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Bay County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Bay County covers 448 square miles around Bay City. Hunters reported 2,573 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,288 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 11% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 4.2% of Bay County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (4,639 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 Bay County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways I-75, US 23 and M 13; towns: Bay City, Essexville, Auburn, Reese and Zilwaukee

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landBay CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Bay County at a glance
Size286,968 acres (448 square miles)
Deer reported, 20252,573 (1,288 antlered, 1,285 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 2025877 deer
Public land4.2% (12,125 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks8 (6,999 acres inside Bay County)
Hunting Access Program land2 sites, 96 acres
Towns in and near itBay City, Essexville, Auburn, Reese, Zilwaukee and Sterling

How many deer are harvested in Bay County?

Hunters reported 2,573 deer in Bay County in 2025: 1,288 antlered and 1,285 antlerless. By season: 877 in the regular firearm season, 715 by archers (early and late segments) and 304 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20252,5731,2881,28587765758304
20242,3211,1461,17578556751238
20231,8441,11473076562548120
20222,0901,30478696266843139

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

12,125 of Bay County's 286,968 acres are public land open to the public (4.2%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 4,639 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Bay County
Land trusts and other open land4,6391.6%
State game and wildlife areas3,7401.3%
State parks and recreation areas2,3500.8%
County, city and regional land1,2500.4%
State forest and other DNR land1460.1%
All public land open to the public12,1254.2%

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 Bay County

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

Hunting Access Program land in Bay County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 2 active Hunting Access Program properties in Bay County, 96 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 Bay County?

Highways through it: I-75 (about 57 miles inside), US 23 (about 57 miles inside), M 13 (about 33 miles inside), US 10 (about 23 miles inside) and M 15 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Bay City, Essexville, Auburn and Pinconning. Nearby: Reese (2 miles), Zilwaukee (3 miles), Sterling (3 miles) and Midland (3 miles).

Which counties border Bay County?

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

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Arenac County3,671202514.7%5
Gladwin County4,585202527.6%
Midland County5,031202514.5%3
Saginaw County9,36920257.1%4
Tuscola County7,10020256.9%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Bay County in 2025?

Hunters reported 2,573 deer: 1,288 antlered and 1,285 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,321.

Is there public hunting land in Bay County?

Yes. 12,125 acres, 4.2% 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 land trusts and other open land (4,639 acres). The DNR's maps show 8 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Bay County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 2 active properties, 96 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 Arenac County Gladwin County Midland County Saginaw County Tuscola County