2012 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Digest (HTML)

See a PDF or Flash version of the 2012 Hunting and Trapping Digest

A multi-species hunt opportunity. Apply as many times as you wish! See www.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt.

Regulations apply Aug. 1, 2012 through July 31, 2013, unless otherwise noted.

• Hunting License Fees
  • Limited-Access Hunting Applications
• Sportsperson Discount
• Lost Licenses and Hunter Safety Certificates
• 2012-2013 Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits (Page numbers refer to the PDF version of this digest.)
• Hunting Hours
• Pure Michigan Hunt
• Float Hunting
• Recreational Trespass
• Hunting and Trapping Zones
• License Information
  • Regular Hunting or Fur Harvester License
  • U.S. Military Personnel
  • Apprentice Hunting License
• Rules for Young Hunters (Up to 16 Years of Age)
• Youth Hunting Opportunities
  • 2012 Youth Waterfowl Weekend and Youth Waterfowl Hunting on Managed Waterfowl Areas
  • Youth and 100 Percent Disabled Veteran Firearm Deer Hunting Days
  • Firearm Hunting Rules for Youth Deer Hunters
• White-tailed Deer
  • Rules for Baiting and Feeding Deer
  • Antler Definitions/Requirements
  • Upper Peninsula and DMU 487 Buck Hunting Regulations
  • Available Licenses - Archery, Firearm, Combination, Antlerless and Junior Antlerless
  • Special Antlerless Deer Seasons
  • Antler Restriction Regulations
  • Tagging Option for Antlerless Deer Hunters
  • Deer Management Units (DMUs)
  • Learn to Identify "Button Bucks"
  • Special Deer Seasons and Hunts
  • Deer Cooperator Patches
  • Deer Management Assistance (DMA) Permits
  • Deer Carcass Disposal
• Tagging Big Game and Furbearers
• Control of Certain Nuisance Species
• Tracking Wounded Animals with Dogs
• Restrictions on Off-Road Vehicles and Snowmobiles
• Small Game
• Pheasant
• Game Bird Hunting Preserves
• Quail
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Migratory Game Birds
  • Harvest Information Program (HIP)
  • Woodcock Leg-Band Reporting
• Waterfowl
  • Early September Canada Goose Hunting
  • Michigan Waterfowl Hunting License and Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Requirements
• Townships with Hunting Restrictions
• Safety Zones Around Buildings
• Transportation of Game
• Private Lands Open to Public Hunting
  • Hunting Access Program (HAP)
  • Select Privately Owned Lands
  • Commercial Forest (CF) Lands
• Nighttime Raccoon and Predator Hunting
• Fur Harvester Regulations
  • Fur Harvester License
    • Nonresident Fur Harvester License
  • Furbearer Kill Tags
  • Federal Regulations
  • Bait
  • Incidental Catches
  • Live Traps
  • Special Management Areas
  • Trapper Education Program
  • Fur Harvester Trapping and Hunting Seasons
  • Fur Harvester Rules
  • Trap Selectivity
    • Dryland and Surface Ice Public Land Body-Gripping Trap Regulations
    • Dryland and Surface Ice Private Land Body-Gripping Trap Regulations
  • Beaver and Otter Trapping Regulations
  • Bobcat Units and Bag Limits
  • Fisher and Marten Open Area and Bag Limit
  • Winter Fox and Coyote Non-lethal Cable Restraints
  • Furbearer Registration
• Firearm, Crossbow and Bow and Arrow Rules
  • Shell Capacity for Shotguns and Centerfire Rifles
  • Crossbows
  • Archery Deer Seasons
  • Nov. 10-14
  • Nov. 15-30 Firearm Deer Season
  • Muzzleloading Deer Seasons
  • All Firearm Deer Seasons - Rifle Zone
  • All Firearm Deer Seasons - Shotgun Zone
  • License Requirement - Possession of Firearms and Bows and Arrows
• Transporting Firearms, Crossbows, and Bows and Arrows
• Statewide Handgun Regulations
• Shooting Ranges
• Statewide Handgun Regulations
• Artificial Lights and Shining
• Hunting and Trapping Within a Road or Railroad Right-of-Way
• Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact
• Hunter Orange Clothing Requirements
• Hunters, Do NOT Move Firewood
• Dog Training
• Important Live Animal Restrictions
• Protected Wildlife
• Commercial Hunting Guides on State Land
• Raised Platforms and Tree Stands
• Mandatory Penalties for Certain Hunting Violations
• Ground Blinds on Public Land
• Additional Hunting Rules
• State Parks and Recreation Areas
• Hunting on National Forest Lands
• Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative
• Information for Hunters with Disabilities
  • Laser Sighting Devices for Hunters with Disabilities
  • Resident Veterans with Disabilities
  • Crossbow Permit amd Modified bow Permit
  • Permit to Hunt from a Standing Vehicle
  • Special Firearm Hunt for Those with Disabilities
  • Use of Ground Blinds on Public Land by Hunters with Disabilities
• Safe Hunting Is No Accident
• Wildlife Diseases
• Bovine Tuberculosis
• Chronic Wasting Disease
• Hunters Importing Deer, Elk or Moose
• Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease
• Precaution About Lead in Venison
• Dioxin Advisory Information
• Precautions When Handling and Processing Deer and Other Wild Game
• Impact of Predators on Deer in the Upper Peninsula
• Wolf-Dog Conflicts
• Hunter Education Promotes Our Wildlife Heritage
• Public Hunting Lands Maps Available Online
• Tips for Asking Permission to Hunt on Private Land

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.

The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) provides a strategic framework for the DNR to effectively manage the state's natural resources. The NRC works closely with a broad cross-section of constituents to advise the DNR on continuous improvement of resource management policy.

A complete listing of regulations and legal descriptions are available on the DNR website at: www.michigan.gov/dnrlaws.

The printed version of this digest was printed at zero cost to the state of Michigan, which resulted in a savings of more than $100,000 to the Game and Fish Protection Fund.

Thank you for purchasing a 2012 Michigan hunting or fur harvester license.
Michigan is among the top states in the nation in almost every hunting category, with more than 750,000 licensed hunters contributing over $900 million annually to our economy. The mission of the DNR Wildlife Division is to enhance, restore and conserve the State's wildlife resources, natural communities, and ecosystems for the benefit of Michigan's citizens, visitors and future generations. Your purchase of a hunting or fur harvester license supports the work of department employees who manage and protect Michigan's wildlife habitat. We encourage you to keep hunting and trapping, and to share your experience with others. In doing so, you can do your part to keep our state's wildlife heritage alive for future generations.

Need information?
Contact the Department of Natural Resources

Funding the Wildlife Division
Facts You Should Know

NOTICE: This brochure is not a legal notice or a complete collection of hunting regulations and laws. It is a condensed guide issued for hunters' convenience. Copies of Wildlife Conservation Orders can be obtained from our website.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunities for employment and access to Michigan's natural resources. Both state and federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, sex, height, weight or marital status under the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 as amended (MI PA 453) and MI PA 220, Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act). If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program activities, or facility, or if you desire additional information, please write: Human Resources, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, MI 48909-7528 or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Cadillac Place, Suite 3-600, 3054 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202 or the Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop MBSP-4020, Arlington, VA 22203.

For information or assistance on this publication, contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 30444, Lansing, MI 48909-7944. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.