Deer opener dates for Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan
Minnesota opens on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Michigan follows on Sunday, November 15, and Wisconsin on Saturday, November 21. Each state sets its firearms opener by a rule rather than picking a date, so the dates below are worked out from those rules for 2026 through 2032, with the source for each one.
Agencies can change a season, add a special hunt or move a zone, and these tables cannot know about that ahead of time. Check your state's current regulations before you book time off or plan camp around a date. This page is a planning aid, not legal advice.
Opening day, 2026 to 2032
Two of the three states always open on a Saturday. Michigan does not: its season is fixed at November 15 to 30, so in most years the first morning is a weekday and somebody at camp is taking a day off work. Wisconsin's season always takes in Thanksgiving, so a Wisconsin camp has to decide whether the holiday happens at camp or at home.
Minnesota firearms deer opener
Opens the Saturday nearest November 6. The 100 series, in the northeast, runs 16 days; the 200 series opens the same morning and runs nine.
Source: Minnesota Rules, part 6232.1300, checked October 17, 2026.
| Year | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, Nov 7 | Sun, Nov 22 (100 series), Sun, Nov 15 (200 series) |
| 2027 | Sat, Nov 6 | Sun, Nov 21 (100 series), Sun, Nov 14 (200 series) |
| 2028 | Sat, Nov 4 | Sun, Nov 19 (100 series), Sun, Nov 12 (200 series) |
| 2029 | Sat, Nov 3 | Sun, Nov 18 (100 series), Sun, Nov 11 (200 series) |
| 2030 | Sat, Nov 9 | Sun, Nov 24 (100 series), Sun, Nov 17 (200 series) |
| 2031 | Sat, Nov 8 | Sun, Nov 23 (100 series), Sun, Nov 16 (200 series) |
| 2032 | Sat, Nov 6 | Sun, Nov 21 (100 series), Sun, Nov 14 (200 series) |
Wisconsin firearms deer opener
Opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving and runs nine days in a row, so it always closes on the Sunday after.
Source: Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 10.01(3)(e), checked October 17, 2026.
| Year | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, Nov 21 | Sun, Nov 29 |
| 2027 | Sat, Nov 20 | Sun, Nov 28 |
| 2028 | Sat, Nov 18 | Sun, Nov 26 |
| 2029 | Sat, Nov 17 | Sun, Nov 25 |
| 2030 | Sat, Nov 23 | Sun, Dec 1 |
| 2031 | Sat, Nov 22 | Sun, Nov 30 |
| 2032 | Sat, Nov 20 | Sun, Nov 28 |
Michigan firearms deer opener
Runs November 15 to 30 on fixed dates, whatever day of the week the 15th falls on.
Source: Michigan DNR, deer hunting regulations summary, checked October 17, 2026.
| Year | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sun, Nov 15 | Mon, Nov 30 |
| 2027 | Mon, Nov 15 | Tue, Nov 30 |
| 2028 | Wed, Nov 15 | Thu, Nov 30 |
| 2029 | Thu, Nov 15 | Fri, Nov 30 |
| 2030 | Fri, Nov 15 | Sat, Nov 30 |
| 2031 | Sat, Nov 15 | Sun, Nov 30 |
| 2032 | Mon, Nov 15 | Tue, Nov 30 |
These are the regular firearms seasons only. Archery, muzzleloader, youth and late antlerless hunts have their own dates, and some areas have their own seasons, so look those up in the regulations for the zone or permit area your camp sits in.
Who picks first on opening morning
Most camps have one argument a year and it is about the first morning. Settle it for seven seasons at once. Type in the members in this year's order, pick your state, and the table moves everyone along one place each season, so every member gets first pick once before anyone gets it twice. Then copy the link and drop it in the camp chat. Whoever opens it sees the same order with the same names.
| Opener | First pick | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sat, Nov 7 | Member 1 | Member 2, Member 3, Member 4 |
| 2027 Sat, Nov 6 | Member 2 | Member 3, Member 4, Member 1 |
| 2028 Sat, Nov 4 | Member 3 | Member 4, Member 1, Member 2 |
| 2029 Sat, Nov 3 | Member 4 | Member 1, Member 2, Member 3 |
| 2030 Sat, Nov 9 | Member 1 | Member 2, Member 3, Member 4 |
| 2031 Sat, Nov 8 | Member 2 | Member 3, Member 4, Member 1 |
| 2032 Sat, Nov 6 | Member 3 | Member 4, Member 1, Member 2 |
The names stay in the link you copy. Nothing you type here is sent to AllDibs or stored anywhere.
Questions about deer opener dates
When is the Minnesota deer opener in 2027?+
Saturday, November 6, 2027. Minnesota's rule puts the firearms opener on the Saturday nearest November 6, so it lands anywhere from November 3 to November 9. In 2026 it is November 7. The opener date is the same across the state; how long the season runs depends on the permit area's series, so check the DNR's regulations for your area.
When does Wisconsin's gun deer season start in 2027?+
Saturday, November 20, 2027, and it runs nine days to Sunday, November 28. Wisconsin opens on the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year, which means the season always takes in the holiday. In 2026 it is November 21 to 29.
Is the Michigan firearm opener always November 15?+
Yes, under the current regulations the regular firearm season runs November 15 to 30 every year. That is why the opener moves through the week: it is a Sunday in 2026 and a Monday in 2027, and the next Saturday opener is 2031. A camp that wants everyone there for the first morning has to plan around a weekday in most years.
Is the Minnesota deer opener always the first Saturday in November?+
No, and the difference catches people out in some years. The rule is the Saturday nearest November 6, not the first Saturday. When November 1 is a Saturday, the first Saturday is the 1st but the opener is the 8th, because the 8th is closer to the 6th. That happens next in 2031. Use the table rather than counting from the 1st.
How do you decide who picks first on opening morning?+
Write the order down for years ahead and move everyone along one place each season, so each member picks first once before anyone gets a second turn. The tool on this page does that with your camp's names and your state's opener dates, and makes a link you can drop in the group chat so the order is settled before anyone drives up.
The order is settled. Now book the stands.
Put each stand on AllDibs as its own item, send the camp one invite link, and two people can never book the same stand for the same morning.
Put the stands on AllDibs, freeWant the rest of the camp rules too? Read hunting camp rules for a camp you share.