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Southeast Lower Peninsula · 2026-27
Tuscola 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 Tuscola County, all taken from DNR data.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tuscola County covers 805 square miles of land and 109 of inland water, with county offices in Caro. The Census counted 52,757 people there for 2024, about 66 to each square mile. For deer it is Zone 3 ground throughout, under 3 units. The Bay City office is the nearest of the 13 DNR customer service centers. DNR law enforcement places it in District 6. 13 public properties on the state and federal lists sit at least partly inside the line, 11 state game areas 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.
What is open in Tuscola 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 Tuscola 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 | |
| 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.
Tuscola County DMUs, limits and antler rules
New for 2026, use limits cap antlerless licenses by county; Tuscola County allows 5. Two antlerless-only gun windows apply: Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026 and Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Tuscola County has no extra antler point rule beyond the statewide 4-point restricted tag.
| Unit | DNR name | Type | Antlerless cap | Antler restriction | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 079 | Tuscola county | County unit | 5 | Statewide only | — |
| DMU 332 | Greenleaf Unit; Huron – Sanilac – Tuscola | Overlay unit | 5 | Statewide only | 21,339 |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multi-county | Overlay unit | 5 | 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: Tuscola 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.
Tuscola County game areas, forests and refuges
Tuscola County overlaps 13 properties on the land list, from state game areas to parks and refuges. The DNR parcel list shows 80 Commercial Forest acres in Tuscola County.
- State game areas (11 here)Deford State Game Area (10,393 ac), Tuscola State Game Area (9,095 ac), Vassar State Game Area (3,435 ac), Murphy Lake State Game Area (2,715 ac), Gagetown State Game Area (1,344 ac*), Cass City State Game Area (1,202 ac*), Elmwood Township State Game Area (272 ac), Columbia Township State Game Area (210 ac), Almer Township State Game Area (160 ac), Denmark Township State Game Area (91 ac), Clark Lake State Game Area (89 ac)
- State wildlife areas in the county (2)Fish Point State Wildlife Area (9,514 ac), Quanicassee State Wildlife Area (5,207 ac*)
Across the boundary, closest first: Brookfield Township No.1 State Game Area 203 ac, 19 miles out; Brookfield Township No.2 State Game Area 39 ac, 20 miles out; Wildfowl Bay State Wildlife Area 15,808 ac, 22 miles out; Sanilac State Game Area 1,578 ac, 23 miles out; Crow Island State Game Area 4,221 ac, 23 miles out.
All 328 land pages · Game area list · Commercial Forest lands
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 Tuscola County
7,100 deer were reported from Tuscola County in 2025, ranking it 5th of 83 counties. Set beside the 6,651 of 2022, the 2025 tally moved +7% over three seasons. Reports for 2026 stand at 1,543 (1,003 antlerless) and will climb after Nov. 15.
| Year | Antlered harvest | Antlerless harvest | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (in progress) | 540 | 1,003 | 1,543 |
| 2025 | 3,380 | 3,720 | 7,100 |
| 2024 | 3,365 | 3,771 | 7,136 |
| 2023 | 3,447 | 2,761 | 6,208 |
| 2022 | 3,711 | 2,940 | 6,651 |
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 Tuscola County
So far no wild deer from Tuscola County has tested positive. County testing rows: 393 tested and 0 positive in 2022. Donated deer from here need no CWD or TB test.
| Harvest year | Deer tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 393 | 0 |
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.
Tuscola County bear and turkey numbers
Black bears
There is no bear hunt in Tuscola County; the Dansville BMU is closed.
Turkey units and reports
Spring turkey unit ZZ 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 Tuscola County at 423 birds. 21% of fall 2025 hunters in Tuscola County took a bird, per the DNR survey.
| Unit | Dates (2026) | License 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 |
Tuscola bird and furbearer units
Cass City is on the 2026 pheasant release list. Tuscola County holds the managed waterfowl area at Fish Point.
Bear units · Compare turkey 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.
