Michigan's Hunting Access Program (HAP) was originally created in 1977 to increase public hunting opportunities in southern Michigan where 97 percent of the land base is privately owned. It has now expanded to include the Northeast Lower and Eastern Upper Peninsulas. HAP is one of the oldest dedicated private lands public access programs in the nation.
HAP provides access to quality private hunting lands with a focus in agricultural regions and disease management areas. Providing more hunting opportunity is critical for attracting new and retaining current hunters and supporting Michigan’s strong hunting tradition.
HAP provides financial incentives to private landowners who allow hunters access to their lands. Using funds from a USDA/VPA-HIP federal grant, the DNR has significantly expanded the number of acres and properties available within the HAP program.
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Currently, there are over a dozen HAP properties in the thumb region for hunters to utilize. A complete listing of properties enrolled can be found on the Mi-HUNT website listed at the bottom of this page. A list of rules and property listings for HAP are as follows:
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State Game/Wildlife Areas
Michigan has a system of publicly owned lands managed for wildlife habitat, wildlife watching and hunting. There are more than 100 units in the game and wildlife system covering more than 340,000 acres. Some popular state game units in our area include Verona, Rush Lake, Minden City, and Wildfowl Bay State Game Areas, along with others in the area. The Mi-HUNT website helps you find more hunting & fishing locations to enjoy! The following link will show state game areas, HAP properties, and federal/commercial forest lands open for recreational use.​​
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