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Gladwin County, Michigan
Hunting on Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest): units and rules
DMU 486 and 018, bear and turkey units, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Parking, trailheads and gates near Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Wixom Lake West Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.4 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.
Gladwin Forest Unit, the essentials
Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest) is a state forest management unit in Gladwin, Clare, Midland, Arenac and 2 more counties. Wildlife Division region: Northern Lower Peninsula Region. The rules on site come from the DNR Forest Resources Division. Size ranking: 12th of 15 forest management units, with 230,775 acres. From Beaverton it is about 5 miles east. It is managed within 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 Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Gladwin Forest Unit pinned among its neighbors
The bold pin marks Gladwin Forest Unit, ringed by 10 other public tracts. Neighboring public acres on the map: 13,123.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kawkawlin Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 2,933 | 7.1 mi | southeast |
| Bluff Creek / US-10 / M-18 Floodings | Flooding or WMA | 790 | 11 mi | south |
| Molasses River Flooding No.3 | Flooding or WMA | 1,885 | 12 mi | northeast |
| Molasses River Flooding No.5 | Flooding or WMA | 1,459 | 13 mi | northeast |
| Bentley Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 1,445 | 15 mi | northeast |
| Gladwin | State game area | 1,354 | 17 mi | northwest |
| Molasses River Flooding No.2 | Flooding or WMA | 1,509 | 17 mi | northeast |
| Molasses River Flooding No.1 | Flooding or WMA | 1,651 | 18 mi | northeast |
| Fraser Township No.1 | State game area | 46 | 18 mi | east |
| Pinconning Township (Cody-Etsy Road) | State game area | 51 | 18 mi | east |
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.
Access, rules and licenses for Gladwin Forest Unit
Gladwin Forest Unit: open to whom
Open in season unless posted: that covers the state forest parcels in Gladwin Forest Unit. DNR land use orders set the rules for ORV routes, dispersed camping and stands.
Stands, orange and reporting at Gladwin Forest Unit
- On public ground a tree stand must be portable and labelled, may stand from Sept. 1 to March 1, and may not penetrate the bark.
- Ground blinds: Sept. 1 through the deer seasons, no cutting of plants, and no constructed blinds on Zone 3 game areas, parks or recreation areas.
- Hunter orange is required from Aug. 15 to April 30 while taking game in daylight hours; archery deer and bear hunters, turkey hunters and migratory bird hunters other than woodcock are exempt.
- Mandatory harvest reporting: 72 hours for deer and turkey, by app or online.
- No firearm hunting within 150 yards (450 feet) of an occupied building without the occupant's written permission.
- No food plots or artificial gardens on public land.
- Baiting deer is illegal here under the Lower Peninsula ban.
- Bear bait here must be placed on the ground without containers.
- From Nov. 15 to 30, no ORV or snowmobile use 7-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m. on land open to public hunting, with listed exceptions.
The license bill for Gladwin Forest Unit
Licenses sell through DNR eLicense, license agents and the Hunt Fish app; the base license comes first. Universal antlerless licenses are capped at 10 a year and limited by county or UP DMU.
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.
Which animals Gladwin Forest Unit offers
Game listed for Gladwin Forest Unit: 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
Other Gladwin County seasons apply too, under the same rules.
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.
Gladwin Forest Unit by zone and unit
For hunting and trapping it lies in Zone 2 and Zone 3 (Northern Lower Peninsula and Southern Lower Peninsula). Shotgun-zone history: it sat in the Limited Firearm Deer Zone, eliminated for the 2026 season. In Gladwin County a hunter may use up to 4 universal antlerless licenses. The early and late antlerless firearm seasons reach Gladwin County. In the Gladwin BMU, 95 licenses go out for hunt 0022; residents needed 8–9 points in 2025. The DNR turkey layer gives spring unit NN/ZZ and fall unit I; no spring 2027 dates are out. For ducks use the Middle and South Zone splits, Middle Zone Oct 3-Nov 29 and Dec 12-Dec 13 and South Zone Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27. CWD-positive wild deer have turned up in Gladwin, Midland and Isabella counties.
