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Alpena County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Alpena County covers 593 square miles around Alpena. Hunters reported 3,989 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,258 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 7% from 2024. 13.8% of Alpena County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (45,882 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 Alpena County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways US 23, M 65 and M 32; towns: Alpena, Ossineke, Hillman and Posen

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestNational wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landAlpena CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Alpena County at a glance
Size379,796 acres (593 square miles)
Deer reported, 20253,989 (2,258 antlered, 1,731 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20252,401 deer
Public land13.8% (52,557 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks3 (5,618 acres inside Alpena County)
Hunting Access Program land10 sites, 799 acres
Towns in and near itAlpena, Ossineke, Hillman, Posen and Lincoln

How many deer are harvested in Alpena County?

Hunters reported 3,989 deer in Alpena County in 2025: 2,258 antlered and 1,731 antlerless. By season: 2,401 in the regular firearm season, 546 by archers (early and late segments) and 333 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20253,9892,2581,7312,40152818333
20244,2992,2942,0052,56452120306
20233,3742,1391,2352,42152919105
20223,5442,1821,3622,5366113485

Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Alpena 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 Alpena County?

52,557 of Alpena County's 379,796 acres are public land open to the public (13.8%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 45,882 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Alpena County
State forest and other DNR land45,88212.1%
State parks and recreation areas4,5031.2%
State game and wildlife areas9120.2%
County, city and regional land4910.1%
Land trusts and other open land4850.1%
National wildlife refuges2840.1%
All public land open to the public52,55713.8%

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 Alpena County

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

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Atlanta State Forest Area (45,007 acres) and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge (284 acres).

Hunting Access Program land in Alpena County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 10 active Hunting Access Program properties in Alpena County, 799 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 Alpena County?

Highways through it: US 23 (about 27 miles inside), M 65 (about 27 miles inside) and M 32 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Alpena and Ossineke. Nearby: Hillman (on the line), Posen (4 miles), Lincoln (12 miles) and Millersburg (13 miles).

Which counties border Alpena County?

Alpena County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Alcona County4,071202527.9%2
Oscoda County1,605202558.2%
Montmorency County2,465202540.4%4
Presque Isle County3,630202520.9%4

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Alpena County in 2025?

Hunters reported 3,989 deer: 2,258 antlered and 1,731 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,299.

Is there public hunting land in Alpena County?

Yes. 52,557 acres, 13.8% 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 state forest and other DNR land (45,882 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Alpena County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 10 active properties, 799 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 Alcona County Oscoda County Montmorency County Presque Isle County