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Marquette County · GEMS
Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) public hunting, 2026-27
Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS), 6,874 acres in Marquette County: ruffed grouse and woodcock, deer units and zones, area rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS)
Parking, trailheads and gates near Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS)
- Anderson Lake West Sfcg Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Anderson Lake East Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
What the records say about Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
On the map Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) sits in Marquette County. On paper it is a Grouse Enhanced Management Site. That puts it in the Upper Peninsula, the DNR Upper Peninsula Region. Stewardship falls to the DNR GEMS program. Measured at 6,874 acres, it lands 3rd of the 19 grouse sites we cover. Gwinn is the closest town we cover, about 8 miles away; the area lies southwest of it.
- Location note: approximately 7 miles south of Gwinn.
- The main kiosk sits at 46.1878, -87.5169.
From the source page (MI DNR GEMS Site Boundaries GIS acres field); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS)
Public tracts within a drive of Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
Besides Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS, the map carries 10 public tracts within driving range. The neighbors add 294,992 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake-36 | Flooding or WMA | 968 | 5.2 mi | west |
| Ralph | GEMS | 5,290 | 14 mi | west |
| Hardwood Reservoir (north side) | Flooding or WMA | 1,394 | 15 mi | southwest |
| Gwinn Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | 281,509 | 16 mi | north |
| Genes Pond | Flooding or WMA | 3,450 | 18 mi | southwest |
| Felch Mountain (flooding) | Flooding or WMA | 714 | 20 mi | southwest |
| Hancock Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 651 | 22 mi | southwest |
| Friday Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 46 | 24 mi | east |
| Lake LaVasseur Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 403 | 25 mi | northeast |
| Blomgren's Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 567 | 26 mi | southwest |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR GEMS boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
What Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS asks of hunters
Access rules for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
At Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS you park, check the kiosk map and walk the trails through managed cover. All hunting is allowed in state seasons within the land manager's rules.
The statewide fine print, applied to Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
- Tree stands on public land are portable only, go up no earlier than Sept. 1 and come down by March 1, carry the owner's name and address or license or Sportcard number, and use no nails, screws, bolts or screw-in steps.
- Ground blinds may stand from Sept. 1 to the end of the deer seasons; portable blinds come out daily, and constructed blinds need ID and are barred on Zone 3 game areas, parks and recreation areas.
- Orange season runs Aug. 15 to April 30. Exempt: archery deer and bear, turkey, falconry and migratory birds other than woodcock.
- Use the Hunt Fish app or the DNR harvest report page within 72 hours for deer and turkey.
- Safety zone: 450 feet from any occupied building for firearm hunting.
- Public land: no food plots.
- In the UP deer bait is allowed from Sept. 15 to Jan. 1, 2 gallons at most, scattered.
- Bear baiters on state and Commercial Forest land: no barrels or containers, bait on the ground only.
- From Nov. 15 to 30, ORVs and snowmobiles are restricted 7-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m. on land open to public hunting.
What licenses Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS needs
The base license covers small game; deer hunters pick a single or combo license at purchase, and universal antlerless licenses follow the use limit where you hunt.
Access from the source page; public-land stand, blind, safety-zone and food-plot rules from the DNR deer regulations summary; hunter orange from MCL 324.40116; prices from the 2026 license fee tables. Checked October 22, 2026.
What hunters chase at Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
Species named for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS: ruffed grouse and woodcock.
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Unlisted game follows the Marquette County dates below.
Species from the source (GEMS are DNR grouse (and woodcock) hunting sites; other open seasons also apply.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Zones and units that take in Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
The DNR zone line puts it in Zone 1. The 2026 deer rules removed DMU 352, which older layers still draw. The 2026 deer summary closes DMU 152 to universal antlerless licenses. The Gwinn BMU drawing covers 3 hunt periods; the first (Sept. 9 – Oct. 21) has 140 licenses. Spring unit M, fall unit M. Spring 2026 dates were the last ones published. Duck dates follow the North Zone: Sep 26-Nov 22 and Nov 28-Nov 29.
Antlerless rules near Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
| Deer unit | Name | Antlerless | Limit per hunter | Point rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 152 | Gwinn unit | Open | Closed | None |
Bear permits for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
| BMU | Hunts | 2026 quota | Points (2025) | Bears 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinn | 3 hunts | 735 | 6–7 | 220 |
Spring and fall units for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
| Turkey unit | Birds reported | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Spring M | 1,254 | Spring 2026, unit |
| Fall M | 124 | Whole unit, in progress |
Zones from the DNR 2026 zone layers as recorded in lands.json; DMU status and APR from the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits from the 2026 deer summary; BMU hunts and quotas from the 2026 bear summary and bear registration data; turkey from the DNR turkey harvest report; CWD lists from the DNR CWD rules. Checked October 22, 2026.
