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Gogebic County · Upper Peninsula hunting
Watersmeet, Michigan hunting guide
Trip notes for hunters staying in Watersmeet: nearby public land with acres and miles, 2026-27 dates for Gogebic County, DNR shooting hours and the closest processors.
Photo: Photo of Watersmeet Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest), beside Watersmeet; the town itself is not shown. USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Watersmeet lies in Gogebic County, one of the counties of the DNR Upper Peninsula Region. Watersmeet is the jumping-off point for Watersmeet Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest); the two meet at the edge of town. Draw a 10-mile ring around town and it holds some 148,756 acres of public ground (4 listed). The nearest choice is Watersmeet Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest), which runs right up to town.
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 Watersmeet
State and federal hunting land by miles from Watersmeet
Properties whose boundary comes within 10 miles of Watersmeet lead the table, nearest line first; mapped lands farther out follow by distance to their centre.
By size, Kenton Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) tops the 10-mile list with 211,314 acres. No state game or wildlife area reaches inside 10 miles of Watersmeet. Federal land in the ring: Watersmeet Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest), Kenton Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) and Bessemer Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest).
| Property | Direction | Category | Agency | Boundary miles | Centre miles | Acres | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watersmeet Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) at town to Watersmeet Anchor | NE | Ranger district | US Forest Service | at town | at town | 195,088 | deer, bear |
| Kenton Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) 8.0 mi to Watersmeet | NE | Ranger district | US Forest Service | 8.0 mi | 25 mi | 211,314 | deer, bear |
| Bessemer Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) 8.3 mi to Watersmeet | W | Ranger district | US Forest Service | 8.3 mi | 29 mi | 158,909 | deer, bear |
| Bergland Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) 9.8 mi to Watersmeet | NW | Ranger district | US Forest Service | 9.8 mi | 28 mi | 147,640 | deer, bear |
| Blue Bill Creek Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 17 mi to Watersmeet | W | GEMS grouse site | DNR GEMS | farther | 17 mi | 9,491 | ruffed grouse, woodcock |
| Iron River Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) 20 mi to Watersmeet | E | Ranger district | US Forest Service | farther | 20 mi | 143,212 | deer, bear |
| Gold Mine Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 24 mi to Watersmeet | E | GEMS grouse site | DNR GEMS | farther | 24 mi | 893 | ruffed grouse, woodcock |
| Norwich Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) 25 mi to Watersmeet | NW | GEMS grouse site | DNR GEMS | farther | 25 mi | 4,400 | ruffed grouse, woodcock |
| Baraga Forest Management Unit (State Forest) 26 mi to Watersmeet | NE | State forest unit | DNR Forest | farther | 26 mi | 142,356 | deer, bear |
| Ontonagon Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) 29 mi to Watersmeet | NE | Ranger district | US Forest Service | farther | 29 mi | 144,587 | deer, bear |
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 Watersmeet. Checked October 22, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Watersmeet season dates, 2026-27 license year
Private ground and public ground share these dates in Watersmeet; a state park, refuge or national lakeshore can set its own limits.
| Animal | Segment | Area | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Muzzleloader | Upper Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Amasa BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Bergland BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Amasa BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Bergland BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Amasa BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Bergland BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit M | 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 | |
| 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 | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | North Zone | Nov 28, 2026 | Nov 29, 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 | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 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 A | Jan 1, 2027 | 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.
Watersmeet deer units, limits and CWD
Deer around Watersmeet: the zone and units first, then disease rules and the baiting picture.
For deer, Watersmeet and the rest of Gogebic County are Zone 1. No Gogebic County DMU accepts universal antlerless licenses in 2026-27.
| DMU | Kind | APR | Universal antlerless limit | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 027 (Watersmeet unit) | Upper peninsula unit | None | Closed | 507 |
| DMU 127 (Ironwood unit) | Upper peninsula unit | None | Closed | 206 |
| DMU 066 (Ontonagon unit) | Upper peninsula unit | None | Closed | 392 |
The DNR has listed no CWD deer for Gogebic County. Baiting is allowed here Sept. 15 to Jan. 1, capped at 2 gallons scattered over the site.
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.
Deer and turkey reported near Watersmeet
Antlered and antlerless reports for Gogebic County, plus turkey reports and the fall turkey survey.
For 2025 the Gogebic County total was 444 reported deer, all seasons. Statewide, Gogebic County came in 81st. Reporting began in 2022, when the county logged 517. The 2026 season to date shows 50 reported deer.
In the first year of mandatory turkey reports, Gogebic County logged 55 spring and 4 fall turkeys to date. The fall 2025 estimate for Gogebic County is 16 turkeys (24% success).
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.
Watersmeet: bear, turkey, elk and small game
Preference points shown are the resident range needed in 2025 for the first hunt period.
