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Roscommon County · Northern Lower Peninsula
Michigan hunting around St. Helen
Public ground measured from St. Helen, the Roscommon County deer units and antlerless limits, bear and turkey units, CWD and baiting status, reported harvest and the shops that serve hunters.
Photo: Mio Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest) (17 mi from St. Helen), standing in for the town. Huron-Manistee National Forests (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Roscommon County, in the northern Lower Peninsula, is home to the unincorporated community (a Census-designated place) of St. Helen. The closest edge of Roscommon County state forest land sits less than a mile out from St. Helen, making it the base town. 8 public properties reach within 10 miles, together about 129,779 mapped acres. Closest on the list is Roscommon Forest Management Unit (State Forest), with its nearest line less than a mile out.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer; public acreage and boundary distances within 10 miles are a GIS measure over the DNR wildlife property, park hunting-land and state forest layers and the USFS, USFWS and NPS boundaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around St. Helen
St. Helen: DMUs, antler rules and baiting
County DMUs sit under bigger overlay units in Michigan, so a spot near St. Helen can be in several at once.
All of Roscommon County is deer Zone 2. The DNR set the Roscommon County antlerless use limit at 3 licenses for 2026-27. Roscommon County is open to the early antlerless firearm hunt (Sep 12 to Sep 13, 2026) and the late one (Dec 7, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027).
| DMU | Kind | Antler points | Antlerless cap | 2025 harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 072 (Roscommon County) | County unit | None | 3 | 1,993 |
No CWD-positive free-ranging deer is listed for Roscommon County. The DNR donation page lists Roscommon County as a bovine TB test county. The Lower Peninsula baiting and feeding ban covers this county.
Zones and units from counties.json (DNR layers) and the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits, CWD areas, TB area and baiting from the DNR 2026 deer regulation summary; county CWD tests from DNR CWD testing data; donation testing from the DNR deer donation page; DMU harvest from the DNR harvest report summary. Checked October 22, 2026.
Land open to hunting around St. Helen
Sorted by nearest boundary, then by centre distance. Each property page carries its own closed areas, safety zones and season notes.
260,802 acres make Roscommon Forest Management Unit (State Forest) the largest property near St. Helen. Game areas a short drive from St. Helen: Backus Creek State Game Area. SWMA floodings in reach: Marsh Creek / Beaver Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area and 3 more. State forest land nearby falls under Roscommon Forest Management Unit (State Forest). Federal options begin with Kirtland's Warbler Wildlife Management Area. Backus Creek Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) offers managed aspen for grouse.
| Name | Direction | Land type | Manager | Nearest line | Centre point | Size (ac) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roscommon Forest Management Unit (State Forest) 0.3 mi to St. Helen | SE | State forest unit | DNR Forest | 0.3 mi | 2.6 mi | 260,802 | deer, bear |
| Kirtland's Warbler Wildlife Management Area 1.4 mi to St. Helen | N | Federal WMA | US Fish and Wildlife | 1.4 mi | 30 mi | 6,684 | waterfowl, deer |
| Marsh Creek / Beaver Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area 1.7 mi to St. Helen | NE | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 1.7 mi | 2.2 mi | 554 | – |
| Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen State Wildlife Management Area 4.9 mi to St. Helen | W | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 4.9 mi | 4.9 mi | 949 | – |
| Backus Creek State Game Area 7.1 mi to St. Helen | W | State game area | DNR Wildlife | 7.1 mi | 8.5 mi | 4,379 | – |
| Robinson Creek Floodings Wildlife Management Area 8.4 mi to St. Helen | NW | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 8.4 mi | 9.7 mi | 2,572 | – |
| Backus Creek Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 8.5 mi to St. Helen | W | GEMS grouse site | DNR GEMS | 8.5 mi | 8.5 mi | 4,339 | ruffed grouse, woodcock |
| Denton Creek Flooding Wildlife Management Area 9.3 mi to St. Helen | SW | Flooding (SWMA) | DNR Wildlife | 9.3 mi | 10.0 mi | 805 | – |
| South Higgins Lake State Park 13 mi to St. Helen | W | State park | DNR Parks | 10+ mi | 13 mi | 1,367 | – |
| Gladwin Field Trial Area and Gladwin Wildlife Unit 17 mi to St. Helen | SW | Field trial area | DNR Wildlife | 10+ mi | 17 mi | 4,749 | – |
Lands, acreage and notes from DNR property lists, DNR GIS acreage and federal hunting pages (lands.json); boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json; centre distances are straight lines from the Census point for St. Helen. Checked October 22, 2026. Statewide public land map.
