Home › Michigan › Public land › Port Crescent State Park
State park, southeast Michigan
Port Crescent State Park for deer, birds and more
603 acres of state park in Huron County, with 2026-27 units, use limits, rules, CWD testing and a map.
Photo: Ben+Sam (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Port Crescent State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Port Crescent State Park
- Parking areaParking · 0.1 mi from the centreDirections
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- Parking areaParking · 2.6 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.
Key facts on Port Crescent State Park
Port Crescent State Park belongs with the state parks of Huron County. The DNR Wildlife Division counts it in its Southeast Lower Peninsula Region, which covers southeast Michigan. The DNR Parks and Recreation Division manages the ground. Its 603 acres make it the 26th largest of 37 state parks in our Michigan list. The nearest covered town is Kinde, around 5 miles off as the crow flies.
- Hunting status by acreage: 603 open and 144 closed.
From the source page (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS Acres, polygons marked Open or Open-Restricted); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Port Crescent State Park
Access, closures and licenses on Port Crescent State Park
Access rules for Port Crescent State Park
Open zones on the DNR park hunting map are the only places to hunt or trap. A Recreation Passport covers vehicle entry; occupied buildings carry a 450-foot safety zone. Under park rules a state park is closed unless designated open.
- Standard 450' Safety Zones apply around occupied buildings (not shown).
- Early Canada goose dates here: 9/1 – 9/15, part of the park only.
Michigan rules that travel with you onto Port Crescent State Park
- Put a portable stand up after Aug. 31 and take it down by March 1; label it with your ID, and skip screw-in steps, nails and bolts.
- Blinds go up from Sept. 1. Constructed blinds carry ID and are banned on state game areas, parks and recreation areas in Zone 3; no cutting vegetation for any blind.
- Between Aug. 15 and April 30 take game in hunter orange (pink is an approved color); turkey and duck hunters do not need it.
- Deer and turkeys must be reported within 72 hours (or before the animal changes hands) through the DNR website or the Hunt Fish app.
- A 150-yard safety zone surrounds every occupied building.
- The DNR bars food plots on public land.
- Deer may not be baited or fed in the Lower Peninsula.
Licenses and prices for Port Crescent State Park
A base license plus the species license is the Michigan formula. Universal antlerless licenses are sold over the counter, up to 10, with use limits by county and 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.
Where Port Crescent State Park sits among the state and federal tracts
Port Crescent State Park is the big pin, with 10 neighbors around it. Add them up and the neighbors hold 29,615 acres.
| Property | Type | Acres | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Lake | State game area | 2,276 | 5.8 mi | southwest |
| Albert E. Sleeper | State park | 438 | 8.0 mi | west |
| Oliver Township | State game area | 130 | 13 mi | south |
| Verona | State game area | 7,527 | 18 mi | southeast |
| Brookfield Township No.2 | State game area | 39 | 19 mi | southwest |
| Brookfield Township No.1 | State game area | 203 | 21 mi | southwest |
| Wildfowl Bay | State wildlife area | 15,808 | 23 mi | southwest |
| Sanilac | State game area | 1,578 | 24 mi | south |
| Gagetown | State game area | 1,344 | 26 mi | south |
| Elmwood Township | State game area | 272 | 28 mi | south |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS (centroid of hunting-open polygons) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Unit lines at Port Crescent State Park
Zone on the DNR map: Zone 3. The former Limited Firearm Deer Zone line ran through this country; it is gone for 2026, and all legal firearms are allowed. 5 is the Huron County cap on universal antlerless licenses used. Huron County hosts both antlerless firearm seasons, early and late. Spring turkey falls under unit ZZ and fall turkey under unit I. The 2027 spring dates are still to come. Regular duck splits here: Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27.
Port Crescent State Park deer units
| Unit | Name | Antlerless | Licenses usable | Antler points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 032 | Huron county | Open | 5 | None |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | By county | None |
| DMU 332 | Greenleaf Unit | Open | By county | None |
Port Crescent State Park: bear management units
| BMU | Periods | Quota | Points needed | Bears taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansville | No season | – | – | – |
Turkey units at Port Crescent State Park
| Unit | Harvest | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | Unit-wide, spring 2026 |
| Fall I | 822 | All of unit, partial |
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.
Which animals Port Crescent State Park offers
No species list is published for Port Crescent State Park, so every open Michigan season applies under the area rules.
The county table below lists 45 season rows for 22 species, from white-tailed deer to woodchuck.
