Cass County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Cass County covers 508 square miles around Dowagiac. Hunters reported 1,713 deer here in the 2025 license year, 833 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 17% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 2.6% of Cass County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (4,281 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 landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hunting Access Program landCass CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 325,420 acres (508 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,713 (833 antlered, 880 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 731 deer |
| Public land | 2.6% (8,609 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 2 (4,400 acres inside Cass County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Vandalia, Niles, Decatur and Eau Claire |
How many deer are harvested in Cass County?
Hunters reported 1,713 deer in Cass County in 2025: 833 antlered and 880 antlerless. By season: 731 in the regular firearm season, 495 by archers (early and late segments) and 193 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,713 | 833 | 880 | 731 | 484 | 11 | 193 |
| 2024 | 2,075 | 1,021 | 1,054 | 812 | 553 | 46 | 238 |
| 2023 | 3,185 | 1,637 | 1,548 | 1,410 | 1,091 | 32 | 209 |
| 2022 | 3,314 | 1,821 | 1,493 | 1,617 | 1,022 | 40 | 304 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Cass 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 Cass County?
8,609 of Cass County's 325,420 acres are public land open to the public (2.6%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 4,281 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Cass County |
|---|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 4,281 | 1.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,880 | 0.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,695 | 0.5% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 753 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,609 | 2.6% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 652 | 0.2% |
652 acres of Cass County (0.2%) 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 Cass County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Cass County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Crane Pond State Game Area: 4,215 acres
- Three Rivers State Game Area: 185 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Fred Russ Experimental Forest (739 acres).
How do you get to Cass County?
Highways through it: US 12 (about 27 miles inside), M 40 (about 19 miles inside), M 51 (about 16 miles inside), M 62 (about 14 miles inside) and M 60 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Vandalia, Edwardsburg and Marcellus. Nearby: Niles (on the line), Decatur (3 miles), Eau Claire (4 miles) and Constantine (5 miles).
Which counties border Cass County?
Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien County | 2,546 | 2025 | 2.9% | 6 |
| Kalamazoo County | 3,329 | 2025 | 3.9% | |
| Van Buren County | 3,648 | 2025 | 1.6% | |
| St. Joseph County | 2,370 | 2025 | 1.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Cass County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,713 deer: 833 antlered and 880 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,075.
Is there public hunting land in Cass County?
Yes. 8,609 acres, 2.6% 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 game and wildlife areas (4,281 acres). The DNR's maps show 2 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Cass 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 Berrien County Kalamazoo County Van Buren County St. Joseph County