DMU details for Gladwin Forest Unit
| DMU | Name | Status | Use limit | Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | County limit | No |
| DMU 018 | Clare county | Open | 4 | No |
| DMU 037 | Isabella county | Open | 5 | No |
| DMU 056 | Midland county | Open | 5 | No |
| DMU 026 | Gladwin county | Open | 4 | No |
| DMU 009 | Bay county | Open | 5 | No |
| DMU 006 | Arenac county | Open | 5 | No |
| DMU 487 | Northeast Lower Peninsula multicounty | Open | County limit | No |
Bear hunting units at Gladwin Forest Unit
| Unit | Hunts | License quota | Points 2025 | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | 1 hunt | 95 | 8–9 | 33 |
| Dansville | Closed | – | – | – |
| Red Oak | 1 hunt | 685 | 9–10 | 282 |
Gladwin Forest Unit: spring and fall turkey units
| Unit | Birds | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring NN | 4,156 | Whole unit, spring 2026 |
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | Whole unit, spring 2026 |
| Fall I | 822 | Fall 2026, unit |
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.
What is open in Gladwin Forest Unit 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 Gladwin Forest Unit.
| 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 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (firearm/bait/dogs) | Gladwin BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Period 1, archery | Gladwin BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| 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 2 | 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 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 13, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 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 D | Jan 1, 2027 | Feb 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.
Gladwin Forest Unit: the full breakdown
State forest acres in Gladwin Forest Unit by county, from the DNR managed lands layer; Gladwin (88,351), Clare (60,009) and Midland (43,546) hold the most.
| County | State forest acres |
|---|---|
| Gladwin | 88,351 |
| Clare | 60,009 |
| Midland | 43,546 |
| Arenac | 27,082 |
| Iosco | 9,576 |
| Isabella | 2,158 |
| Antrim | 37 |
| Roscommon | 17 |
From the source, DNR GIS, Michigan DNR. Checked October 22, 2026.
Gladwin Forest Unit: parent and sister units
Michigan State Forest System is the parent; 14 more units share it.
Michigan State Forest System: the remaining units
| Name | Kind | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Baraga Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Baraga, Houghton | 142,356 |
| Escanaba Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | Menominee, Delta | 142,296 |
| Pigeon River Country State Forest | Forest unit | Cheboygan, Otsego | 123,358 |
Gladwin Forest Unit: reported deer, turkeys and CWD tests nearby
Hunters reported 4,585 deer in Gladwin County in 2025: 2,432 antlered and 2,153 antlerless. High year: 2022 at 4,833; low year: 2023 at 3,743. 2026 so far: 825 deer reported, season in progress. Gladwin County CWD results (2024): 0 positives from 258 tests. Gladwin County hunters reported 247 spring turkeys in 2026, the first year of mandatory turkey reporting. Gladwin County holds the largest share of Gladwin Forest Unit, so its figures are shown. Harvest and CWD figures describe the county as a whole.
Gladwin County deer by year
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 326 | 499 | 825 |
| 2025 | 2,432 | 2,153 | 4,585 |
| 2024 | 2,350 | 2,180 | 4,530 |
| 2023 | 2,086 | 1,657 | 3,743 |
| 2022 | 2,641 | 2,192 | 4,833 |
DMU harvest around Gladwin Forest Unit
Gladwin County deer heads tested
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 258 | 0 |
Turkey numbers near Gladwin Forest Unit
| Measure | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 247 |
| Fall 2026, partial | 14 |
| 2025 fall survey | 62 |
| Hunters (2025) | 313 |
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.
Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest) on the Michigan events calendar
Banquet, championship stake and grouse futurity: 3 upcoming events on site or a few miles away.