Read the park restrictions in the rules section before choosing a weapon.
Species from the source (The park hunting layer does not list species; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations unless a restriction is listed.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Port Crescent State Park season dates for 2026-27
22 species and 45 dated segments apply in Port Crescent State Park; the last column checks each against today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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.
Port Crescent State Park trip planning: towns and services
Each town below has its own hunting page on this site.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinde | Huron | 5.4 mi | 431 | 2,697 |
| Caseville | Huron | 11 mi | 640 | 4,882 |
| Elkton | Huron | 14 mi | 782 | 1,806 |
| Bad Axe | Huron | 14 mi | 2,966 | 7,631 |
Go wider with the county pages: Huron County.
Where Port Crescent State Park hunters get a deer cut or mounted
Port Crescent State Park: the nearest agency desks
Huron County is served by 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.
Deer, turkeys and CWD around Port Crescent State Park
Last full license year (2025) Huron County gave up 5,455 reported deer. Since mandatory reporting began in 2022 the yearly count has ranged from 4,579 (2022) to 5,455 (2025). The 2026 bar is season to date (1,073 deer by Oct. 22). In 2022 the DNR tested 356 Huron County deer; 0 were positive. Huron County: 311 spring birds reported in 2026. Harvest and CWD figures describe the county as a whole.
Deer table, Huron County
| License year | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 419 | 654 | 1,073 |
| 2025 | 2,761 | 2,694 | 5,455 |
| 2024 | 2,703 | 2,659 | 5,362 |
| 2023 | 2,717 | 2,077 | 4,794 |
| 2022 | 2,654 | 1,925 | 4,579 |
2025 deer by unit near Port Crescent State Park
| Unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Total 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 332 | 10,143 | 11,196 | 21,339 |
Wild deer checked for CWD in Huron County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 356 | 0 |
Huron County turkeys
| Figure | Number |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 birds | 311 |
| Fall 2026 so far | 8 |
| Fall 2025 (survey) | 112 |
| Fall 2025 hunters | 347 |
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.
Range time before hunting Port Crescent State Park
Nearest DNR range: Lapeer Shooting Range (Lapeer Pit), roughly 61 miles from Port Crescent State Park. Nearer club ranges are shown as well.
Lines: trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
DNR hunting hours for Port Crescent State Park
Michigan deer hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The DNR prints one Zone A table and adds 6, 12 or 18 minutes for Zones B, C and D.
| When | Event | A zone | B zone | C zone | D zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Hunter questions on Port Crescent State Park
What public ground borders or neighbors Port Crescent State Park?
The three nearest are Rush Lake State Game Area (6 miles), Albert E. Sleeper State Park (8 miles) and Oliver Township State Game Area (13 miles).
Where can I hunt inside Port Crescent State Park?
Yes; the park hunting map marks them. The closed part is 144 acres.
How big is Port Crescent State Park on the map?
603 acres, per MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS Acres, polygons marked Open or Open-Restricted.
Whose land is Port Crescent State Park?
The DNR Parks and Recreation Division oversees this state park with land open to hunting.
What may I hunt on Port Crescent State Park?
All open seasons apply, subject to the area rules; the source names no species.
Which county holds most of Port Crescent State Park?
Kinde is closest (5 miles); the ground is in Huron County.
Which BMU do I apply for to hunt Port Crescent State Park?
It is in the Dansville BMU. There is no Dansville bear hunt.
Can I use universal antlerless licenses on Port Crescent State Park?
DMU 032, DMU 486 and DMU 332. Huron County allows 5 universal antlerless licenses per hunter.
Which waterfowl zone covers Port Crescent State Park?
South Zone splits apply. Carry non-toxic shot for ducks and geese.
What turkey license do I need for Port Crescent State Park?
Use spring unit ZZ or fall unit I.
Which months need orange at Port Crescent State Park?
No: turkey hunters are exempt from the orange rule.
What do baiting and CWD rules mean for Port Crescent State Park?
Not here: deer baiting and feeding are banned in the Lower Peninsula. Not a CWD county.
How long can a blind stay on Port Crescent State Park?
Portable stands only, from Sept. 1 to March 1, labelled with your ID.
Port Crescent State Park: the last checklist
One last look before the drive: the Port Crescent State Park map, your licenses in the Hunt Fish app and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · Michigan DNR: rules; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: desertdutchman (CC BY 2.0); Dave Williss (CC BY 2.0).