Tuscola County shooting time on key dates
Use the column for the hunting-time zone that covers Tuscola 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 Tuscola County
Base camp choices in Tuscola County follow, seat first; each town page maps the closest open ground.
- Carocounty seat · 4,262 people in 2024 · 21,900 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Cass City2,484 people in 2024 · 14,491 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Fairgrove523 people in 2024 · 13,133 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Gagetown318 people in 2024 · 7,303 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Kingston393 people in 2024 · 13,793 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Mayville906 people in 2024 · 14,516 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Millington1,014 people in 2024 · 4,692 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Reese1,261 people in 2024 · 3,986 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Unionville484 people in 2024 · 16,610 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Vassar2,692 people in 2024 · 8,748 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
Tiles below open the 6 counties that share a line with Tuscola County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Tuscola County hunting services
Tuscola County businesses show first; the nearest ones in adjoining counties follow.
Agency desks serving Tuscola
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.
Tuscola County burn ban and campfire rules
Today's Tuscola County status is on the Michigan burn ban 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): Tuscola County is on this list.
- Who sets a ban: (1) The DNR sets daily burn permit status by county and township ('No' = no open debris burning allowed).
- Warming fires: Campfires for cooking or recreation need no DNR permit.
Tuscola County shooting ranges and match dates
8 ranges in Tuscola County, as of October 22, 2026.
Lines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, rifle, handgun
Lines: trap, skeet, handgun, archery, shotgun
| Range or club | Closest town | Lines on file | Who may shoot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Sportsman's Club (sportsmen's club) | Unionville | trap/skeet/5-stand/handgun/smallbore rimfire/shotgun | Access not stated |
| Marlette Sportsmens Assoc (archery range) | Kingston | archery/3D archery | Members only |
Nearest DNR range: Lapeer Shooting Range (Lapeer Pit) in Lapeer County, about 26 miles from the county center. Details
Ranges from the DNR shooting page, the DNR range list and directory listings, checked October 22, 2026.
Events held in Tuscola County
DU sportsman bingo, NWTF banquet and UKC youth title hunt: 2 upcoming events and 1 posted result. Read October 22, 2026.
Still to come
| Held | What | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | Tuscola County Chapter "Bingo for Boomsticks" Event / DU sportsman bingo | Caro Knights of Columbus Hall in Caro (Tuscola Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Apr 17, 2027 | Sebewaing Gobblers NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Unionville (Tuscola Co.) | Event details | Source |
Who placed
| Held | Event | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2026 | 2026 Michigan State Youth Championship (UKC coonhounds) / UKC youth title hunt | Nite Hunt 1st: CH 'PR' Howe's Rock and Roll Shadow (Plott; Drew Howe, MI) 500+ | Source |
Tuscola County questions from hunters
Are antler point rules in force in Tuscola County?
No 3-point rule; the restricted combo tag still needs 4 points.
Which Tuscola County meat shops take whole deer?
Start with Outback Custom Meats, Martin's Meat Processing and J.Deans, Deer Processing and Venison Sausage, nearest first.
Is Tuscola County in the Upper or Lower Peninsula?
The Lower Peninsula, deer Zone 3.
How much is an antlerless license for Tuscola County?
$20 for a universal antlerless license, with 5 usable here.
How many bucks came from Tuscola County in 2025?
3,380 antlered deer were reported.
Is Tuscola 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 Tuscola County?
No. Feeding deer is banned along with baiting across the Lower Peninsula.
Are there bears in Tuscola County?
The DNR sets no season here; bear hunts are north and in the Upper Peninsula.
Are spring 2027 turkey dates out for Tuscola County?
Not yet. The table shows the spring 2026 hunts as the latest published.
Is there state forest land in Tuscola County?
No state forest acres are recorded.
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 Tuscola County
The DNR can change use limits, quotas and bans between seasons. The regulation summaries and the Wildlife Conservation Order are the legal reference.
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); Christian Collins (CC BY-SA 2.0); ilouque (CC BY 2.0); Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); judithjackson957 (CC BY 2.0); btrentler (CC BY 2.0); GlacierNPS (Public domain); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0).