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DNR elk summary 2026
Michigan Elk Management Units
Twelve elk management units in the northern Lower Peninsula, three of them open in 2026: X, H and I. 200 licenses (70 any-elk, 130 antlerless-only), Michigan residents only, with every unit's counties, the hunt periods and the survey results.
Photo: Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0)
Michigan elk hunting is a resident-only drawing. Applications ran May 1-June 1, 2026 for $5 (+$100 elk receipt if drawn), and results came June 22, 2026; the DNR expected over 47,000 applicants for 200 licenses. Period 1 runs Sep 23 to Oct 4, 2026 in unit X; period 2 runs Dec 1 to Dec 15, 2026 in units H and X or I and X. Chances are weighted rather than built on points, and a hunter who draws an any-elk license cannot draw again for life; an antlerless license brings a 10-year wait. Every hunter attends a mandatory orientation, reports the elk the day it is taken and presents it for sealing within 72 hours.
2026 elk summary, WCO 12.500-12.512, checked October 22, 2026.
Elk hunts and units, 2026
Only units X, H and I are open in 2026 (period 1: X; period 2: H and X, I and X). Other units remain defined in the WCO.
| Hunt period | Units | Dates | Licenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt period 1 | Unit X | Sep 23-Oct 4, 2026 | 40 any-elk and 60 antlerless-only licenses; Michigan residents only; drawing. |
| Hunt period 2 | Units H and X | Dec 1-Dec 15, 2026 | 10 any-elk and 30 antlerless-only licenses. |
| Hunt period 2 | Units I and X | Dec 1-Dec 15, 2026 | 20 any-elk and 40 antlerless-only licenses. |
| Unit | Counties named in the WCO | Open 2026 | WCO |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Montmorency · Otsego | No | 12.500 |
| B | Cheboygan · Montmorency · Otsego · Presque Isle | No | 12.501 |
| C | Montmorency · Presque Isle | No | 12.502 |
| D | Cheboygan · Otsego | No | 12.503 |
| L | Alpena · Antrim · Charlevoix · Cheboygan · Crawford · Emmet · Montmorency · Oscoda · Otsego · Presque Isle | No | 12.504 |
| M | Alpena · Montmorency · Presque Isle · Cheboygan | No | 12.505 |
| X | Alpena · Antrim · Charlevoix · Crawford · Emmet · Oscoda · Cheboygan · Montmorency · Otsego · Presque Isle | Yes | 12.506 |
| E | Cheboygan · Presque Isle | No | 12.508 |
| F | Cheboygan · Otsego · Presque Isle | No | 12.509 |
| G | Cheboygan · Montmorency · Otsego · Presque Isle | No | 12.510 |
| H | Cheboygan · Otsego · Presque Isle | Yes | 12.511 |
| I | Cheboygan · Montmorency · Otsego · Presque Isle | Yes | 12.512 |
Elk summary, WCO, checked October 22, 2026.
Elk harvest survey by hunt
163 elk were taken in 2025 by 253 hunters, 64% success; in 2024, 186 of 251.
| Year | Hunt | Hunters | Elk | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1101 – X | 29 | 25 | 86% |
| 2024 | 1201 – H, X | 20 | 19 | 93% |
| 2024 | 1202 – I, X | 30 | 30 | 100% |
| 2024 | 2101 – X | 64 | 37 | 57% |
| 2024 | 2201 – H, X | 35 | 19 | 52% |
| 2024 | 2202 – I, X | 69 | 55 | 80% |
| 2024 | 2024 – All | 3 | 2 | 50% |
| 2024 | All hunts | 251 | 186 | 74% |
| 2025 | 1101 – X | 29 | 28 | 95% |
| 2025 | 1201 – H, X | 20 | 16 | 79% |
| 2025 | 1202 – I, X | 30 | 28 | 92% |
| 2025 | 2101 – X | 67 | 24 | 36% |
| 2025 | 2201 – H, X | 35 | 22 | 63% |
| 2025 | 2202 – I, X | 69 | 43 | 62% |
| 2025 | 2025 – All | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| 2025 | All hunts | 253 | 163 | 64% |
DNR elk harvest reports 2024 and 2025, checked October 22, 2026.
Michigan elk rules
Bait, penalties, licensing, registration and the two ways besides the drawing to get an elk tag.
Elk bait and feeding
No bait to take elk during the elk season (standing crops excepted); elk feeding banned in Zones 2-3.
Elk penalties
Up to 180 days and/or $500-$2,000; no hunting license for the rest of the year plus 15 years (first offense), lifetime for a second.
Elk license steps
Residents only; drawing, $100 elk receipt and mandatory elk hunt orientation.
Registration
Report on the day of harvest; within 72 hours present head or animal for registration and sealing by DNR.
Pure Michigan Hunt
Three winners each year receive elk (residents), bear, antlerless deer, spring and fall turkey and base licenses plus a reserved waterfowl hunt and a prize package; $5 applications.
Hunt transfers
Bear and elk drawing success may be transferred to eligible youth or people with an advanced illness (Michigan.gov/HuntTransfers).
Public land that lists elk: Michigan State Forest System, Pigeon River Country State Forest, Hunting Access Program.
Elk summary, baiting, checked October 22, 2026.
Michigan elk unit questions
Which elk units are open in Michigan in 2026?
Units X, H and I. The other 9 WCO units (A, B, C, D, L, M, E, F and G) are closed.
How many elk licenses does Michigan offer?
200 in 2026: 70 any-elk and 130 antlerless-only.
Is the elk drawing limited to Michigan residents?
No. Elk licenses are for Michigan residents only.
When is elk season in Michigan?
Period 1 Sep 23 to Oct 4, 2026 (unit X); period 2 Dec 1 to Dec 15, 2026 (units H and X, I and X).
Which counties hold elk unit X?
Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Crawford, Emmet, Oscoda, Cheboygan, Montmorency, Otsego and Presque Isle.
What does an elk license cost?
The application is $5; drawn hunters pay the $100 elk receipt.
Is baiting elk legal?
No bait to take elk during the elk season (standing crops excepted); elk feeding banned in Zones 2-3.
What is the success rate for Michigan elk hunters?
64% in 2025 and 74% in 2024 across all hunts.