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2026-27 · Forest unit
A hunter's look at Escanaba Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, what it lists (white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey and ruffed grouse), and the public land and towns around it in Menominee, Delta and Dickinson counties.
Photo: Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Escanaba Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Escanaba Forest Unit in short
Classed as a state forest management unit, Escanaba Forest Management Unit (State Forest) is found in Menominee, Delta and Dickinson counties. The Upper Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of the Upper Peninsula. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Forest Resources Division. At 142,296 acres it is number 14 by size among the 15 Michigan forest management units with a figure on file. Drive northeast from Hermansville for roughly 12 miles. Its parent record is Michigan State Forest System.
From the source page (MI DNR Managed Lands (LOTS) GIS: Acreage of Forest Resources Division parcels in this management unit); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Escanaba Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Escanaba Forest Unit: species and bag limits
For Escanaba Forest Unit the record lists white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare, ducks and geese, squirrels and rabbits and furbearers.
White-tailed deer
Black bear
Wild turkey
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Snowshoe hare
Ducks and geese
Small game
Furbearers
The Menominee County season table below covers everything else.
Species from the source (Statewide; species follow Michigan seasons and units (elk only inside the elk management units with a DNR elk license; bear by BMU license).); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Escanaba Forest Unit: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Escanaba Forest Unit falls in Zone 1, Upper Peninsula. Rescinded for 2026: DMU 351 and DMU 352, still drawn on the unit layer. Antlerless licenses are not valid in DMU 021, DMU 036, DMU 252 and DMU 152. Antler point rule in DMU 122: at least 3 points on one side. Bear hunters here apply for the Carney BMU; hunt 0010 runs Sept. 9 – Oct. 21 with 90 licenses in 2026. Turkey: spring unit M, fall unit M; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is North Zone waterfowl ground (Sep 26-Nov 22 and Nov 28-Nov 29). Chronic wasting disease has been found in free-ranging deer in Dickinson County since 2015.
Deer management units over Escanaba Forest Unit
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 055 | Menominee unit | Open | 5 | No APR |
| DMU 021 | Manistique unit | Open | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 255 | LaBranche unit | Open | 2 | No APR |
| DMU 022 | Crystal Falls unit | Open | 1 | No APR |
| DMU 155 | Gladstone unit | Open | 2 | No APR |
| DMU 036 | Amasa-Michigamme unit | Open | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 122 | Norway unit | Open | 2 | 3+ points a side |
| DMU 121 | Bay de Noc | Open | 2 | No APR |
Bear units that cover Escanaba Forest Unit
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carney | 3 hunts | 565 | 7–8 | 165 |
| Gwinn | 3 hunts | 735 | 6–7 | 220 |
| Newberry | 3 hunts | 880 | 9–10 | 334 |
| Amasa | 3 hunts | 510 | 5–6 | 205 |
Turkey units, Escanaba Forest Unit
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring M | 1,254 | Unit total, spring |
| Fall M | 124 | Unit total so far |
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.
Escanaba Forest Unit on the map with its neighbors
Escanaba Forest Unit gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 15,287 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 651 | 17 mi | west |
| Portage Marsh | Flooding or WMA | 1,072 | 18 mi | southeast |
| Hardwood Reservoir (north side) | Flooding or WMA | 1,394 | 18 mi | northwest |
| Peterson Pond Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 216 | 19 mi | south |
| Blomgren's Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 567 | 19 mi | west |
| Friday Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 46 | 25 mi | northeast |
| Felch Mountain (flooding) | Flooding or WMA | 714 | 25 mi | northwest |
| Bill Rollo Memorial | GEMS | 6,874 | 26 mi | north |
| Lake-36 | Flooding or WMA | 968 | 26 mi | northwest |
| Menominee River | Recreation area | 2,785 | 26 mi | west |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Forest Management Units GIS (unit boundary centroid; boundary includes private and federal land) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Escanaba Forest Unit rules and licenses
Access rules for Escanaba Forest Unit
Hunt and trap the state forest acres of Escanaba Forest Unit in season unless posted. ORVs stay on designated routes and forest roads open to them, and camping and blind rules come from the DNR land use orders. Private inholdings and Commercial Forest parcels are not part of it.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Escanaba Forest Unit
- Public-land stands: portable, set no earlier than Sept. 1, removed by March 1, labelled with your name and address or Sportcard number, and nothing driven into the bark.
- A portable blind leaves with you each day; a blind of dead natural material needs no ID; a constructed blind needs ID and is not allowed on Zone 3 game areas, parks or recreation areas.
- Michigan law asks for hunter orange from Aug. 15 to April 30, visible from all sides when deer hunting with a firearm; archers in archery season are exempt.
- Report a deer or a turkey within 72 hours of recovery, online or in the Hunt Fish app, and keep the confirmation number.
- Stay 150 yards off occupied buildings with a firearm unless you hold written permission.
- Leave the seed at home; food plots are banned on public land.
- UP rule: 2 gallons of scattered bait from Sept. 15 through Jan. 1.
- Public-land bear bait: on the ground, no containers.
