2025-2026 Hunting Forecast

Know what to expect with game in your Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) by checking out the 2025-2026 Hunting Forecast. Deer in the Northwest Region (NWR) Last winter:Winter conditions for deer were mild to severe across the NWR’s core deer range. Deer in more northern and peripheral parts of the region experienced severe conditions. Winter is expected to have had a variable impact on NWR deer populations. Deer in the region’s southwest had the lowest levels of winter-related mortality. Population trends: Deer numbers remain at naturally low levels in the northern parts of the NWR. Deer in NWR’s core deer range (WMUs 5, 6, 7A, 7B, 9A, 9B, 10, 11A, and 13) entered last winter below their population objective ranges. Their numbers remain below peak levels observed 13 to 22 years ago. NWR MNR deer management efforts have shifted to improve deer abundance in those WMUs. WMU13, the NWR’s most popular deer hunting area, has what is estimated to be the lowest deer population level in 25 years. WMU 8’s deer population entered winter within its objective range. Consecutive severe winters are thought to have contributed to declines. Wolf abundance may also have contributed to declines in some portions of the NWR. Additional deer tags for antlerless deer and higher antlerless tag quotas were also detrimental to deer abundance in some WMUs. Antlerless tags: 3,055 Down 1,800 from last year. Decreases in WMUs 5, 6, 7A, 7B, 9B, 10, 13, and 21A. Increases in WMUs 4, 8, and 12B. Unchanged in all other NWR WMUs. Additional deer tags (ADT): 750 Down 565 from last year Deer in the Northeast Region (NER) Last winter: The region’s core deer range WMUs (36, 41, 42, 44, 45, and 47) generally experienced a moderate winter. Manitoulin Island experienced a mild winter. Cumulative snow depths and maximum snow depths were close to the 20-year averages for these WMUs. Severe winter conditions were experienced in WMU 37, 38, and the northern portions of WMUs 39 and 41, and in all NER WMUs further north. Population trends:NER core deer WMUs are predicted to have stable or slightly increasing deer numbers in 2025 relative to 2024. Based on deer seen per hunter day trends, deer numbers are estimated to be increasing in WMUs 41, 43B, 44, and 47, and stable in WMUs 36, 37, 39, 41, 42, 43A. Generally, deer populations in core NER WMUs (WMU 36, 37, 39,