Coming up
| On | Event | Miles away | Where held | Sign-up | Found at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Grand National Grouse Futurity 2026 / Grouse futurity | 10 | Gladwin (Gladwin Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Nov 3, 2026 | Grand National Grouse Championship 2026 / Championship stake | 10 | Gladwin (Gladwin Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Whitetails Unlimited Gladwin County MI Chapter Banquet / Banquet | 10 | Gladwin K of C Hall in Gladwin (Gladwin Co.) | Event details | Source |
Where to stay and shop on a Gladwin Forest Unit hunt
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a processor and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverton | Gladwin | 5.1 mi | 1,214 | 9,570 |
| Gladwin | Gladwin | 9.8 mi | 3,132 | 11,255 |
| Sanford | Midland | 13 mi | 768 | 33,247 |
| Loomis | Isabella | 14 mi | – | 6,215 |
County-level pages to read next: Gladwin County, Clare County, Midland County, Arenac County, Iosco County, Isabella County.
Where Gladwin Forest Unit hunters get a deer cut or mounted
Gladwin Forest Unit: the nearest agency desks
For Gladwin County, the DNR points to DNR Bay City 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.
Range time before hunting Gladwin Forest Management Unit (State Forest)
Rose Lake Shooting Range (Clinton County) is the closest DNR range, 73 miles away. Two closer club ranges follow.
Shoots: rifle, handgun, muzzleloader, shotgun, archery
Shoots: trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Shoots: handgun, rifle, trap, skeet, archery
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Opening and closing minutes for Gladwin Forest Unit by zone
The DNR hunting-time map splits the state into Zones A to D from east to west. Each step west adds 6 minutes to the Zone A times below.
| Date | Season point | Zone A | Zone B | Zone C | Zone D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Gladwin Forest Unit FAQ for 2026-27
Which covered town is closest to Gladwin Forest Unit?
Base in Beaverton, 5 miles away; it lies in Gladwin, Clare, Midland, Arenac and 2 more counties.
What species does the agency name for Gladwin 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.
How many antlerless licenses can I use at Gladwin Forest Unit?
Units: 486, 018 and 037. Up to 4 universal antlerless licenses may be used in Gladwin County.
Which BMU do I apply for to hunt Gladwin Forest Unit?
The bear unit is Gladwin, Dansville and Red Oak. The bear drawing uses preference points; Gladwin hunt 0022 has a quota of 95.
Is there a fall turkey season at Gladwin Forest Unit?
Spring unit NN/ZZ, fall unit I.
What duck dates apply at Gladwin Forest Unit?
Middle and South Zone for ducks and geese. Lead shot is not legal for waterfowl.
Can I scatter bait for deer on Gladwin Forest Unit?
No bait or feed for deer. Yes, the DNR has a CWD-positive wild deer from Gladwin, Midland and Isabella counties.
Does the Aug. 15 to April 30 orange rule cover Gladwin Forest Unit?
Yes from Aug. 15 to April 30 while taking game, with exceptions for archery deer and bear, turkey and most migratory birds.
When must I report a turkey from Gladwin Forest Unit?
Turkeys: within 72 hours, online or app (mandatory from 2026).
Can I leave a tree stand at Gladwin Forest Unit?
Portable blinds come out daily; constructed blinds need ID and are barred on Zone 3 game areas and parks.
Which licenses work on Gladwin Forest Unit?
No special permit for most of it; the base license and the species license are enough.
Is there a second spot near Gladwin Forest Unit?
Try Kawkawlin Creek Flooding Wildlife Management Area (7 miles), Bluff Creek / US-10 / M-18 Floodings Wildlife Management Area (11 miles) and Molasses River Flooding No.3 Wildlife Management Area (12 miles), measured in a straight line.
Which bigger area wraps around Gladwin Forest Unit?
The records file it under Michigan State Forest System.
Heading to Gladwin Forest Unit? Read this first
Print the Gladwin Forest Unit map, carry your licenses, and check the agency page the week you go.
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: Birding for Climate (Public domain); ShebleyCL (CC BY 2.0).