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Arenac County, Michigan
Hunting on Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area: units and rules
DMU 006, bear and turkey units, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: ksblack99 (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area, the essentials
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area is a DNR state wildlife area in Arenac County. Wildlife Division region: Northern Lower Peninsula Region. The rules on site come from the DNR Wildlife Division. Size ranking: 4th of 15 state wildlife areas, with 6,746 acres. The state list of game and wildlife areas carries it. From Au Gres it is about 5 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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area pinned among its neighbors
The bold pin marks Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area, ringed by 10 other public tracts. Neighboring public acres on the map: 28,166.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinconning Township (Cody-Etsy Road) | State game area | 51 | 15 mi | southwest |
| Nayanquing Point | State wildlife area | 4,308 | 17 mi | southwest |
| Fraser Township No.1 | State game area | 46 | 18 mi | southwest |
| Fraser Township No.2 | State game area | 33 | 20 mi | southwest |
| Wildfowl Bay | State wildlife area | 15,808 | 20 mi | southeast |
| Bentley Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 1,445 | 21 mi | west |
| Bay City | State park | 1,043 | 21 mi | southwest |
| Molasses River Flooding No.3 | Flooding or WMA | 1,885 | 21 mi | west |
| Molasses River Flooding No.5 | Flooding or WMA | 1,459 | 22 mi | west |
| Tobico Marsh Wildlife Unit of Bay City | Wildlife unit | 2,088 | 22 mi | southwest |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Access, rules and licenses for Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area: open to whom
Hunters and trappers may use Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area through every open Michigan season with the licenses those seasons call for. Stay out of posted refuges, safety zones and closed areas; the Land Use Orders of the Director and the Wildlife Conservation Order cover the rest.
Stands, orange and reporting at Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
- 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.
The license bill for Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area offers
The agency names no particular game for Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area; read every open season as applying within its rules.
Read the Arenac County dates: 53 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.
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area by zone and unit
For hunting and trapping it lies in Zone 3 (Southern Lower Peninsula). In Arenac County a hunter may use up to 5 universal antlerless licenses. The early and late antlerless firearm seasons reach Arenac 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 South Zone splits, Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27.
DMU details for Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
| DMU | Name | Status | Use limit | Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 006 | Arenac county | Open | 5 | No |
Bear hunting units at Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
| Unit | Hunts | License quota | Points 2025 | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | 1 hunt | 95 | 8–9 | 33 |
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area: 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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area 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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area.
| 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 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| 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 1 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 12, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 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 | |
| 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.
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area: reported deer, turkeys and CWD tests nearby
Hunters reported 3,671 deer in Arenac County in 2025: 2,027 antlered and 1,644 antlerless. High year: 2025 at 3,671; low year: 2023 at 2,940. 2026 so far: 849 deer reported, season in progress. Arenac County CWD results (2024): 0 positives from 368 tests. Arenac County hunters reported 111 spring turkeys in 2026, the first year of mandatory turkey reporting. Harvest and CWD figures describe the county as a whole.
Arenac County deer by year
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 309 | 540 | 849 |
| 2025 | 2,027 | 1,644 | 3,671 |
| 2024 | 1,909 | 1,459 | 3,368 |
| 2023 | 1,757 | 1,183 | 2,940 |
| 2022 | 1,941 | 1,252 | 3,193 |
DMU harvest around Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
| Unit | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 006 | 2,027 | 1,644 | 3,671 |
Arenac County deer heads tested
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 368 | 0 |
Turkey numbers near Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
| Measure | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 111 |
| Fall 2026, partial | 14 |
| 2025 fall survey | 0 |
| Hunters (2025) | 137 |
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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area hunt
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a processor and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au Gres | Arenac | 5.0 mi | 957 | 14,766 |
| Omer | Arenac | 6.3 mi | 284 | 18,537 |
| Standish | Arenac | 10 mi | 1,456 | 20,742 |
| Pinconning | Bay | 14 mi | 1,185 | 5,388 |
County-level pages to read next: Arenac County.
Where Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area hunters get a deer cut or mounted
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area: the nearest agency desks
Nayanquing Point DNR Wildlife Office handles Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area, 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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area
Lapeer Shooting Range (Lapeer Pit) (Lapeer County) is the closest DNR range, 64 miles away. Two closer club ranges follow.
Shoots: trap, archery, muzzleloader, shotgun
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Opening and closing minutes for Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area 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.
Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area FAQ for 2026-27
Can I scatter bait for deer on Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
No bait or feed for deer. This county has no positive wild deer on the DNR list.
Does the Aug. 15 to April 30 orange rule cover Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
Turkeys: within 72 hours, online or app (mandatory from 2026).
Can I leave a tree stand at Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
Portable blinds come out daily; constructed blinds need ID and are barred on Zone 3 game areas and parks.
Which licenses work on Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
No special permit for most of it; the base license and the species license are enough.
Is there a second spot near Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
Try Pinconning Township (Cody-Etsy Road) State Game Area (15 miles), Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area (17 miles) and Fraser Township No.1 State Game Area (18 miles), measured in a straight line.
What kind of public ground is Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area on paper?
It is a DNR state wildlife area, run by the DNR Wildlife Division.
Is Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area large enough for a full day afield?
About 6,746 acres.
Which covered town is closest to Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
Base in Au Gres, 5 miles away; it lies in Arenac County.
Does Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area 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 Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
Units: 006. Up to 5 universal antlerless licenses may be used in Arenac County.
Which BMU do I apply for to hunt Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
The bear unit is Gladwin. The bear drawing uses preference points; Gladwin hunt 0022 has a quota of 95.
Is there a fall turkey season at Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area?
Spring unit NN, fall unit I.
Heading to Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area? Read this first
Print the Wigwam Bay State Wildlife 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: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).