The Bergland BMU covers Watersmeet and has 835 licenses across its 2026 hunt periods. Bergland BMU success ran 43% in the 2024 survey, from 690 hunters. Gogebic County is spring unit M. Spring 2027 hunts have not been published, so the 2026 hunts are listed. In fall, Gogebic County is unit M: Sept. 15 – Nov. 14, quota 2,200.
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | 2026 quota | Points, period 1 (2025) | Bears 2024 | Bears 2025* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergland BMU | 3 | 835 | 3–4 | 252 | 247 |
| Amasa BMU | 3 | 510 | 5–6 | 179 | 205 |
| Turkey unit | Hunt no. | Runs | Licenses | Which year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring unit M | 0110 | April 18 – May 31 | 6,000 | Spring 2026 |
| Fall unit M | 0402 | Sept. 15 – Nov. 14 | 2,200 | 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; small game units from the small game, waterfowl and fur harvester summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Watersmeet hunter services, nearest listing first
Gas stations, grocery and hardware counters that only sell licenses are left out; the shop list keeps gun, archery, outdoor and chain sporting stores.
| Type | Inside 15 | Inside 35 | Nearest one | Distance | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing shops | 0 | 1 | Christnsen Dnald Cstm Btchring | 28 mi SE | Iron River |
| Preserves, guides | 0 | 1 | North Country Bird Dog Ranch | 25 mi W | Marenisco |
| Outdoor stores | 1 | 3 | Sylvania Outfitters | 1.6 mi S | Watersmeet |
Processing shops
Preserves, guides
Outdoor stores
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.
Watersmeet: DNR and Forest Service contacts
Agency offices near Watersmeet: the closest DNR customer service center, then any wildlife field, Forest Service or refuge office within 40 miles.
DNR Baraga Customer Service Center, 49 mi NE
Ottawa National Forest Watersmeet/Iron River Ranger District (2.6 mi SE of town)
Ottawa Visitor Center (2.6 mi SE of town)
From the DNR customer service center page and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 22, 2026.
Watersmeet shooting time on key dates
Deer hunters at Watersmeet get legal light from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, read from the DNR table for the date. Times for Watersmeet are shown in Central Time.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 5:59 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 6:52 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 6:58 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 6:15 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 5:53 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 6:11 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 6:16 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 6:31 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 4:58 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.
Nearest places to shoot from Watersmeet
Ski Brule is nearest, roughly 30 miles from Watersmeet.
Set up for sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Set up for rifle, air gun, trap, smallbore rimfire, shotgun
About 82 miles to Skoglund-Erickson Shooting Range, the nearest range on DNR land. Open
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 22, 2026.
What Watersmeet hunters often ask
How do Watersmeet hunters report game?
Report it within 72 hours of recovery, or before handing it to anyone, online or in the Hunt Fish app. Heads are accepted for CWD or TB testing only after the deer is reported.
Which DNR license agents serve Watersmeet?
Agents, eLicense and the Hunt Fish app all sell them; start with a base license. 5 agents on the DNR map lie inside 15 miles of Watersmeet, led by Sylvania Outfitters. The closest DNR customer service center is DNR Baraga Customer Service Center, 49 miles out.
How many antlered deer may a hunter take in Gogebic County?
A hunter may take two antlered deer a year (one in DMU 117). Pick single or combo when you buy.
Which goose and duck zone holds Watersmeet?
It is North Zone for ducks and geese. See the season table for zone dates.
How does Gogebic County rank for reported deer?
Gogebic County: 444 reported deer in 2025. Statewide rank: 81st of 83.
How much state and federal hunting land surrounds Watersmeet?
Close to 148,756 acres lie within a 10-mile radius. That acreage is split across 4 state or federal properties.
How far is Watersmeet from a state game area or state forest?
Begin with Watersmeet Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest), which runs right up to town. Kenton Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) follows it in the Watersmeet table.
How do UP antlerless limits work in Gogebic County?
None of the county units is open.
Which deer unit numbers matter for Watersmeet hunters?
The DNR layers place Gogebic County in DMU 027 (Watersmeet unit), DMU 127 (Ironwood unit) and DMU 066 (Ontonagon unit).
Which bear management unit covers Watersmeet?
Gogebic County is Bergland BMU country for bear. The 2026 quota is 835 licenses. The unit registered 247 bears in 2025.
What do the CWD and baiting rules say for Watersmeet?
No positives are listed. Baiting is allowed in the UP window, Sept. 15 to Jan. 1.
When is firearm deer season near Watersmeet?
Rifles and shotguns come out on Nov 15, 2026, and the season closes Nov 30, 2026. UP hunters get Dec 4 to Dec 6, 2026 as well.
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.
Last look before a Watersmeet hunt
Wear hunter orange from Aug. 15 to April 30 when the rules call for it, and report every deer within 72 hours.
Other photos on this page: USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); chumlee10 (CC BY-SA 2.0); ForestWander.com (CC BY-SA 2.0); YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0); NWCouncil (CC BY 2.0).