Every hunt that reaches Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
For Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS, 47 segments cover deer, small game, waterfowl and furbearers this license year.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or unit | Opening | Closing | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Muzzleloader | Upper Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Amasa BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Baraga BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Carney BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Gwinn BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Amasa BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Baraga BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Carney BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Gwinn BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Amasa BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Baraga BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Carney BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Gwinn BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit M | 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 | Pheasant Zone 1 unit | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 31, 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 | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | North Zone | Nov 28, 2026 | Nov 29, 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 | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 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 A | 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.
Mandatory reporting numbers for the Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS area
Deer reported in Marquette County for 2025: 1,502. The reporting era peaked at 2,087 in 2022 and bottomed at 1,248 in 2023. The starred 2026 bar (223) is partial. 92 spring turkeys were reported in Marquette County in 2026. No harvest is published for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS itself, so county and DMU totals are the finest level.
Reported deer around Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 175 | 48 | 223 |
| 2025 | 1,241 | 261 | 1,502 |
| 2024 | 1,512 | 154 | 1,666 |
| 2023 | 1,126 | 122 | 1,248 |
| 2022 | 1,836 | 251 | 2,087 |
Unit totals near Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
| Unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 152 | 366 | 57 | 423 |
Marquette County turkey table
| Measure | Birds |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 92 |
| Fall so far | 22 |
| Fall 2025 estimate | 46 |
| Hunters, fall 2025 | 195 |
Deer from the DNR Harvest Report Summary (mandatory reporting; 2026 season to date); CWD from the DNR CWD testing data; turkeys from the turkey harvest report and the 2025 fall survey. Checked October 22, 2026.
Towns and shops that serve Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS hunters
Covered towns come first, measured straight-line, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinn | Marquette | 7.6 mi | – | 84,306 |
| K. I. Sawyer | Marquette | 12 mi | – | 50,712 |
| Rock | Delta | 19 mi | – | 60,217 |
| West Ishpeming | Marquette | 23 mi | – | 17,139 |
County write-ups on this site: Marquette County.
Butcher shops and taxidermists for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS trips
Agency offices closest to Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
Service center for Marquette County: DNR Marquette Customer Service Center.
Towns and populations from Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 22, 2026. Call ahead.
Sighting in before Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS)
Skoglund-Erickson Shooting Range, 19 miles off, is the DNR range nearest Bill Rollo Memorial Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS). Club ranges within 30 miles follow.
Disciplines: handgun, rifle, shotgun, archery
Disciplines: rifle, handgun, trap, shotgun
Disciplines: rifle
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Legal shooting light at Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS
Deer hunters at Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS get legal light from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, read from the DNR table for the date.
| 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.
Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS questions with data-backed answers
Who writes the rules for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
The DNR GEMS program treats it as a Grouse Enhanced Management Site.
What other state or federal land is near Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
In order of distance: Lake-36 State Wildlife Management Area (5 miles), Ralph Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) (14 miles) and Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area (15 miles).
Where do Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS hunters stay?
Marquette County holds it, 8 miles from Gwinn.
What is the acreage figure for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Roughly 6,874 acres.
Which DMU numbers apply on Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Deer unit 152.
Which animals show up on the Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS list?
Listed: ruffed grouse and woodcock.
Which turkey units cover Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Fall unit none; spring 2027 dates are not out yet.
Which bear management unit holds Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Bear Management Unit Gwinn. Bear hunting needs a drawn or leftover license for a Gwinn hunt period.
Does the deer baiting rule allow bait at Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Yes, Sept. 15 to Jan. 1, up to 2 gallons scattered. The county is missing from the 18-county CWD list.
What are the waterfowl rules at Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Use the North Zone dates. Bring non-toxic shot and a plugged gun.
How do I report a deer from Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Within 72 hours, online or in the Hunt Fish app; keep the confirmation number.
Is hunter orange required on Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
Aug. 15 through April 30, in daylight shooting hours.
Which Michigan licenses do I need for Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS?
eLicense or the Hunt Fish app sells everything needed; nonresidents pay $151 for the base license.
Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS: what to confirm
Refuges, closures and drawing schedules at Bill Rollo Memorial GEMS can change during the season; the agency page and Mi-HUNT have the current picture.
Sources for this page: Michigan DNR: where · DNR GIS; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0); Maslowski, Steve, USFWS (Public domain).