Home › Michigan › Public land › Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Historic park · Upper Peninsula
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park: where, what and how to hunt
A hunter's summary of Fort Wilkins State Historic Park in Keweenaw County: units and limits, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: Jim Sorbie (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Fort Wilkins State Park Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 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.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park: the record card
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park counts as a historic state park with land open to hunting, and it lies in Keweenaw County. Its home region at the DNR is the Upper Peninsula Region. The DNR Parks and Recreation Division sets the rules on site. Acreage on record: 785. Roughly 1 mile southwest of Copper Harbor.
- By hunting status the park reads 785 open and 198 closed acres.
From the source page (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS Acres, polygons marked Open or Open-Restricted); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Who can hunt Fort Wilkins State Historic Park, and on what terms
Entry terms, Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Hunting and trapping are allowed only in the parts shown open on the DNR park hunting map. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry, and 450-foot safety zones surround occupied buildings. State parks start closed under DNR rules; only designated land opens.
- The park layer marks early goose hunting open () in part.
Michigan rules that follow you to Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
- The DNR stand rule for public land: portable, ID affixed, Sept. 1 to March 1, no nails, screws or bolts.
- From Sept. 1 to the end of deer season blinds are allowed; constructed blinds need ID and are prohibited on game areas, parks and recreation areas in Zone 3.
- From mid-August to the end of April, a hunter orange outer layer is the law in daylight; camouflage counts if half of it is orange. Turkey and waterfowl hunters are exempt.
- Harvest reporting is required for deer and turkey inside 72 hours; failing to report is a civil infraction.
- Firearm hunters keep 150 yards from occupied dwellings, cabins and farm buildings.
- Planting a food plot on public land is not legal.
- Upper Peninsula deer baiting is legal Sept. 15 to Jan. 1, up to 2 gallons scattered over a 10-by-10-foot area.
- On public land, bear bait goes on the ground, never in a container.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park: licenses to carry
Buy in the Hunt Fish app, at an agent or on eLicense. Every hunter needs the base license; antlerless licenses (up to 10) obey the county or DMU use limit.
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.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park and nearby public ground
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park at the big pin; the nearest 1 public places around it. Between them the nearby tracts list 182 acres.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F.J. McLain | State park | 182 | 37 mi | southwest |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS (centroid of hunting-open polygons) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park deer units, bear units and zones
It is Zone 1 ground in the Upper Peninsula. DMU 042: use limit 0. For bear the unit is Baraga; its 2026 hunt 0004 quota is 305. For turkeys it is unit M (spring) and M (fall); the 2027 spring calendar has not been printed. Waterfowl: North Zone, regular duck season Sep 26-Nov 22 and Nov 28-Nov 29.
The deer units around Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
| DMU | Unit name | Antlerless status | Antlerless use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 042 | Keweenaw unit | Closed | Closed | No APR |
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park bear units
| Bear unit | Hunts | Quota | Points (res.) | 2025 bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga | 3 hunts | 1,570 | 3–4 | 349 |
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park turkey units
| Unit | Reported harvest | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring M | 1,254 | All of unit, 2026 |
| Fall M | 124 | Unit-wide, fall to date |
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.
Game you can hunt at Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
There is no species list for Fort Wilkins State Historic Park in the sources; the open seasons for its county and units decide what you can hunt.
Seasons for 22 species reach Keweenaw County; White-tailed deer, Black bear, Wild turkey and Ruffed grouse lead the 37-row table.
Weapon limits on the park layer may restrict some species in practice.
Species from the source (The park hunting layer does not list species; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations unless a restriction is listed.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park openers and closers in one table
Private ground and public ground share these dates in Fort Wilkins State Historic Park; a state park, refuge or national lakeshore can set its own limits.
| Animal | Segment | Area | Starts | Ends | Open 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 | Baraga BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Baraga BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Baraga 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 | |
| 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.
Lodging, fuel and a processor near Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Pick a town for the night, then a processor for the deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Harbor | Keweenaw | 0.9 mi | – | 10,450 |
| Eagle River | Keweenaw | 18 mi | – | 1,044 |
| Mohawk | Keweenaw | 24 mi | – | 1,781 |
| Hubbell | Houghton | 32 mi | – | 1,253 |
Each county here has its own page: Keweenaw County.
Who handles a deer from Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Office phone numbers that handle Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Licenses and questions for Keweenaw County go through DNR Baraga 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.
What hunters reported from the county around Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
2025 in Keweenaw County: 113 antlered, 5 antlerless, 118 in all. The reporting era peaked at 161 in 2024 and bottomed at 93 in 2023. Season to date (Oct. 22, 2026): 10 deer. The DNR sampled 6 deer from Keweenaw County in 2025, with 0 CWD positives. With mandatory reporting new in 2026, Keweenaw County logged 16 spring turkeys. These are county or unit totals, not Fort Wilkins State Historic Park alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Keweenaw County harvest table
| Season | Antlered | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 2025 | 113 | 5 | 118 |
| 2024 | 157 | 4 | 161 |
| 2023 | 90 | 3 | 93 |
| 2022 | 155 | 3 | 158 |
Reported by DMU, Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | 2025 total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 042 | 233 | 72 | 305 |
CWD samples, Keweenaw County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 0 |
Turkeys reported in Keweenaw County
| Figure | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 reported | 16 |
| Fall 2026 | 2 |
| Fall 2025 survey | 0 |
| Fall 2025 hunters | 25 |
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.
Nearest ranges to Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
From Fort Wilkins State Historic Park, Skoglund-Erickson Shooting Range is the closest range on DNR land (71 miles). Clubs inside 30 miles are included.
Offers handgun, rifle, shotgun, archery
Offers trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park hunting-hour table for key season dates
Use the column for the hunting-time zone that covers Fort Wilkins State Historic Park 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.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park: quick answers
What part of Fort Wilkins State Historic Park can I hunt?
Yes, for vehicle entry. Closed acres: 198.
Where do I go when Fort Wilkins State Historic Park has too many trucks?
F.J. McLain State Park (37 miles) all have pages on this site.
Is Fort Wilkins State Historic Park state or federal ground?
A historic state park with land open to hunting; the manager is the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
How much ground does Fort Wilkins State Historic Park hold?
The figure used here is 785 acres.
Which town makes a good base for a Fort Wilkins State Historic Park hunt?
Keweenaw County; Copper Harbor, the nearest town we cover, is 1 mile away.
Which seasons count on Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
Every open Michigan season applies under the area rules; no list narrows it.
What deer rules apply on Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
It lies in DMU 042.
How do I get a bear license for Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
Bear unit: Baraga. Draw a Baraga license with preference points (2025: 3–4 points for residents).
Which unit do I pick for turkeys at Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
The fall license ($15) is for unit none; spring hunts follow unit M.
What are the waterfowl rules at Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
It is North Zone ground. Waterfowl hunters need the state waterfowl license, HIP and a federal stamp.
Is it legal to bait deer on Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
Bait is allowed with limits. The DNR list of counties with a CWD-positive wild deer does not include this one.
Do turkey hunters wear orange at Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
A hunter orange cap, hat, vest, jacket or rain gear, visible from all sides, from Aug. 15 to April 30.
Do I register a bear from Fort Wilkins State Historic Park?
Bears go to a DNR registration station within 72 hours for sealing.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park: what to confirm
Gates, refuges and open zones at Fort Wilkins State Historic Park are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · Michigan DNR: rules; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region (Public domain).