St. Helen area deer and turkey harvest
County totals from the DNR harvest report summary, with the 2026 figure still growing.
In 2025, 1,993 deer were reported from Roscommon County. Among the 83 counties, Roscommon placed 56th. The 2022 count stood at 2,917. The running 2026 figure is 314 deer, before the Nov. 15 opener.
The 2026 turkey total for Roscommon County is 146 so far, 49th among counties. Survey estimates for fall 2025 put Roscommon County at 37 turkeys from 203 hunters.
Deer and 2026 turkey from the DNR harvest report summary (2026 is season to date, retrieved October 22, 2026); fall 2025 turkey survey from the DNR wildlife publications (Report 3754). Checked October 22, 2026.
Michigan DNR offices for St. Helen hunters
DNR customer service centers sell licenses and answer hunting questions in person. The one nearest St. Helen is listed first.
DNR Roscommon Customer Service Center · NW 12 mi
DNR Houghton Lake Wildlife Area Field Office, about 19 mi out
Huron-Manistee National Forests Mio Ranger Station, about 26 mi out
From the DNR customer service center page and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 22, 2026.
Roscommon County bear and turkey units near St. Helen
What a St. Helen hunter applies for: the bear unit and its numbers, then the turkey and elk units.
Roscommon County falls in the Red Oak BMU; bear licenses are drawn with preference points. The 2024 DNR survey put Red Oak BMU hunter success at 57%. St. Helen turkey hunters apply in unit NN; the spring 2027 structure is not published yet. Unit I fall turkey: Sept. 15 – Nov. 14, licenses unlimited. Part of Roscommon County is elk country (unit X).
| Unit | Periods | Quota 2026 | Points to draw | Bears, 2024 | Bears, 2025* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak BMU | 1 | 685 | 9–10 | 346 | 282 |
| Turkey unit | Hunt number | Open | License quota | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring unit NN | 0134 | April 18 – May 1 | 18,000 | Spring 2026 |
| Fall unit I | 0401 | Sept. 15 – Nov. 14 | Unlimited | Fall 2026 |
Units from counties.json (DNR layers); bear hunts, quotas and points from the DNR 2026 bear summary; registered bears and the 2024 survey from the DNR bear data and bear harvest reports; turkey hunts from the DNR spring turkey summary and fall turkey summary; elk from the DNR elk summary; small game units from the small game, waterfowl and fur harvester summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
St. Helen: hunting calendar
Archery and the Nov. 15 rifle opener are statewide, but bear units, fall turkey units, waterfowl zones and bobcat units decide the rest for St. Helen.
| 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) | Red Oak BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (archery only) | Red Oak BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| Elk | Hunt period 1 | Elk unit X | Sep 23, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Elk | Hunt period 2 | Elk unit X | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 15, 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.
St. Helen venison processors, taxidermists and gun shops
The DNR issues taxidermy permits but publishes no list of holders, so taxidermists come from directory listings. Call before you drive. Community Cuts processes donated deer for the DNR program.
| Kind | 15 mi | 35 mi | Closest listing | Distance | In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer cutting | 2 | 4 | Klemmers Processing | 12 mi SE | West Branch |
| Taxidermists | 2 | 9 | Ogemaw Hills Taxidermy | 9.5 mi E | West Branch |
| Hunting preserves | 0 | 1 | Cherry Creek Farm | 25 mi NE | Mio |
| Hunting shops | 9 | 32 | St. Helen Power Sports LLC | at town N | Richfield Township |
Deer cutting
Taxidermists
Hunting preserves
Hunting shops
Processors from the DNR Hunters Feeding Michigan list, DNR deer sample sites and Yellow Pages; shops from the DNR license agent map (license-only counters left out) and Yellow Pages; preserves from the DNR game bird preserve directory and Yellow Pages; taxidermists from Yellow Pages (the DNR taxidermy permit list is not public). Checked October 22, 2026; hours were not checked.
