Baraga County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Baraga County covers 918 square miles around L'Anse. Hunters reported 573 deer here in the 2025 license year, 450 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 4% from 2024. 26% of Baraga County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (71,516 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.
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 landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Baraga CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 587,363 acres (918 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 573 (450 antlered, 123 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 377 deer |
| Public land | 26% (152,861 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 5 (26,299 acres inside Baraga County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | L'Anse, Baraga, Three Lakes, South Range, Houghton and Hancock |
How many deer are harvested in Baraga County?
Hunters reported 573 deer in Baraga County in 2025: 450 antlered and 123 antlerless. By season: 377 in the regular firearm season, 158 by archers (early and late segments) and 31 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 573 | 450 | 123 | 377 | 124 | 34 | 31 |
| 2024 | 552 | 473 | 79 | 408 | 87 | 9 | 42 |
| 2023 | 474 | 423 | 51 | 363 | 81 | 5 | 19 |
| 2022 | 751 | 693 | 58 | 574 | 128 | 3 | 34 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Baraga 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 Baraga County?
152,861 of Baraga County's 587,363 acres are public land open to the public (26%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 71,516 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Baraga County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 71,516 | 12.2% |
| National forest | 46,097 | 7.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 23,102 | 3.9% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 8,738 | 1.5% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 2,643 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 765 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 152,861 | 26% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 250,254 | 42.6% |
250,254 acres of Baraga County (42.6%) 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 Baraga County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Baraga County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Baraga Plains State Wildlife Management Area: 13,365 acres
- Craig Lake State Park: 9,334 acres
- Sturgeon River Sloughs State Wildlife Management Area: 3,178 acres
- Net River Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 298 acres
- Nestoria Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 124 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Baraga State Forest Area (52,029 acres) and Ottawa National Forest (46,144 acres).
How do you get to Baraga County?
Highways through it: US 41 (about 48 miles inside), M 28 (about 29 miles inside), US 141 (about 14 miles inside) and M 38 (about 10 miles inside). Towns inside: L'Anse, Baraga, Three Lakes, Skanee, Zeba and Covington. Nearby: South Range (10 miles), Houghton (12 miles), Hancock (14 miles) and Lake Linden (18 miles).
Which counties border Baraga County?
Baraga County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County | 1,605 | 2025 | 35.8% | |
| Houghton County | 830 | 2025 | 31.5% | |
| Marquette County | 1,502 | 2025 | 24.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Baraga County in 2025?
Hunters reported 573 deer: 450 antlered and 123 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 552.
Is there public hunting land in Baraga County?
Yes. 152,861 acres, 26% 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 (71,516 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Baraga County have Hunting Access Program land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Michigan are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Michigan included.
Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest). state game areas: Michigan DNR wildlife property project areas. Hunting Access Program land: Michigan DNR Hunting Access Program properties.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
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 Iron County Houghton County Marquette County