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Gladwin County, Michigan
Hunting on Molasses River Flooding No.2 Wildlife Management Area: units and rules
DMU 026, bear and turkey units, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: Christian Collins (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Molasses River Flooding No.2 Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Molasses River Flooding No.2 Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 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.
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA, the essentials
Molasses River Flooding No.2 Wildlife Management Area is a DNR wildlife management area (a flooding or marsh unit) in Gladwin County. Wildlife Division region: Northern Lower Peninsula Region. The rules on site come from the DNR Wildlife Division. Size ranking: 26th of 72 wildlife management areas, with 1,509 acres. On the DNR page it shows as 1,510 acres. The state list of game and wildlife areas carries it. From Skidway Lake it is about 12 miles southwest.
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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 Wildlife Management Area
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA pinned among its neighbors
The bold pin marks Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA, ringed by 10 other public tracts. Neighboring public acres on the map: 505,796.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molasses River Flooding No.1 | Flooding or WMA | 1,651 | 1.4 mi | east |
| Molasses River Flooding No.5 | Flooding or WMA | 1,459 | 5.8 mi | south |
| Bentley Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 1,445 | 6.0 mi | southeast |
| Molasses River Flooding No.3 | Flooding or WMA | 1,885 | 8.4 mi | south |
| Gladwin Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | 230,775 | 17 mi | southwest |
| Gladwin Field Trial Area and Gladwin Wildlife Unit | Field trial area | 4,749 | 17 mi | west |
| Pinconning Township (Cody-Etsy Road) | State game area | 51 | 18 mi | southeast |
| Roscommon Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | 260,802 | 19 mi | north |
| Kawkawlin Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 2,933 | 20 mi | south |
| Fraser Township No.1 | State game area | 46 | 20 mi | southeast |
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.
Access, rules and licenses for Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA: open to whom
Built around a flooding or waterfowl marsh, Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA sits in or beside state forest land. Hunting and trapping follow the state seasons; posted refuges and closed areas are the exceptions.
Stands, orange and reporting at Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
- 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.
Paperwork for hunting Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA offers
The agency names no particular game for Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA; read every open season as applying within its rules.
Read the Gladwin County dates: 41 rows and 23 species, including White-tailed deer, Black bear, Wild turkey and Ruffed grouse.
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.
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA by zone and unit
For hunting and trapping it lies in Zone 2 (Northern Lower Peninsula). 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 and fall unit I; no spring 2027 dates are out. For ducks use the Middle Zone splits, Oct 3-Nov 29 and Dec 12-Dec 13. CWD-positive wild deer have turned up in Gladwin County.
DMU details for Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
| DMU | Name | Status | Use limit | Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 026 | Gladwin county | Open | 4 | No |
Bear hunting units at Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
| Unit | Hunts | License quota | Points 2025 | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | 1 hunt | 95 | 8–9 | 33 |
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA: spring and fall turkey units
| Unit | Birds | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring NN | 4,156 | 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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA 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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA.
| 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.
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA: parent and sister units
Recorded on its own: Lame Duck Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS).
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA: 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. 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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
| Unit | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 026 | 2,432 | 2,153 | 4,585 |
Gladwin County deer heads tested
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 258 | 0 |
Turkey numbers near Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA
| 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.
Where to stay and shop on a Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA hunt
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a processor and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skidway Lake | Ogemaw | 12 mi | – | 26,113 |
| West Branch | Ogemaw | 13 mi | 2,355 | 52,176 |
| Gladwin | Gladwin | 14 mi | 3,132 | 11,255 |
| Standish | Arenac | 15 mi | 1,456 | 20,742 |
County-level pages to read next: Gladwin County.
Where Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA hunters get a deer cut or mounted
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA: the nearest agency desks
Gladwin Field Office handles Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA, per the DNR list.
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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 Wildlife Management Area
Voyer Lake Shooting Range (Montmorency County) is the closest DNR range, 68 miles away. Two closer club ranges follow.
Shoots: rifle, handgun
Shoots: sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Opening and closing minutes for Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA 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.
Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA FAQ for 2026-27
Is there a fall turkey season at Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
Spring unit NN, fall unit I.
What duck dates apply at Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
The Middle Zone. Lead shot is not legal for waterfowl.
Can I scatter bait for deer on Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
No bait or feed for deer. Yes, the DNR has a CWD-positive wild deer from Gladwin County.
Does the Aug. 15 to April 30 orange rule cover Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
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 Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
Turkeys: within 72 hours, online or app (mandatory from 2026).
Can I leave a tree stand at Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
Portable blinds come out daily; constructed blinds need ID and are barred on Zone 3 game areas and parks.
Which licenses work on Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
No special permit for most of it; the base license and the species license are enough.
Is there a second spot near Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
Try Molasses River Flooding No.1 Wildlife Management Area (1 mile), Molasses River Flooding No.5 Wildlife Management Area (6 miles) and Bentley Marsh Flooding Wildlife Management Area (6 miles), measured in a straight line.
What kind of public ground is Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA on paper?
It is a DNR wildlife management area (a flooding or marsh unit), run by the DNR Wildlife Division.
What does Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA measure in acres?
About 1,509 acres.
Which covered town is closest to Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
Base in Skidway Lake, 12 miles away; it lies in Gladwin County.
Does Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA publish a species list?
The record lists none, which means all open seasons, within the area rules.
How many antlerless licenses can I use at Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA?
Units: 026. Up to 4 universal antlerless licenses may be used in Gladwin County.
Heading to Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA? Read this first
Print the Molasses River Flooding No.2 WMA 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: desertdutchman (CC BY 2.0); USDAgov (Public domain).