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2026-27 · deer Zone 3
Ottawa County Hunting
Reported deer since 2022, CWD testing by year, bear and turkey numbers, state game areas and forest acres, and the dates that reach Ottawa County from September through March.
Photo: Don Henise (CC BY 2.0)
Ottawa County stretches over 564 square miles in southwest Michigan, run from Grand Haven. Its Vintage 2024 Census estimate is 306,235 residents (+3.4% since 2020). Zone 3 applies county-wide, split into 3 management units. The closest DNR counter is the Plainwell customer service center. Enforcement here belongs to DNR District 7. Ottawa County touches 3 state game areas and 2 other public properties.
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 Ottawa County
Every hunt that reaches Ottawa County
For Ottawa County, 44 segments cover deer, small game, waterfowl and furbearers this license year.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or unit | Opening | Closing | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Bobcat Unit H | Jan 1, 2027 | Jan 11, 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.
Ottawa County deer units, dates and baiting
The use limit for Ottawa County is 5: that many universal antlerless licenses can be filled inside the county. Antlerless-only firearm hunts open here twice, Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and again Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Antler rules in Ottawa County are the statewide ones.
| DMU | Unit name | Kind | Universal antlerless limit | Point rule | 2025 harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 070 | Ottawa county | County unit | 5 | Statewide only | 3,610 |
| DMU 341 | Sparta Unit; Kent – Muskegon south – Ottawa | Overlay unit | 5 | Statewide only | — |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multi-county | Overlay unit | 5 | Statewide only | — |
Rifle season
Nov 15 to Nov 30, 2026 is the firearm season; the December hunt follows Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026.
Archery dates
Archery opens Oct 1, pauses for firearm, resumes Dec 1.
Liberty and Independence
Two special hunts come early: Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and Oct 15 to Oct 18, 2026.
Baiting rule
Hunters in Ottawa County may not bait or feed deer.
Every Michigan deer unit · Universal antlerless licenses
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.
Ottawa County: state and federal land
The map drops a pin on each of the 5 Ottawa County properties and on 5 close neighbours outside it. Private timber land in the Commercial Forest program adds 121 walk-in acres.
- State game areas, 3 hereGrand Haven State Game Area (1,450 acres), Olive Township State Game Area (247 acres), Blendon Township State Game Area (180 acres)
- Recreation areas (1)Bass River Recreation Area (1,662 acres)
- Recreation area wildlife units, 1 listedBakale Wildlife Unit of Bass River State Recreation Area (653 acres)
Short drives past the line: Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center 11,182 acres, 17 miles out; Muskegon State Game Area 15,691 acres, 18 miles out; Duck Lake State Park 739 acres, 22 miles out; Rogue River State Game Area 6,200 acres, 30 miles out; Allegan State Game Area 51,506 acres, 35 miles out.
Closed to hunting and trapping in Ottawa County: Grand Haven State Park, Holland State Park and P.J. Hoffmaster State Park.
Michigan land index · Game areas · About 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.
Ottawa County reported deer by year
Hunters reported 3,610 deer from Ottawa County in 2025: 1,843 antlered and 1,767 antlerless. That is 4% below the 2022 count of 3,758; the high year in the series is 2022 at 3,758. So far in 2026, with the firearm season still ahead, 736 deer have been reported.
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (season open) | 389 | 347 | 736 |
| 2025 | 1,843 | 1,767 | 3,610 |
| 2024 | 1,712 | 1,551 | 3,263 |
| 2023 | 1,927 | 1,516 | 3,443 |
| 2022 | 2,077 | 1,681 | 3,758 |
DNR Harvest Report Summary (reported deer by county, all seasons, read October 22, 2026; 2026 is in progress). Checked October 22, 2026.
Ottawa County CWD testing and TB rules
Ottawa County is part of the 19-county CWD management zone. CWD has not been confirmed in wild deer from Ottawa County. The DNR CWD data pages show 296 tested and 0 positive in 2022. Hunters Feeding Michigan takes deer from here without a test.
| Year | Deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 296 | 0 |
Michigan CWD and TB page · Why the LP bans bait
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.
Ottawa County bear quotas and turkey hunts
Bear units and quotas
No bear licenses are issued for Ottawa County, part of the closed Dansville BMU.
