The Alpena Sportsmen’s Club is preparing for the 2026 hunting season with new archery targets, planned improvements to its indoor shooting ranges and a two-week period for hunters to sight in firearms before deer season.
Although the club operates year-round, the approach of hunting season brings additional activity, including winter leagues, archery practice and the club’s annual sight-in days. Steve Kaminski, the club’s voting director, said the organization is also working on projects intended to improve its facilities and expand its ability to serve sportsmen.
Indoor range improvements are planned
Club members plan to replace the matting on the indoor shooting ranges. The club is also applying for grants to install a new heating and air-conditioning system, according to Kaminski.
The organization is working to change its tax status from a 501(c)(4) to a 501(c)(3), a process Kaminski said could help the club apply for additional grants. He added that private donations from the community are welcome as the club works to keep its facilities up to date.
The club relies on volunteers and is continuing to build participation in several programs. One area drawing new interest is the archery range, where new targets were installed ahead of the Oct. 1 start of bow season.
Kaminski said the Armed Women of America group has also brought new participants to the club. The group attracts women who sometimes bring their families, while Kim Mills organizes the league and hosts concealed pistol license classes for women seeking certification.
Sight-in days scheduled before deer season
The club will host sight-in days from Nov. 1 through Nov. 14 ahead of the 2026 deer season. Hunters who want to sight in their firearms will be able to use the shooting ranges on the property during that period.
Club members will be present to assist visitors, giving hunters an opportunity to prepare their firearms before heading into the field. The sight-in period is one of the club’s recurring services for the regional hunting community.
Kaminski said hunters visiting the club have been talking about what they describe as a strong deer population in some areas, as well as the changes coming to Michigan’s deer regulations. Among the most frequently discussed changes is the Lower Peninsula’s one-buck limit scheduled to take effect in 2027.
Michigan deer-season changes affect 2026 and 2027
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved changes in May to the 2026 and 2027 deer seasons. The changes apply differently in the Lower and Upper peninsulas, with Upper Peninsula deer regulations remaining unchanged in 2027.
For the 2026 season, Michigan eliminated the antlerless access drawing in the Upper Peninsula. The statewide muzzleloader season was shortened from 10 days to three days and will begin on the first Friday in December. In the Lower Peninsula, hunters may use any legal firearm during that period, which is now called the December Firearm Deer Season.
The Late Antlerless Season will begin on the Monday after the December Firearm Deer Season and continue through Jan. 1 across the Lower Peninsula. The state also eliminated the Lower Peninsula’s Limited Firearms Deer Zone, allowing all legal firearms throughout the region. Firearms larger than .22 rimfire are now permitted statewide.
Other 2026 changes include allowing holders of valid senior deer, senior deer combo or senior antlerless deer licenses to use a crossbow during the U.P. Late Archery Deer Season. The Extended Late Antlerless and January Archery seasons were eliminated, ending all deer hunting seasons after Jan. 1.
The Early Antlerless Firearm Deer Season will run at the same time as the Liberty Hunt during the second weekend in September. In 2026, those seasons are scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13. The Department of Natural Resources also received authorization to establish universal antlerless deer license use limits in consultation with the commission.
Beginning in 2027 in the Lower Peninsula, a hunter’s buck harvest will be limited to one buck. A single deer license will be valid for one deer with at least three antler points on one side or one antlerless deer. A combo license will allow one antlered and one antlerless deer, or two antlerless deer. Existing deer management unit-specific antler-point restrictions will remain in place.
Those changes are prompting questions among hunters, and the Alpena Sportsmen’s Club remains a local place for them to prepare, practice and discuss the rules before the season progresses.