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2026-27 · National forest
A hunter's look at Hiawatha National 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 Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac and 2 more counties.
Photo: Joe Passe (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Hiawatha National Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Hiawatha National Forest
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Mead Creek Sfcg Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Kennedy Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 5.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 7.0 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.
Hiawatha National Forest in short
Classed as a national forest, Hiawatha National Forest is found in Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac and 2 more counties. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the USDA Forest Service. 899,499 acres are counted for it. It is the parent of 5 pages here.
- Noted by the agency: Hiawatha National Forest provides nearly a million acres of public land open for this and other uses (hunting page).
From the source page (USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics: National Forest System land (GIS acres, all districts)); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest: species and bag limits
For Hiawatha National Forest 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 Delta County season table below covers everything else.
Species from the source (Forest-wide; species follow Michigan seasons and units.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Hiawatha National Forest: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
The table joins the zones of all the parts of Hiawatha National Forest. Hiawatha National Forest 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 252, DMU 007, DMU 048, DMU 249, DMU 017 and DMU 149. Bear hunters here apply for the Gwinn BMU; hunt 0013 runs Sept. 9 – Oct. 21 with 140 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).
Deer management units over Hiawatha National Forest
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 021 | Manistique unit | Open | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 121 | Bay de Noc | Open | 2 | No APR |
| DMU 155 | Gladstone unit | Open | 2 | No APR |
| DMU 252 | Rock unit | Open | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 007 | Big Bay unit | Closed | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 048 | Newberry unit | Closed | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 249 | Trout lake unit | Open | Closed | No APR |
| DMU 017 | Sault Ste. Marie unit | Open | Closed | No APR |
Bear units that cover Hiawatha National Forest
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinn | 3 hunts | 735 | 6–7 | 220 |
| Newberry | 3 hunts | 880 | 9–10 | 334 |
Turkey units, Hiawatha National Forest
| 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.
Hiawatha National Forest: map of its parts
Each pin is one unit of Hiawatha National Forest.
Points from the DNR and federal layers as recorded in lands.json. Statewide public land map.
Hiawatha National Forest rules and licenses
Access rules for Hiawatha National Forest
Use your Michigan licenses on Hiawatha National Forest. Stands and blinds are temporary only, abandoned ones are removed, and motorized travel follows the Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Hiawatha National Forest
- 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.
Hiawatha National Forest 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 Hiawatha National Forest numbers
How the Hiawatha National Forest land splits among counties:
| County | USFS acres |
|---|---|
| Delta | 244,615 |
| Chippewa | 243,542 |
| Mackinac | 152,856 |
| Alger | 129,226 |
| Schoolcraft | 123,307 |
| Marquette | 5,923 |
| Cheboygan | 29 |
From the source, USFS, USFS. Checked October 22, 2026.
Delta County dates from September to March
Delta County is in Upper Peninsula Zone 1. The 44 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 1 | Gwinn BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Newberry BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 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 2 | Newberry BMU | Sep 14, 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 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Newberry 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 Hiawatha National Forest area
Delta County hunters reported 3,565 deer in 2025, 2,113 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 2,929 and 3,743. 715 deer reported so far in 2026. The 2026 spring turkey count for Delta County is 127. Delta County is the lead county for Hiawatha National Forest. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Hiawatha National Forest.
Delta County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 246 | 469 | 715 |
| 2025 | 2,113 | 1,452 | 3,565 |
| 2024 | 2,448 | 1,295 | 3,743 |
| 2023 | 2,080 | 849 | 2,929 |
| 2022 | 2,375 | 1,308 | 3,683 |
2025 DMU figures for Hiawatha National Forest
Turkey figures, Delta County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 127 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 11 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 47 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 105 |
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.
Hiawatha National Forest: unit pages beneath it
Units filed under Hiawatha National Forest: 5, worth 899,498 acres.
| Unit | Type | Where | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste. Marie | Ranger district | Chippewa | 243,502 |
| Munising | Ranger district | Alger, Schoolcraft | 193,410 |
| Rapid River | Ranger district | Delta | 157,799 |
| St. Ignace | Ranger district | Mackinac | 152,925 |
| Manistique | Ranger district | Delta, Schoolcraft | 151,862 |
Towns and shops that serve Hiawatha National Forest hunters
The nearest towns with pages of their own, then the businesses that serve this ground.
Counties this land touches, with pages: Alger County, Chippewa County, Delta County, Mackinac County, Marquette County, Schoolcraft County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Hiawatha National Forest
DNR and federal desks that cover Hiawatha National Forest
The DNR customer service center for Delta 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.
Hiawatha National Forest: 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.
| 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.
Hiawatha National Forest questions, answered from the data
Does Hiawatha National Forest need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
What does the Motor Vehicle Use Map mean for Hiawatha National Forest?
It lists the roads and trails open to vehicles and ORVs.
How many separate units fall under Hiawatha National Forest?
5 of them, listed further up.
How does the record classify Hiawatha National Forest?
National forest, under the USDA Forest Service.
How many acres of Hiawatha National Forest are there to hunt?
899,499 acres, the mapped total.
How many counties does Hiawatha National Forest touch?
Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac and 2 more counties.
What is on the game list at Hiawatha National Forest?
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 Hiawatha National Forest in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 021, 121 and 155.
Can I hunt bear at Hiawatha National Forest?
Gwinn and Newberry BMU. Licenses come by preference-point drawing; the first Gwinn hunt has 140 licenses in 2026.
Can I hunt turkeys at Hiawatha National Forest?
Yes, unit M in spring and none in fall.
Which duck zone is Hiawatha National Forest in?
Waterfowl zone: North. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Hiawatha National Forest?
Allowed under the Upper Peninsula rule. No free-ranging deer from this county has tested positive since 2015.
Is hunter pink legal at Hiawatha National Forest?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Before you drive to Hiawatha National Forest
Use this page as a start: the manager of Hiawatha National Forest has the final word on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: USFS: hunting shooting · USFS: about area · USFS: offices · USFS EDW · USFS EDW; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).