Benzie County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Benzie County covers 348 square miles around Frankfort. Hunters reported 1,323 deer here in the 2025 license year, 696 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 6% from 2024. 30.5% of Benzie County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (52,026 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 landState parks and recreation areasNational park landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Benzie CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 222,416 acres (348 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,323 (696 antlered, 627 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 654 deer |
| Public land | 30.5% (67,763 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 3 (7,540 acres inside Benzie County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Frankfort, Benzonia, Thompsonville, Copemish, Empire and Bear Lake |
How many deer are harvested in Benzie County?
Hunters reported 1,323 deer in Benzie County in 2025: 696 antlered and 627 antlerless. By season: 654 in the regular firearm season, 415 by archers (early and late segments) and 107 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,323 | 696 | 627 | 654 | 386 | 29 | 107 |
| 2024 | 1,410 | 749 | 661 | 649 | 407 | 36 | 159 |
| 2023 | 1,244 | 678 | 566 | 710 | 358 | 36 | 37 |
| 2022 | 1,412 | 768 | 644 | 831 | 402 | 45 | 44 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Benzie 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 Benzie County?
67,763 of Benzie County's 222,416 acres are public land open to the public (30.5%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 52,026 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Benzie County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 52,026 | 23.4% |
| National park land | 11,540 | 5.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,890 | 1.3% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 1,273 | 0.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 34 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 67,763 | 30.5% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 1,557 | 0.7% |
1,557 acres of Benzie County (0.7%) 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 Benzie County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Benzie County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Little Betsie Grouse Enhanced Management System: 4,169 acres
- Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 2,629 acres
- Betsie River State Game Area: 742 acres
How do you get to Benzie County?
Highways through it: M 22 (about 30 miles inside), US 31 (about 24 miles inside) and M 115 (about 17 miles inside). Towns inside: Frankfort, Benzonia, Thompsonville, Elberta, Honor and Lake Ann. Nearby: Copemish (2 miles), Empire (2 miles), Bear Lake (7 miles) and Buckley (7 miles).
Which counties border Benzie County?
Benzie County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wexford County | 1,658 | 2025 | 41.8% | |
| Leelanau County | 1,698 | 2025 | 23.9% | |
| Manistee County | 2,439 | 2025 | 31.5% | |
| Grand Traverse County | 1,837 | 2025 | 22.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Benzie County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,323 deer: 696 antlered and 627 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 1,410.
Is there public hunting land in Benzie County?
Yes. 67,763 acres, 30.5% 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 (52,026 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Benzie County have Hunting Access Program land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.
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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 Wexford County Leelanau County Manistee County Grand Traverse County