DNR conservation officers share tips on avoiding some common violations they see happen every year.



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small group of white-tailed deer, including a mature buck, stand together in tall, brown grass in a Michigan forest

Nov. 5, 2025

Media contact: 1st Lt. Tom Wanless <[email protected]>, DNR Recreational Safety, Education and Enforcement Section supervisor, 810-577-6887

Hunters, follow best practices this firearm deer season

Opening day of Michigan's traditional firearm deer hunting season (Nov. 15) is right around the corner, and many hunters are busy scouting land, watching trail cameras and preparing equipment.

To ensure a safe season on both public and private land, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging hunters to follow best practices to help them avoid the most common violations conservation officers see every year.


* Properly license, tag your deer [ #link_11 ]
* Know and safely transport your firearm [ #link_10 ]
* Know your target and what's beyond it [ #link_9 ]
* Respect landowner rights [ #link_8 ]
* Share public land [ #link_2 ]
* Leave land better than you found it [ #link_3 ]
* Wear hunter orange [ #link_4 ]
* Know, follow baiting regulations [ #link_5 ]
* Hunt in season, during legal hours [ #link_6 ]
* Respect other hunters [ #link_7 ]
* Photos [ #link_1 ]

Properly license, tag your deer

Make sure to purchase your license with enough time to receive the tag in the mail. It takes several business days to receive tags. Before field-dressing or moving a deer, kill tags must be filled out to include the month and date the deer was harvested, animal gender and number of antler points, if any. Kill tags must be properly placed on the deer. Stick the tag to a piece of string, wire or a zip-tie that can be attached to the deer. Conservation officers often see the wrong kill tag on game – such as fish or turkey licenses on deer. This usually is a simple mistake made in the dark that can easily be corrected by retagging the deer as soon as the error is noticed.

Remember that reporting your deer within 72 hours of harvest is just as important as tagging it. A great deal of information hunters need to know is available on the DNR Hunt Fish app [ [link removed] ]. Regulation summaries are also available from most hunting license vendors [ [link removed] ] across the state.

Know and safely transport your firearm

Proper handling and transportation of your firearm are key to safe hunting. Take the time to familiarize yourself with your firearm and make sure it is properly sighted and functioning before your hunt. If it’s been a while since you used your firearm, consider visiting a local shooting range to practice. Many ranges have extended hours this time of year. Locate ranges through the DNR Hunt Fish app or visit Michigan.gov/ShootingRanges [ [link removed] ].

When transporting a firearm, be sure it is unloaded in both the barrel and magazine, and enclosed in a case or carried in the trunk of a vehicle.

Know your target and what's beyond it

Know the area you’ll be hunting, including nearby buildings and properties. No one may hunt with a firearm within 450 feet of an occupied structure, including buildings, dwellings, homes, residences, cabins, barns or structures used for farm operations unless they have permission from the landowner.

Each year, conservation officers investigate property damage caused by firearms. Rifle rounds travel long distances, and hunters are responsible for where bullets end up.

Respect landowner rights

Always respect posted “no trespassing” signs and property boundaries. If a deer runs onto private property, the hunter cannot retrieve it without the landowner’s permission. Conservation officers usually are contacted when trespass disagreements escalate and a resolution cannot be reached.

Hunting near someone else’s property? Contact the landowner ahead of time; don't wait until you're tracking game. Most of the time, a friendly call or visit to your neighbor will remedy the situation.

And remember, all hunting regulations apply on private property.

Share public land

Research and scout the land you plan to hunt before opening day. State-managed public land is a popular place to hunt. Conservation officers often respond to confrontations over hunting spots, blocked roads and illegal posting of “no trespassing” or “no hunting” signs on state-managed public land. COs, who often are asked to help resolve these disputes, said hunter confrontations over hunting spots frequently erupt due to last-minute hunters randomly picking their spots.

Tree stands and ground blinds on public land are just that: public. Regardless of who constructed or tends to these blinds, when they’re on state-managed public land, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Public land cannot be posted or reserved.

A person placing a tree stand or ground blind that is left overnight on public land must have one of the following affixed in legible English that can easily be read from the ground: their name and address, complete driver’s license number or DNR Sportcard number. Hunting platforms cannot be affixed or attached to any tree by nails, screws or bolts.

Refer to the current deer hunting regulations [ [link removed] ] for additional information about the different types of ground blinds.

Leave land better than you found it

Practice the “leave no trace” ethic and don’t litter. Whatever is brought into the woods must be taken back out. Leaving propane bottles, hand-warmer wrappers, food wrappers, bottles and other trash is illegal and may result in a fine.

It is the responsibility of all people spending time outdoors to be good environmental stewards and clean up after themselves. Learn more about responsible recreation [ [link removed] ].

Wear hunter orange

Nov. 15-30, deer hunters, including those using archery equipment, are required by law to wear caps, hats, vests, jackets or raincoats of hunter orange. The orange must be worn on the outermost layer of clothing at all times and visible from all directions, regardless of whether hunters are on private or shared public land, even if hunting from within a blind.

Hunter orange garments may have a camouflage pattern as long as the pattern is at least 50% hunter orange. The DNR recommends wearing as much hunter orange as possible to increase visibility to other hunters. Don’t worry; hunter orange does not deter deer.

Know, follow baiting regulations

Deer baiting and feeding are banned in the entire Lower Peninsula.

In the Upper Peninsula, baiting may occur from Sept. 15 to Jan. 1. Bait volume at any hunting site cannot exceed 2 gallons. Bait must be spread on the ground and in an area that measures a minimum of 10 feet by 10 feet or its equivalent. Mechanical spin-cast feeders are legal to use provided the feeder does not distribute more than the maximum volume allowed. On commercial forest land, bait must be brought in each night, unless the landowner has given permission. Use bait sparingly to help curb the spread of diseases like bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease.

Hunt in season, during legal hours

During firearm season, a hunter may legally shoot game starting 30 minutes before local sunrise and until 30 minutes after local sunset. Anyone who witnesses or suspects hunting outside of legal hours should immediately call or text the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800. Fast reporting makes it more likely that a conservation officer will identify the suspect.

Respect other hunters

Michigan law prohibits anyone from obstructing or interfering with the lawful taking of animals. Hunter harassment – when a person or organization intentionally sabotages another hunter’s quality opportunity to take game – is a misdemeanor offense. Examples include spraying repellent around a hunter’s blind, creating loud noises and/or barriers that prevent or deter a hunter or game from accessing an area, or destroying other hunters’ equipment such as trail cameras and blinds.

Anyone who feels targeted by hunter harassment or who witnesses a natural resource violation should immediately call or text the Report All Poaching Hotline at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously. Monetary rewards may be offered for information that leads to the prosecution of violators.

For more information on the firearm deer season, hunting safety, lands open to hunting, hunting regulations and more, visit Michigan.gov/Hunting [ [link removed] ]. The 2025 Michigan deer hunting preview [ [link removed] ] also is available.

Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect residents through general law enforcement and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers [ [link removed] ].

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Photos

*Note to editors:* An accompanying photo is available below for download. Credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources.


* White-tailed deer in Michigan forest [ [link removed] ]

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"Is your freezer already full? Hunters, if you have success this season, consider donating a deer or funding to Hunters Feeding Michigan [ [link removed] ], a program that helps Michiganders get venison to feed their families. Your generosity can make a meaningful difference to friends and neighbors who may be struggling this time of year. "

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