Home › Michigan › Public land › Onsted State Game Area
2026-27 · State game area
A hunter's look at Onsted State Game Area
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Lenawee County.
Photo: judithjackson957 (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Onsted State Game Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Onsted State Game Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Deep Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 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.
Onsted State Game Area in short
Classed as a DNR state game area, Onsted State Game Area is found in Lenawee County. The Southeast Lower Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of southeast Michigan. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Wildlife Division. At 876 acres it is number 50 by size among the 95 Michigan state game areas with a figure on file. It appears on the DNR list of game and wildlife areas. Drive south from Napoleon for roughly 8 miles.
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 Onsted State Game Area
Onsted State Game Area: species and bag limits
The record lists no species for Onsted State Game Area, so the state seasons for its county, DMU and units apply.
22 species have dated seasons reaching Lenawee County (44 rows), White-tailed deer, Wild turkey, Ruffed grouse, Woodcock and Pheasant first.
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.
Onsted State Game Area: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Onsted State Game Area falls in Zone 3, Southern Lower Peninsula. Old maps show the Limited Firearm Deer Zone here. The 2026 rules removed it, opening all legal firearms in the Lower Peninsula. Up to 5 antlerless licenses may be used in Lenawee County. Early and late antlerless firearm hunts run in Lenawee County. Turkey: spring unit ZZ, fall unit I; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is South Zone waterfowl ground (Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27).
Deer management units over Onsted State Game Area
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | By county | No APR |
| DMU 046 | Lenawee county | Open | 5 | No APR |
Bear units that cover Onsted State Game Area
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansville | Closed to bear | – | – | – |
Turkey units, Onsted State Game Area
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | Unit total, spring |
| Fall I | 822 | 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.
Onsted State Game Area on the map with its neighbors
Onsted State Game Area gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 9,398 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | State game area | 747 | 8.2 mi | west |
| Watkins Lake | State park | 373 | 8.2 mi | northeast |
| Sharonville | State game area | 4,387 | 10 mi | northeast |
| Schlee | WPA | 159 | 13 mi | north |
| Grass Lake | State game area | 124 | 14 mi | north |
| Adams Township | State game area | 181 | 15 mi | southwest |
| Lake Hudson | Recreation area | 2,787 | 15 mi | south |
| Goose Lake | State game area | 203 | 16 mi | northeast |
| Seneca | State game area | 342 | 16 mi | south |
| Schoonover | WPA | 95 | 16 mi | south |
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.
Onsted State Game Area rules and licenses
Access rules for Onsted State Game Area
Michigan seasons and licenses open Onsted State Game Area to everyone. Expect posted refuges, safety zones and closed pieces, and use only stands and blinds that follow the DNR public-land rules.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Onsted State Game Area
- 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.
- The Lower Peninsula baiting and feeding ban applies here.
- Nov. 15-30 brings ORV and snowmobile closures on public hunting land in the morning and late afternoon.
Onsted State Game Area 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.
Onsted State Game Area dates from September to March
Onsted State Game Area is in Lower Peninsula Zone 3. The 44 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Mandatory reporting numbers for the Onsted State Game Area area
Lenawee County hunters reported 5,768 deer in 2025, 2,777 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 4,204 and 5,768. 799 deer reported so far in 2026. CWD testing in Lenawee County, 2022: 125 wild deer tested, 0 positive. The 2026 spring turkey count for Lenawee County is 370. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Onsted State Game Area.
Lenawee County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 345 | 454 | 799 |
| 2025 | 2,777 | 2,991 | 5,768 |
| 2024 | 2,400 | 2,317 | 4,717 |
| 2023 | 2,336 | 1,868 | 4,204 |
| 2022 | 2,557 | 2,075 | 4,632 |
2025 DMU figures for Onsted State Game Area
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 046 | 2,777 | 2,991 | 5,768 |
Lenawee County CWD sampling
| Year | Tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 125 | 0 |
Turkey figures, Lenawee County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 370 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 14 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 66 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 292 |
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.
Towns and shops that serve Onsted State Game Area hunters
The nearest towns with pages of their own, then the businesses that serve this ground.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napoleon | Jackson | 8.1 mi | – | 7,736 |
| Clayton | Lenawee | 13 mi | 319 | 3,116 |
| Manchester | Washtenaw | 13 mi | 2,056 | 4,771 |
| Hudson | Lenawee | 14 mi | 2,361 | 5,624 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Lenawee County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Onsted State Game Area
DNR and federal desks that cover Onsted State Game Area
Local office on the DNR list: 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.
Onsted State Game Area: 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.
What is scheduled around Onsted State Game Area
Held on this ground or close by: 10 upcoming events, covering UKC club hunt and UKC youth title hunt.
Next dates
DNR range closest to Onsted State Game Area
Onsted State Game Area has no range; Sharonville Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 10 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes rifle, handgun, muzzleloader, shotgun, archery
Takes sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader
Takes trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Onsted State Game Area questions, answered from the data
Can I hunt turkeys at Onsted State Game Area?
Yes, unit ZZ in spring and I in fall.
Which duck zone is Onsted State Game Area in?
Waterfowl zone: South. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Onsted State Game Area?
Banned, as everywhere in the Lower Peninsula. No free-ranging deer from this county has tested positive since 2015.
Is hunter pink legal at Onsted State Game Area?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Onsted State Game Area?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Onsted State Game Area?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Onsted State Game Area need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
What public ground borders or neighbors Onsted State Game Area?
The closest alternatives are Somerset State Game Area (8 miles), Watkins Lake State Park (8 miles) and Sharonville State Game Area (10 miles).
How does the record classify Onsted State Game Area?
DNR state game area, under the DNR Wildlife Division.
How many acres of Onsted State Game Area are there to hunt?
876 acres, the mapped total.
In which part of Michigan does Onsted State Game Area lie?
Lenawee County holds it, 8 miles from Napoleon.
Is Onsted State Game Area open for every species in season?
No species list is published, so every open season applies under the area rules.
What deer management unit is Onsted State Game Area in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 486 and 046. Use limit, Lenawee County: 5.
Before you drive to Onsted State Game Area
Use this page as a start: the manager of Onsted State Game Area has the final word on closures and maps.
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: rkramer62 (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0).