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The northern Lower Peninsula
Charlevoix County Hunting
What Michigan sets for Charlevoix County: deer Zone 2, its DMUs, baiting status, bear unit Red Oak, spring turkey unit NN, plus harvest history and public ground.
Photo: abarndweller (CC BY 2.0)
By the Census measure, Charlevoix County holds 416 square miles of land; its seat is Charlevoix. Around 26,105 people lived there in 2024, 0.2% more than at the 2020 base. Every acre falls in Zone 2; 2 deer units cover it. License questions go to the DNR Newberry Customer Service Center, about 47 miles away. It sits inside DNR Law Enforcement District 3. Our land list holds 2 properties with ground in Charlevoix County, led by Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area at 43,438 acres.
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 Charlevoix County
Charlevoix County openers and closers in one table
Private ground and public ground share these dates in Charlevoix County; 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 | |
| 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.
How Charlevoix County deer rules work
A hunter may fill at most 3 universal antlerless licenses in Charlevoix County; the statewide purchase cap is 10. Charlevoix County is on the early and late antlerless firearm list: Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Antlered deer in DMU 015 and DMU 115 need 3 or more points on one side on a single license or combo regular tag.
| Unit | Name | Type | Antlerless use limit | Antler rule (single license) | Reported deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 015 | Charlevoix county | County unit | 3 | 3+ points | 1,160 |
| DMU 115 | Beaver Island unit | Island/special area | 3 | 3+ points | 220 |
Nov. 15 opener
Regular firearm runs Nov 15 to Nov 30, 2026, then the Lower Peninsula December firearm hunt Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026.
Bow season
The October segment is Oct 1 to Nov 14, 2026 and the late one Dec 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
Early special hunts
Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 is the Liberty Hunt weekend; Oct 15 to Oct 18, 2026 the Independence Hunt.
Bait and feed
Deer baiting is prohibited in Charlevoix County, part of the peninsula-wide ban.
All units and limits · Antlerless license limits
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.
Charlevoix County public properties with acreage
Charlevoix County counts 2 public properties open to hunting; posted safety zones and refuges inside them still apply. Forest Resources Division parcels in Charlevoix County total 32,727 acres. Commercial Forest land, private but open on foot, covers 7,049 acres in Charlevoix County.
- Research areas: 1Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area (43,438 ac*)
- State parks, 1 hereFisherman's Island State Park (3,064 ac)
- FMUs with land hereGaylord Forest Management Unit (32,527 ac in county), Grayling Forest Management Unit (200 ac in county)
Outside the line but near: Leelanau State Park 1,590 ac, 30 miles out; Wilderness State Park 11,159 ac, 30 miles out; O'Neal Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area 1,251 ac, 32 miles out; Strickler Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 2,166 ac, 37 miles out; French Farm Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area 2,948 ac, 38 miles out.
Leave the guns home at Young State Park and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge: the DNR marks them closed.
Land across Michigan · State forest list · Walk-in Commercial Forest
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 reported from Charlevoix County, 2022 on
Mandatory reports show 1,380 deer for Charlevoix County in 2025, 0.5% of the statewide 295,847. Compared with 2022 (1,580 deer), 2025 was -13%, and the best full year is 2024 (1,661). 2026 so far: 88 antlered, 112 antlerless.
| License year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Oct. 22) | 88 | 112 | 200 |
| 2025 | 832 | 548 | 1,380 |
| 2024 | 949 | 712 | 1,661 |
| 2023 | 895 | 592 | 1,487 |
| 2022 | 897 | 683 | 1,580 |
DNR Harvest Report Summary (reported deer by county, all seasons, read October 22, 2026; 2026 is in progress). Checked October 22, 2026.
Charlevoix County deer disease status
Charlevoix County is not among the 18 counties with a CWD-positive wild deer. Focused surveillance here logged 186 tested and 0 positive in 2023. Bovine TB surveillance in 2026 includes Charlevoix County. The donation program needs no disease test for deer from this county.
| Year | Tested | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 186 | 0 |
Disease testing in Michigan · UP baiting window
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.
