Charlevoix County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Charlevoix County covers 453 square miles around Boyne City. Hunters reported 1,380 deer here in the 2025 license year, 832 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 17% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 21.9% of Charlevoix County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (32,401 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 wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasNational park landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hunting Access Program landCharlevoix CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 289,879 acres (453 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,380 (832 antlered, 548 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 714 deer |
| Public land | 21.9% (63,351 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 2 (25,913 acres inside Charlevoix County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Boyne City, East Jordan, Charlevoix, Ellsworth, Petoskey and Vanderbilt |
How many deer are harvested in Charlevoix County?
Hunters reported 1,380 deer in Charlevoix County in 2025: 832 antlered and 548 antlerless. By season: 714 in the regular firearm season, 377 by archers (early and late segments) and 125 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,380 | 832 | 548 | 714 | 345 | 32 | 125 |
| 2024 | 1,661 | 949 | 712 | 836 | 398 | 46 | 166 |
| 2023 | 1,487 | 895 | 592 | 865 | 384 | 30 | 51 |
| 2022 | 1,580 | 897 | 683 | 968 | 373 | 32 | 56 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Charlevoix 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 Charlevoix County?
63,351 of Charlevoix County's 289,879 acres are public land open to the public (21.9%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 32,401 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Charlevoix County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 32,401 | 11.2% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 22,243 | 7.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3,920 | 1.4% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 3,516 | 1.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,038 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuges | 233 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 63,351 | 21.9% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 6,867 | 2.4% |
6,867 acres of Charlevoix County (2.4%) 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 Charlevoix County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Charlevoix County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area: 22,926 acres
- Fisherman's Island State Park: 2,987 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge (233 acres).
How do you get to Charlevoix County?
Highways through it: US 31 (about 28 miles inside), M 66 (about 15 miles inside), US 131 (about 13 miles inside), M 75 (about 12 miles inside) and M 32 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Boyne City, East Jordan, Charlevoix, Boyne Falls, Horton Bay and Advance. Nearby: Ellsworth (on the line), Petoskey (3 miles), Vanderbilt (3 miles) and Central Lake (4 miles).
Which counties border Charlevoix County?
Charlevoix 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmet County | 1,158 | 2025 | 27% | |
| Antrim County | 2,153 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| Otsego County | 1,200 | 2025 | 30.8% | |
| Cheboygan County | 1,874 | 2025 | 40.1% | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Charlevoix County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,380 deer: 832 antlered and 548 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 1,661.
Is there public hunting land in Charlevoix County?
Yes. 63,351 acres, 21.9% 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 (32,401 acres). The DNR's maps show 2 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Charlevoix 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 Emmet County Antrim County Otsego County Cheboygan County