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Hunting Hillcrest State Game Area in 2026-27
What we could verify about Hillcrest State Game Area: acreage, units, area rules, harvest around it and nearby ground.
Photo: Arvind Govindaraj (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Hillcrest State Game Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Hillcrest State Game Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- car parkingParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- truck parkingParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- MDOT Public Carpool ParkingParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 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.
Hillcrest State Game Area at a glance
Look for Hillcrest State Game Area in Livingston County; the record files it as a DNR state game area. For DNR purposes it falls in the Southeast Lower Peninsula Region. Management rests with the DNR Wildlife Division. Out of 95 state game areas, its 257 acres put it in place 71. It has a row on the DNR game and wildlife areas list. Roughly 3 miles southwest of Howell.
From the source page (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS Acres field); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Hillcrest State Game Area
Quarry and limits at Hillcrest State Game Area
Hillcrest State Game Area carries no game list of its own. Any season open where it lies is fair game, within the area rules.
Livingston County seasons cover White-tailed deer, Wild turkey, Ruffed grouse, Woodcock and Pheasant and more: 22 species in 44 rows.
Species from the source (The DNR list gives no species for this area; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Units and limits for Hillcrest State Game Area
Hunting zone: Zone 3, in the Southern Lower Peninsula. The zone layer still draws the old Limited Firearm Deer Zone over it, but that zone was eliminated for 2026: every legal firearm may now be used across the Lower Peninsula. The universal antlerless use limit for Livingston County is 5. Antlerless firearm hunting in Livingston County includes the September and December-January seasons. Turkey units: ZZ in spring, I in fall (spring 2027 dates not yet set). South Zone ducks: Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27.
Hillcrest State Game Area: DMUs and antlerless limits
| Unit | Name | Antlerless | Use limit | Antler rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 047 | Livingston county | Open | 5 | None |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | By county | None |
BMUs over Hillcrest State Game Area
| BMU | Hunts | Quota 2026 | Points | 2025 bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansville | No bear hunt | – | – | – |
Turkey hunting units over Hillcrest State Game Area
| Unit | Reported | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | Unit total 2026 |
| Fall I | 822 | Unit total, 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.
Map: Hillcrest State Game Area and the public tracts around it
Smaller pins show 10 nearby public tracts around Hillcrest State Game Area. Acres across them: 38,374.
| Neighbor | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory | State game area | 2,706 | 7.3 mi | southwest |
| Brighton | Recreation area | 4,568 | 10 mi | southeast |
| Oak Grove | State game area | 2,390 | 11 mi | north |
| Unadilla | State wildlife area | 1,189 | 12 mi | southwest |
| Pinckney | Recreation area | 11,687 | 12 mi | south |
| Island Lake | Recreation area | 4,112 | 14 mi | southeast |
| Malan | WPA | 141 | 16 mi | southwest |
| Waterloo Wildlife Unit of Waterloo | Wildlife unit | 5,776 | 16 mi | southwest |
| Chelsea | State game area | 802 | 17 mi | south |
| Dansville | State game area | 5,003 | 17 mi | west |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Hillcrest State Game Area: what is allowed
How access works at Hillcrest State Game Area
Public access at Hillcrest State Game Area follows the state calendar. The only ground off limits is what is posted: refuges, safety zones and closed areas. Blinds and stands must meet the DNR public-land rules.
Hillcrest State Game Area: what the regulation summaries require
- Stands may be placed from Sept. 1 and must be gone by March 1. Portable models only, ID attached, no screw-in steps.
- Blind rule on public land: portable ones removed daily, dead-material ones need no label, constructed ones need ID and are out on Zone 3 game areas and parks.
- Wear a hunter orange cap, hat, vest, jacket or rain gear from Aug. 15 through April 30; bowhunters in archery seasons, turkey hunters and most migratory bird hunters are exempt.
- Within 72 hours of recovering a deer or turkey, report it on the DNR site or the Hunt Fish app.
- The 450-foot (150-yard) safety zone around occupied buildings applies.
- Food plots are not allowed on public ground.
- Deer baiting and feeding are banned across the Lower Peninsula, this area included.
- During the Nov. 15-30 firearm season, ORVs and snowmobiles are off public hunting land 7-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m.
The license bill for Hillcrest State Game Area
Start with the base license, then add the deer, turkey, waterfowl or pheasant license you need, on eLicense or in the Hunt Fish app. Universal antlerless use is limited by county or UP unit.
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.