Gobblers
Spring 2026 hunt numbers for unit ZZ are listed below; 2027 is not yet set. The fall hunt for Ottawa County is unit I, Sep 15 to Nov 14, 2026. Mandatory reporting, new in 2026, shows 382 spring turkeys from Ottawa County and 24 so far this fall. An estimated 175 fall turkeys came from Ottawa County in 2025.
| Spring 2026 unit | Dates | Quota | Hunt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | May 2–May 31 | Unlimited | 0234 |
| ZZ* | April 18–May 31 | Unlimited | 0301 |
| ZZ | April 18–May 1 | 8,000 | 0302 |
| ZZ | May 2–31 | 8,000 | 0303 |
Ducks, pheasants, quail, bobcat
Bear quotas by unit · Turkey units M, NN and ZZ
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.
Ottawa County legal hunting light
Michigan deer hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The DNR prints one Zone A table and adds 6, 12 or 18 minutes for Zones B, C and D.
| Date | Season point | Zone A | Zone B | Zone C | Zone D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Ottawa County base towns and next-door counties
Head counts are Vintage 2024 Census figures; Census-designated places carry none.
- Grand Havencounty seat · 11,045 residents · 1,920 acres of public land in 10 miles
- Nunica3,117 acres of public land in 10 miles
- Spring Lake2,510 residents · 2,304 acres of public land in 10 miles
The Census adjacency file pairs Ottawa County with 3 Michigan counties and with Milwaukee (WI) and Racine (WI).
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Ottawa County help once the deer is down
Mileage runs from the county centre point, not by road; phone ahead before a trip to Ottawa County.
DNR doors closest to Ottawa County
Call ahead at any DNR office; hours change through the season.
Getting a deer processed
For a mount
Guides and preserves
Gear 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.
Burning rules in Ottawa County
The Michigan burn ban page shows Ottawa County today.
- Burn permit: 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): Ottawa County is on this list.
- Ban orders: (1) The DNR sets daily burn permit status by county and township ('No' = no open debris burning allowed).
- Campfires while hunting: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Zeroing a rifle in Ottawa County
4 ranges sit within Ottawa County, all of them club, business or private ranges.
Offers sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Offers archery, 3D archery
Echo Point Shooting Range in Allegan County is the nearest DNR range, about 39 miles. Open it
Upcoming here
| When, name | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2027 ▸ Holland’s Original Gun & Knife Show | Gun show | Full details |
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Banquets, classes and trials in Ottawa County
On file for this county: 2 upcoming events (NWTF banquet).
Coming up
| Date | Event | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2027 | North Ottawa Toms NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Allendale (Ottawa Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Mar 26, 2027 | Long Range Longbeards NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Zeeland (Ottawa Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
Ottawa County FAQ
Must a Ottawa County deer be tested before Hunters Feeding Michigan takes it?
No. Ottawa County is on neither donation testing list.
What share of Ottawa County deer were antlerless in 2025?
49%: 1,767 of 3,610.
Why is bear hunting closed in Ottawa County?
The DNR defines the Dansville unit but schedules no hunt there.
When does deer baiting open in Ottawa County?
It never opens; the ban runs year-round.
What public hunting land does Ottawa County offer?
5 listed properties.
Do I have to report a turkey from Ottawa County?
Yes. Since 2026 turkeys must be reported within 72 hours, online or in the app.
Do turkey hunters wear orange in Ottawa County?
No. Turkey hunters are exempt.
Can I report a deer in the app in Ottawa County?
Yes, through the DNR Hunt Fish app within 72 hours.
Is there an early antlerless hunt in Ottawa County?
Yes, the antlerless-only firearm weekend of Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026.
Can I carry a rifle before the Ottawa County opener?
Not Nov. 10-14, the quiet period, except when transported to camp or a range.
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.
Ottawa County: before the opener
Buy licenses on DNR eLicense or the Hunt Fish app and carry them afield. Local township rules limit hunting or shooting in parts of the county.
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: kirsten.elise (CC BY-SA 2.0); rkramer62 (CC BY 2.0); GregGilbert1 (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); ksblack99 (Public Domain Mark 1.0).