Clare County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Clare County covers 575 square miles around Clare. Hunters reported 4,230 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,311 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 1% from 2024. 18.7% of Clare County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (53,262 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 areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Clare CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 368,111 acres (575 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 4,230 (2,311 antlered, 1,919 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,932 deer |
| Public land | 18.7% (68,952 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 4 (4,918 acres inside Clare County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Clare, Harrison, Farwell, Marion, Coleman and Barryton |
How many deer are harvested in Clare County?
Hunters reported 4,230 deer in Clare County in 2025: 2,311 antlered and 1,919 antlerless. By season: 1,932 in the regular firearm season, 1,328 by archers (early and late segments) and 388 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,230 | 2,311 | 1,919 | 1,932 | 1,274 | 54 | 388 |
| 2024 | 4,280 | 2,277 | 2,003 | 2,080 | 1,229 | 57 | 402 |
| 2023 | 4,051 | 2,262 | 1,789 | 2,108 | 1,251 | 63 | 148 |
| 2022 | 4,989 | 2,628 | 2,361 | 2,593 | 1,525 | 75 | 208 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Clare 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 Clare County?
68,952 of Clare County's 368,111 acres are public land open to the public (18.7%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 53,262 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Clare County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 53,262 | 14.5% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 13,350 | 3.6% |
| National wildlife refuges | 1,491 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 515 | 0.1% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 299 | 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 35 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 68,952 | 18.7% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 81 | under 0.1% |
81 acres of Clare County (under 0.1%) 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 Clare County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Clare County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Old Fur Farm Flooding (Floodwood Swamp) State Wildlife Management Area: 2,064 acres
- Deadman Swamp State Wildlife Management Area: 1,887 acres
- Gladwin State Game Area: 668 acres
- Townline Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 299 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area (1,495 acres).
How do you get to Clare County?
Highways through it: US 27 (about 50 miles inside), US 10 (about 35 miles inside), M 61 (about 26 miles inside) and M 115 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Clare, Harrison and Farwell. Nearby: Marion (3 miles), Coleman (4 miles), Barryton (5 miles) and Beaverton (6 miles).
Which counties border Clare County?
Clare County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin County | 4,585 | 2025 | 27.6% | |
| Mecosta County | 4,353 | 2025 | 5.7% | |
| Midland County | 5,031 | 2025 | 14.5% | 3 |
| Osceola County | 4,180 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| Isabella County | 5,455 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| Missaukee County | 2,503 | 2025 | 29.3% | |
| Roscommon County | 1,993 | 2025 | 63.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Clare County in 2025?
Hunters reported 4,230 deer: 2,311 antlered and 1,919 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,280.
Is there public hunting land in Clare County?
Yes. 68,952 acres, 18.7% 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 (53,262 acres). The DNR's maps show 4 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Clare 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 Gladwin County Mecosta County Midland County Osceola County Isabella County Missaukee County Roscommon County