Shooting hours at St. Helen
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.
St. Helen area hunting events
Read October 22, 2026. 6 upcoming events fall inside about 30 miles, covering BOW workshop, DU dinner, DU sportsman bingo, banquet, championship stake and grouse futurity.
On the calendar
| Held | What | Miles away | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Grand National Grouse Futurity 2026 / Grouse futurity | 26 | Gladwin (Gladwin Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Nov 3, 2026 | Grand National Grouse Championship 2026 / Championship stake | 26 | Gladwin (Gladwin Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Whitetails Unlimited Gladwin County MI Chapter Banquet / Banquet | 26 | Gladwin K of C Hall in Gladwin (Gladwin Co.) | Event details | Source |
| Dec 4, 2026 | Houghton Lake Ducks Unlimited Annual Banquet / DU dinner | 17 | Lakeside Conference Center in Houghton Lake (Roscommon Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| May 8, 2027 | Otsego County Firearm Frenzy / DU sportsman bingo | 25 | AuSable River Outfitters in Mio (Oscoda Co.) | Buy tickets | Source |
| Jun 11–13, 2027 | Becoming an Outdoors Woman Summer Workshop 2027 / BOW workshop | 13 | RAM Center on Higgins Lake in Roscommon (Roscommon Co.) | Event details | Source |
Shooting near St. Helen
The three closest to St. Helen, each card with its access rule.
Lines: sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Lines: rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery, 3D archery
About 51 miles to Voyer Lake Shooting Range, the nearest range on DNR land. Hours and rules
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 22, 2026.
St. Helen hunting FAQ
Is Roscommon County in a Michigan elk unit?
Part of the county is in unit X. An elk license comes only from the DNR drawing, not over the counter. Hunt period 1: Sep 23 to Oct 4, 2026.
How many bucks can I take near St. Helen?
Michigan allows two antlered deer a year; DMU 117 allows one. Choose a single deer license or a deer combo license at purchase.
Is Roscommon County in the North, Middle or South Zone?
Roscommon County is in the Middle Zone. Season dates for each zone are in the table above.
How many deer does Roscommon County report?
The 2025 reported total for Roscommon County was 1,993. That placed Roscommon 56th of 83 counties.
How many mapped public acres can St. Helen hunters reach?
Roughly 129,779 acres sit inside 10 miles. Counting land farther out, the table on this page lists 10 places to hunt.
Which public hunting land lies closest to St. Helen?
Closest is Roscommon Forest Management Unit (State Forest), with its nearest line less than a mile out. Second closest to St. Helen is Kirtland's Warbler Wildlife Management Area.
What is the antlerless license limit in Roscommon County?
The limit for Roscommon County is 3. No drawing is needed; a hunter may buy up to 10 a year.
What deer units cover Roscommon County?
The county’s unit is DMU 072 (Roscommon County).
Which BMU holds St. Helen?
Roscommon County is in the Red Oak BMU. 685 2026 licenses, by drawing. 282 bears were registered there in 2025 (preliminary).
May I bait deer near St. Helen?
Roscommon County: no CWD on record. Baiting and feeding deer are banned across the Lower Peninsula.
What dates is the firearm deer season around St. Helen?
The regular firearm season runs Nov 15 to Nov 30, 2026. The three-day LP December firearm hunt is Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026.
How many turkeys does Roscommon County report?
Roscommon County is unit NN in spring and I in fall. The fall season is Sept. 15 – Nov. 14. 146 turkeys have been reported from the county in 2026.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above; harvest reporting and the antlered deer limit from the DNR 2026 deer regulation summary. Checked October 22, 2026.
St. Helen trip checklist
Before leaving St. Helen, confirm your DMU, the antlerless use limit and any closed areas on the property you plan to hunt.
Other photos on this page: Chic Bee (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); AcrylicArtist (CC BY 2.0); ForestWander.com (CC BY-SA 2.0); lwolfartist (CC BY 2.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0); YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0); David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0).