 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Hubbard Lake16,564 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Lincoln301 people in 2024 · 25,593 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Lost Lake Woods18,363 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
Tiles below open the 4 counties that share a line with Alcona County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Alcona County hunting services
Alcona County businesses show first; the nearest ones in adjoining counties follow.
Agency desks serving Alcona
Most DNR customer service centers open Monday to Friday; check before you drive.
Deer processors
Mounts and taxidermy
Guided hunts
Outdoor stores
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 Alcona County
Alcona 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): Alcona 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).
- Fires on public land: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Alcona County shooting ranges and match dates
1 range in Alcona County, as of October 22, 2026.
Lines: archery, trap, rifle, handgun, shotgun
For a state-run range, Voyer Lake Shooting Range (Montmorency County) is roughly 47 miles away. Details
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Events held in Alcona County
Read October 22, 2026: 1 upcoming event, covering NWTF banquet.
Still to come
| Held | What | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2027 | Alcona Turkey Trotters NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Mikado (Alcona Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
Alcona County questions from hunters
When is elk season near Alcona County?
Hunt period 1 Sep 23 to Oct 4, 2026, Hunt period 2 Dec 1 to Dec 15, 2026 and Hunt period 2 Dec 1 to Dec 15, 2026.
Which Alcona County meat shops take whole deer?
Start with Community Cuts, Tony's Processing and Klemmers Processing, nearest first.
Is Alcona County in the Upper or Lower Peninsula?
The Lower Peninsula, deer Zone 2.
How much is an antlerless license for Alcona County?
$20 for a universal antlerless license, with 10 usable here.
How many bucks came from Alcona County in 2025?
2,162 antlered deer were reported.
Is Alcona County one of the CWD-positive counties?
No; it is outside the 18-county list of positives.
May I keep a backyard deer feeder in Alcona County?
No. Feeding deer is banned along with baiting across the Lower Peninsula.
How many bear licenses are there for Alcona County?
Red Oak hunt period 1 has a 2026 quota of 685.
Are spring 2027 turkey dates out for Alcona County?
Not yet. The table shows the spring 2026 hunts as the latest published.
Is there state forest land in Alcona County?
Yes, 7,457 acres in the Atlanta Forest Management Unit and Grayling Forest Management Unit FMUs.
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.
Double-check before Alcona County
The DNR can change use limits, quotas and bans between seasons. The regulation summaries and the Wildlife Conservation Order are the legal reference. Township restrictions apply in places; read the local postings.
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: USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Don Henise (CC BY 2.0); BCNH09 (CC BY-SA 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain).