Hunters, Your Hunting Season Prep Starts Here
Every successful hunt begins with good planning. Whether you’re chasing whitetails in the Midwest, applying for an elk tag out West, or planning a coastal waterfowl hunt, the most critical resource is your state’s wildlife agency. This is where you find the official regulations, season dates, licensing information, and public land access maps.
To make your pre-season scouting easier, we’ve compiled every official state DNR, Fish & Wildlife, or Game Commission website in one place. Bookmark this post—it’s your 50-state key to staying legal and informed this season!
East Coast & Northeast Hunting Resources
| State | Agency Name | What Hunters Find Here | Website Link |
| Connecticut | CT DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources | Licenses, seasons, and regulations for deer, turkey, and small game. | https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP |
| Delaware | Division of Fish & Wildlife (DNREC) | Hunting licenses, regulations, and info on deer, waterfowl, and small game. | https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/ |
| Maine | Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) | Moose and antlerless deer permit draws, hunting season dates, and licensing. | https://www.maine.gov/ifw/ |
| Maryland | Department of Natural Resources (DNR) | Licenses, season dates, regulations, and public hunting land information. | https://dnr.maryland.gov/ |
| Massachusetts | Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife) | Hunting licenses, permits, season dates, and regulations for deer and bear. | https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife |
| New Hampshire | Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) | Licenses, season dates, and regulations for deer, turkey, bear, and moose. | https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/ |
| New Jersey | Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDEP) | Hunting licenses, seasons, and regulations for deer, turkey, and small game. | https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ |
| New York | State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) | Licenses, season dates, regulations, and hunting land information for the state. | https://www.dec.ny.gov/ |
| Pennsylvania | Game Commission (PGC) | Hunting licenses, antlerless deer applications, seasons, and State Game Lands info. | https://www.pgc.pa.gov/ |
| Rhode Island | Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) | Licenses, season dates, and regulations for deer, turkey, and waterfowl. | https://www.dem.ri.gov/ |
| Vermont | Department of Fish and Wildlife (VTF&W) | Licenses, season dates, and regulations for deer, moose, turkey, and bear. | https://vtfishandwildlife.com/ |
| Virginia | Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) | Licenses, season dates, regulations, and information on public hunting lands. | https://dwr.virginia.gov/ |
| West Virginia | Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) | Licenses, regulations, season dates, and information on Wildlife Management Areas. | https://wvdnr.gov/ |
Midwest & Great Lakes Region
| State | Agency Name | What Hunters Find Here | Website Link |
| Illinois | Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) | Licenses, seasons, lottery applications for deer/turkey, and public access. | https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/ |
| Indiana | Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) | Regulations, season dates, license sales, and hunting info for deer and turkey. | https://www.in.gov/dnr/ |
| Iowa | Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) | Hunting licenses, season structure, deer and turkey tag applications, and public land access. | https://www.iowadnr.gov/ |
| Kansas | Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) | Regulations, licenses, permits, and the Hunting Atlas for deer, pheasant, and turkey. | https://ksoutdoors.com/ |
| Michigan | Department of Natural Resources (DNR) | Licenses, season dates, regulations, and detailed info for deer, bear, and elk. | https://www.michigan.gov/dnr |
| Minnesota | Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) | Licenses, season dates, regulations, and deer/bear/moose lottery information. | https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ |
| Missouri | Department of Conservation (MDC) | Licenses, regulations, season dates, and Conservation Area hunting opportunities. | https://mdc.mo.gov/ |
| Nebraska | Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) | Hunting permits, seasons, public access, and regulations for deer and turkey. | http://outdoornebraska.gov/ |
| North Dakota | Game and Fish Department (NDG&F) | Lottery applications, regulations, season dates, and PLOTS program access. | https://gf.nd.gov/ |
| Ohio | Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) – Div. of Wildlife | Licenses, regulations, season dates, and public hunting opportunities for deer and turkey. | https://ohiodnr.gov/ |
| South Dakota | Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) | Hunting licenses, season dates, regulations, and Custer State Park lottery info. | https://gfp.sd.gov/ |
| Wisconsin | Department of Natural Resources (DNR) | Licenses, regulations, season dates, and extensive information on deer, bear, and turkey. | https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/ |
Southern & Southeast Hunting Resources
| State | Agency Name | What Hunters Find Here | Website Link |
| Alabama | Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) | Licenses, regulations, season dates, and public land hunting opportunities. | https://www.outdooralabama.com/ |
| Arkansas | Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) | Find hunting seasons, public hunting land info, license purchases, and regulations. | https://www.agfc.com/ |
| Florida | Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) | WMA quota hunts, licenses, season dates, and regulations for deer, turkey, and hogs. | https://myfwc.com/ |
| Georgia | DNR – Wildlife Resources Division | Hunting licenses, check stations, WMA info, and regulations for deer, bear, and turkey. | https://georgiawildlife.com/ |
| Kentucky | Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) | Hunting licenses, permits, season dates, and regulations for deer, elk, and turkey. | https://fw.ky.gov/ |
| Louisiana | Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) | Licenses, season dates, WMA regulations, and info on deer and waterfowl. | https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/ |
| Mississippi | Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) | Hunting regulations, licenses, WMA info, and season dates for deer and turkey. | https://www.mdwfp.com/ |
| North Carolina | Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) | Hunting licenses, game regulations, season dates, and Game Land opportunities. | https://www.ncwildlife.org/ |
| Oklahoma | Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) | Hunting licenses, season dates, and regulations for deer, turkey, and migratory birds. | https://wildlifedepartment.com/ |
| South Carolina | Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) | Licenses, regulations, season dates, and Wildlife Management Area (WMA) information. | https://dnr.sc.gov/ |
| Tennessee | Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) | Hunting licenses, season dates, regulations, and WMA hunting information. | https://www.tn.gov/twra.html |
| Texas | Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) | Hunting licenses, regulations, season dates, and info on Public Hunting Lands. | https://tpwd.texas.gov/ |
Western & Mountain West Resources
| State | Agency Name | What Hunters Find Here | Website Link |
| Alaska | Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) | Info on big game draw permits, hunting seasons (including remote areas), and harvest reports. | https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/ |
| Arizona | Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) | Details on draw tags for elk, deer, and antelope, plus small game and predator regulations. | https://www.azgfd.com/ |
| California | Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) | Hunting licenses, tags, upland game, waterfowl, and big game regulations. | https://wildlife.ca.gov/ |
| Colorado | Parks and Wildlife (CPW) | Big game draw information, regulations, public access, and season dates for elk, deer, and more. | https://cpw.state.co.us/ |
| Hawaii | Dept. of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) | Information on hunting licenses, permits, and seasons for exotic and native game. | https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ |
| Idaho | Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) | Information on licenses, tags, big game controlled hunts, and regulations. | https://idfg.idaho.gov/ |
| Montana | Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) | Hunting licenses, big game draw details, regulations, and public land access. | https://fwp.mt.gov/ |
| Nevada | Department of Wildlife (NDOW) | Hunting licenses, draw results, regulations, and info on big game and upland species. | https://www.ndow.org/ |
| New Mexico | Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) | Big game draw application, regulations, hunting licenses, and public land access. | https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/ |
| Oregon | Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) | Licenses, tag applications, regulations, and hunting opportunities for big game and upland species. | https://www.dfw.state.or.us/ |
| Utah | Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) | Hunting licenses, big game draws, regulations, and managing the state’s diverse wildlife. | https://wildlife.utah.gov/ |
| Washington | Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) | Hunting licenses, special permit applications, season dates, and regulations. | https://wdfw.wa.gov/ |
| Wyoming | Game and Fish Department (WGFD) | Licenses, big game draw information, hunting regulations, and harvest data. | https://wgfd.wyo.gov/ |
In Conclusion
Editor’s Note: Did you know you can often purchase licenses and check your draw status directly through these sites? Let us know which state’s website you use the most!