Hillcrest State Game Area hunting calendar
Hillcrest State Game Area rows run from the September Liberty Hunt and bear periods through the late coyote, fox and bobcat dates.
| Game | Hunt | Unit | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Fall | Open quail county | 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 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 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 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| 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 | |
| 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.
Reported deer and turkeys near Hillcrest State Game Area
The 2025 reported total for Livingston County was 5,472 deer (2,878 antlered). 2025 was the busiest year on the chart (5,472 deer), 2023 the leanest (4,525). License year 2026 is still running; 983 deer reported by Oct. 22. 274 tested and 0 positive: Livingston County in 2022. Spring 2026 turkey reports for Livingston County: 472 birds. These numbers cover the country around Hillcrest State Game Area, not the property alone.
Deer reported near Hillcrest State Game Area
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 480 | 503 | 983 |
| 2025 | 2,878 | 2,594 | 5,472 |
| 2024 | 2,594 | 2,281 | 4,875 |
| 2023 | 2,642 | 1,883 | 4,525 |
| 2022 | 2,894 | 2,011 | 4,905 |
Hillcrest State Game Area: deer units, 2025
| Unit | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 047 | 2,878 | 2,585 | 5,463 |
Livingston County CWD by year
| Year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 274 | 0 |
Livingston County turkey harvest
| Item | Birds |
|---|---|
| Spring reported | 472 |
| Fall to date | 30 |
| Fall 2025 | 89 |
| Fall hunters | 417 |
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.
Base camps, butchers and DNR desks around Hillcrest State Game Area
Towns first; the services after them are in this county or the next one over.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howell | Livingston | 3.1 mi | 9,914 | 8,270 |
| Pinckney | Livingston | 9.3 mi | 2,339 | 23,976 |
| Brighton | Livingston | 11 mi | 7,933 | 9,207 |
| Stockbridge | Ingham | 13 mi | 1,298 | 35,850 |
County pages that cover this ground: Livingston County.
Processors, mounts and gun counters near Hillcrest State Game Area
Local DNR and federal offices for Hillcrest State Game Area
The DNR area list points to Waterloo Wildlife Office.
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.
When the hunting day opens and closes at Hillcrest State Game Area
Ducks and geese stop at sunset and early teal and woodcock start at sunrise; these deer times are for big game and most small game.
| 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.
Hillcrest State Game Area: ranges nearby
Drive about 16 miles to Island Lake Shooting Range for a DNR range. The next cards are clubs nearby.
Set up for trap, shotgun, skeet, handgun, smallbore rimfire
Set up for shotgun, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Hillcrest State Game Area hunting questions, short answers
Which division or agency runs Hillcrest State Game Area?
The DNR Wildlife Division manages it; the land is a DNR state game area.
Which other areas sit within reach of Hillcrest State Game Area?
Nearest neighbors: Gregory State Game Area (7 miles), Brighton Recreation Area (10 miles) and Oak Grove State Game Area (11 miles).
Which town makes a good base for a Hillcrest State Game Area hunt?
Livingston County, roughly 3 miles from Howell.
Is Hillcrest State Game Area large enough for a full day afield?
Acreage on record: 257.
Which deer units take in Hillcrest State Game Area?
DMU 047 and 486. Livingston County caps antlerless use at 5.
Are some animals off limits at Hillcrest State Game Area?
The record lists none, which means all open seasons, within the area rules.
Is Hillcrest State Game Area in a spring turkey unit?
Spring ZZ and fall I.
Is there a bear season at Hillcrest State Game Area?
Dansville for bear. Dansville BMU has no bear season.
Is Hillcrest State Game Area under the Lower Peninsula baiting ban?
Deer bait is illegal here. The county has no CWD positives on the DNR list.
Is Hillcrest State Game Area in the North, Middle or South Zone?
South Zone for ducks and geese. Shotguns hold 3 shells and fire non-toxic shot.
How many hours do I have to report a Hillcrest State Game Area deer?
Within 72 hours of recovery or before the animal changes hands.
Can bowhunters skip orange at Hillcrest State Game Area?
Hunter pink is an approved alternative; the rule runs Aug. 15 to April 30.
Is an extra permit required for Hillcrest State Game Area?
Residents pay $11 for the base license and $40 for the deer combo.
Hillcrest State Game Area wrap-up
Print the Hillcrest State Game Area map, carry your licenses, and check the agency page the week you go.
Sources for this page: Michigan DNR: state wildlife game areas list · DNR GIS; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0); Peter Sheik (CC BY 2.0).