Branch County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Branch County covers 520 square miles around Coldwater. Hunters reported 5,674 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,503 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 8% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 0.3% of Branch County is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks and recreation areas (404 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 parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landBranch CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 332,566 acres (520 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 5,674 (2,503 antlered, 3,171 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 2,290 deer |
| Public land | 0.3% (1,099 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 1 (405 acres inside Branch County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Coldwater, Quincy, Union City, Montgomery, Athens and Colon |
How many deer are harvested in Branch County?
Hunters reported 5,674 deer in Branch County in 2025: 2,503 antlered and 3,171 antlerless. By season: 2,290 in the regular firearm season, 1,153 by archers (early and late segments) and 622 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,674 | 2,503 | 3,171 | 2,290 | 1,115 | 38 | 622 |
| 2024 | 5,257 | 2,309 | 2,948 | 2,291 | 1,051 | 29 | 578 |
| 2023 | 4,792 | 2,398 | 2,394 | 2,385 | 1,180 | 40 | 412 |
| 2022 | 4,316 | 2,288 | 2,028 | 2,197 | 1,148 | 31 | 373 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Branch 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 Branch County?
1,099 of Branch County's 332,566 acres are public land open to the public (0.3%). The biggest share is state parks and recreation areas: 404 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Branch County |
|---|---|---|
| State parks and recreation areas | 404 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 386 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 309 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,099 | 0.3% |
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 Branch County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Branch County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Coldwater State Park: 405 acres
How do you get to Branch County?
Highways through it: US 27 (about 45 miles inside), I-69 (about 45 miles inside), US 12 (about 27 miles inside), M 86 (about 13 miles inside) and M 60 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Coldwater, Quincy, Union City, Bronson and Sherwood. Nearby: Montgomery (on the line), Athens (on the line), Colon (on the line) and Burr Oak (2 miles).
Which counties border Branch County?
Branch 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 5,784 | 2025 | 1.1% | 2 |
| Hillsdale County | 6,767 | 2025 | 1.1% | 4 |
| Kalamazoo County | 3,329 | 2025 | 3.9% | |
| St. Joseph County | 2,370 | 2025 | 1.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Branch County in 2025?
Hunters reported 5,674 deer: 2,503 antlered and 3,171 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 5,257.
Is there public hunting land in Branch County?
Yes. 1,099 acres, 0.3% 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 parks and recreation areas (404 acres). The DNR's maps show 1 wildlife area or park open to hunting here.
Does Branch 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 Calhoun County Hillsdale County Kalamazoo County St. Joseph County