- Firearm deer season brings ORV quiet hours on public hunting land, 7-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Escanaba Forest Unit license list
eLicense and the Hunt Fish app sell everything here. Choose a single deer or deer combo license when you buy; antlerless licenses come over the counter.
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.
Inside the Escanaba Forest Unit numbers
By county, the forest acres concentrate in Menominee, Delta and Dickinson.
From the source, DNR GIS, Michigan DNR. Checked October 22, 2026.
Escanaba Forest Unit dates from September to March
Escanaba Forest Unit is in Upper Peninsula Zone 1. The 38 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right 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 | Carney BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Carney BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Carney 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 Escanaba Forest Unit area
Menominee County hunters reported 5,455 deer in 2025, 3,136 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 4,430 and 5,787. 1,204 deer reported so far in 2026. The 2026 spring turkey count for Menominee County is 289. Menominee County is the lead county for Escanaba Forest Unit. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Escanaba Forest Unit.
Menominee County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 359 | 845 | 1,204 |
| 2025 | 3,136 | 2,319 | 5,455 |
| 2024 | 3,478 | 2,309 | 5,787 |
| 2023 | 2,951 | 1,479 | 4,430 |
| 2022 | 3,354 | 2,052 | 5,406 |
2025 DMU figures for Escanaba Forest Unit
Turkey figures, Menominee County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 289 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 11 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 67 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 190 |
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.
Escanaba Forest Unit: related and parent records
Michigan State Forest System is the parent; 14 more units share it.
Sibling records under Michigan State Forest System
| Name | Type | County | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shingleton Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Schoolcraft, Alger | 375,050 |
| Newberry Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Luce, Chippewa | 359,596 |
| Sault Ste. Marie Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Mackinac, Chippewa | 334,295 |
| Gaylord Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Cheboygan, Emmet | 314,633 |
| Traverse City Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Kalkaska, Grand Traverse | 314,151 |
| Crystal Falls Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Dickinson, Iron | 303,714 |
| Atlanta Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Montmorency, Presque Isle | 291,430 |
| Gwinn Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Marquette, Alger | 281,509 |
| Roscommon Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Roscommon, Ogemaw | 260,802 |
| Grayling Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Crawford, Oscoda | 246,649 |
| Cadillac Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Missaukee, Lake | 234,198 |
| Gladwin Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Gladwin, Clare | 230,775 |
| Baraga Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Baraga, Houghton | 142,356 |
| Pigeon River Country State Forest | Forest unit | Cheboygan, Otsego | 123,358 |
Towns and shops that serve Escanaba Forest Unit hunters
The nearest towns with pages of their own, then the businesses that serve this ground.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermansville | Menominee | 12 mi | – | 8,947 |
| Escanaba | Delta | 17 mi | 12,296 | 18,987 |
| Gladstone | Delta | 19 mi | 5,226 | 39,318 |
| Rock | Delta | 21 mi | – | 60,217 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Menominee County, Delta County, Dickinson County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Escanaba Forest Unit
DNR and federal desks that cover Escanaba Forest Unit
The DNR customer service center for Menominee County is DNR Escanaba Customer Service Center, 906-786-2351.
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.
Escanaba Forest Unit: shooting hours by date
Every time below comes from the DNR deer table; the B, C and D columns add the offsets printed on the zone map legend. Escanaba Forest Unit is on Central Time, so these times already have one hour taken off.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 5:59 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 6:52 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 6:58 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 6:15 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 5:53 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 6:11 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 6:16 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 6:31 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 4:58 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.
DNR range closest to Escanaba Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Escanaba Forest Management Unit (State Forest) has no range; Skoglund-Erickson Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 44 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes handgun, rifle, shotgun, archery
Takes rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Escanaba Forest Unit questions, answered from the data
How does the record classify Escanaba Forest Unit?
State forest management unit, under the DNR Forest Resources Division.
How many acres of Escanaba Forest Unit are there to hunt?
142,296 acres, the mapped total.
In which part of Michigan does Escanaba Forest Unit lie?
Menominee, Delta and Dickinson counties holds it, 12 miles from Hermansville.
What is on the game list at Escanaba Forest Unit?
The agency names white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare, ducks and geese, squirrels and rabbits and furbearers; other legal game follows the county dates.
What deer management unit is Escanaba Forest Unit in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 055, 021 and 255.
Can I hunt bear at Escanaba Forest Unit?
Carney, Gwinn, Newberry and Amasa BMU. Licenses come by preference-point drawing; the first Carney hunt has 90 licenses in 2026.
Can I hunt turkeys at Escanaba Forest Unit?
Yes, unit M in spring and none in fall.
Which duck zone is Escanaba Forest Unit in?
Waterfowl zone: North. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Escanaba Forest Unit?
Allowed under the Upper Peninsula rule. Dickinson County appears among the 18 counties with a positive wild deer.
Is hunter pink legal at Escanaba Forest Unit?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Escanaba Forest Unit?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Escanaba Forest Unit?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Escanaba Forest Unit need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
Before you drive to Escanaba Forest Unit
Use this page as a start: the manager of Escanaba Forest Unit has the final word on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · DNR GIS · Michigan DNR: state forests · experience.arcgis.com: 433c5780079640079aecadd04b4fdc29; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).