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Alcona County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Alcona County covers 695 square miles around Lincoln. Hunters reported 4,071 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,162 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 5% from 2024. 27.9% of Alcona County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (113,719 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.

Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's reported deer totals, 2022 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1, the DNR's land ownership records and its wildlife, parks, Commercial Forest and HAP layers.

Map of Michigan's Alcona County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways M 65 and US 23; towns: Lincoln, Harrisville, Hubbard Lake, Rose City and Hillman

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hunting Access Program landAlcona CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Alcona County at a glance
Size444,505 acres (695 square miles)
Deer reported, 20254,071 (2,162 antlered, 1,909 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20252,467 deer
Public land27.9% (123,927 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks3 (2,258 acres inside Alcona County)
Hunting Access Program land2 sites, 154 acres
Towns in and near itLincoln, Harrisville, Hubbard Lake, Rose City, Hillman and Alpena

How many deer are harvested in Alcona County?

Hunters reported 4,071 deer in Alcona County in 2025: 2,162 antlered and 1,909 antlerless. By season: 2,467 in the regular firearm season, 790 by archers (early and late segments) and 292 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20254,0712,1621,9092,46776030292
20244,2642,3111,9532,60485942286
20233,6332,1691,4642,42477131120
20224,2462,2501,9962,82295445152

Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Alcona County. These are deer hunters reported; seasons not shown (youth, Liberty, antlerless and others) are in the total. The DNR's survey estimates, which count deer that were not reported, are higher.

How much public land is in Alcona County?

123,927 of Alcona County's 444,505 acres are public land open to the public (27.9%). The biggest share is national forest: 113,719 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Alcona County
National forest113,71925.6%
State forest and other DNR land6,7101.5%
State parks and recreation areas1,8810.4%
Land trusts and other open land6850.2%
County, city and regional land4730.1%
State game and wildlife areas4590.1%
All public land open to the public123,92727.9%
Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)80under 0.1%

80 acres of Alcona County (under 0.1%) are Commercial Forest land: privately owned, but under state law (MCL 324.51113) the owner may not deny the public hunting and fishing unless the DNR or the legislature closes it.

Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest). Hunting rules differ by manager: state game areas and state forest land are open to hunting in season unless posted; national forests are open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks and recreation areas are open, open with restrictions or closed by the DNR's map; national park land is closed to most hunting; city and county land sets its own rules.

DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Alcona County

DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Alcona County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Huron National Forest (112,367 acres), Huron Purchase Unit (1,235 acres) and Alpena S.F. Purchase Unit (120 acres).

Hunting Access Program land in Alcona County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 2 active Hunting Access Program properties in Alcona County, 154 acres of private land leased for public hunting. Each property's listing says which hunting it allows and how to check in. DNR Hunting Access Program.

How do you get to Alcona County?

Highways through it: M 65 (about 28 miles inside) and US 23 (about 27 miles inside). Towns inside: Lincoln, Harrisville, Hubbard Lake and Lost Lake Woods. Nearby: Rose City (13 miles), Hillman (15 miles), Alpena (15 miles) and East Tawas (15 miles).

Which counties border Alcona County?

Alcona County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Iosco County2,895202541%3
Alpena County3,989202513.8%10
Ogemaw County4,009202528.7%
Oscoda County1,605202558.2%
Montmorency County2,465202540.4%4

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Alcona County in 2025?

Hunters reported 4,071 deer: 2,162 antlered and 1,909 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,264.

Is there public hunting land in Alcona County?

Yes. 123,927 acres, 27.9% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records, the largest share national forest (113,719 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Alcona County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 2 active properties, 154 acres, on the DNR's 2026 layer.

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Where these numbers come from

FilledTag is not part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.

Michigan hunting Iosco County Alpena County Ogemaw County Oscoda County Montmorency County