Charlevoix County: bears, gobblers and birds
Black bear
For bears, Charlevoix County is Red Oak country; each hunt period has its own quota. 282 bears came out of Red Oak in 2025, by the preliminary DNR count.
| Bear unit | Period | Dates 2026 | Quota | NR max | Applied 2025 | Points needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak | 1 | Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 | 685 | 34 | 9,336 | 9–10 |
| BMU | Registered 2024 | Registered 2025 (prelim.) | Success 2024 survey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak | 346 | 282 | 57% |
Turkey hunts
The spring unit is NN. Rows show spring 2026, the most recent published hunts. Fall turkey hunters here use unit I, open Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026. The 2026 turkey count for Charlevoix County stands at 57 (fall still open). Fall 2025 survey: 39 hunters, 5% success.
| Unit | Spring 2026 dates | Licenses | Hunt |
|---|---|---|---|
| NN | April 18–May 1 | 18,000 | 0134 |
| Statewide | May 2–May 31 | Unlimited | 0234 |
Elk units
Charlevoix County lies partly in elk unit X; 70 any-elk and 130 antlerless-only licenses were drawn. The 2025 elk hunts here took 161 animals.
| Period | Units | Begins | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Small game and birds
Bear management units · Turkey units · Elk 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.
Charlevoix County legal hunting light
Every time below comes from the DNR deer table; the B, C and D columns add the offsets printed on the zone map legend.
| When | Event | A zone | B zone | C zone | D zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Charlevoix County towns and the counties that touch it
The acreage beside each town is open land inside a 10-mile ring, measured from GIS layers.
- Charlevoixcourthouse town · 2,332 inhabitants · 3,209 public acres within 10 miles
- Boyne Falls375 inhabitants · 48,190 public acres within 10 miles
- Ironton3,549 public acres within 10 miles
- Norwood4,225 public acres within 10 miles
- St. James36,798 public acres within 10 miles
- Walloon Lake39,277 public acres within 10 miles
Charlevoix County borders 7 Michigan counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Venison cutting and mounts in Charlevoix County
Michigan publishes no list of taxidermy permit holders or guides, so those rows come from directories.
Charlevoix DNR and Forest Service contacts
For licenses, permits and hunter education tests, start at the customer service center.
Processors nearby
Taxidermy shops
Preserves nearby
Sporting goods
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.
Can you burn in Charlevoix County?
Today's Charlevoix County status is on the Michigan burn ban list.
- When a permit is needed: 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): Charlevoix County is not on this list.
- Who declares bans: (1) The DNR sets daily burn permit status by county and township ('No' = no open debris burning allowed).
- Public land fires: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Charlevoix County ranges, clubs and shoots
This guide counts 2 ranges in Charlevoix County.
Set up for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle
Set up for archery, 3D archery
Supply Road Shooting Range in Grand Traverse County is the nearest DNR range, about 67 miles. See the range
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Charlevoix County: smaller state wildlife and game areas
1 smaller public area in Charlevoix County, 3,064 acres together, each with its own section below: acres, office, zones, DNR map and the facts its agency documents give.
Fisherman's Island State Park
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | State Park |
| Acres | 3,064 (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS Acres, polygons marked Open or Open-Restricted) |
| County | Charlevoix |
| Map point | 45.2679, -85.3530 (directions) |
| Zones | Deer Zone 2; Bear Management Unit Red Oak; Spring Turkey Hunt Unit NM; Waterfowl Middle Zone |
What Charlevoix County hunters ask the DNR
What happens after an elk is killed in Charlevoix County?
It is reported the same day and taken to the DNR for sealing within 72 hours.
Who cuts venison for Charlevoix County hunters?
Our closest listings are Blaskowski Meat Processing; ring before you drop off a deer.
Do several DMUs overlap in Charlevoix County?
Yes, 2 of them: DMU 015 and DMU 115.
Do DMA permits count toward the Charlevoix County limit?
No. Deer management assistance permits do not count against use limits.
What was the best recent deer year in Charlevoix County?
2024, with 1,661 deer reported.
Where can I get a Charlevoix County deer tested for CWD?
Report the harvest first; the DNR lists drop boxes, staffed sites and free lymph-node kits on its CWD pages.
Do bear hunters in Charlevoix County bait?
Yes, starting 31 days before the unit opener, with deer foods limited.
What are the Red Oak bear dates for Charlevoix County hunters?
Period 1 runs Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8; any other periods are in the table above.
How many turkeys were reported in Charlevoix County?
55 in spring 2026.
Which Charlevoix County public tracts should a first-timer scout?
The three largest on our list: Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area and Fisherman's Island State Park.
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.
Heading to Charlevoix County
Dates on this page belong to the 2026-27 license year only; recheck the summaries if you plan ahead.
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: mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); fidelis_o (CC BY 2.0); David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); AdamB1995 (CC BY 2.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); NWCouncil (CC BY 2.0); lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0).