Crawford County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Crawford County covers 563 square miles around Grayling. Hunters reported 1,535 deer here in the 2025 license year, 706 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 27% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 59.8% of Crawford County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (160,807 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 forestNational wildlife refugesOther federal landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Crawford CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 360,469 acres (563 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,535 (706 antlered, 829 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 848 deer |
| Public land | 59.8% (215,494 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 4 (9,700 acres inside Crawford County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Grayling, Roscommon, Mancelona and Gaylord |
How many deer are harvested in Crawford County?
Hunters reported 1,535 deer in Crawford County in 2025: 706 antlered and 829 antlerless. By season: 848 in the regular firearm season, 372 by archers (early and late segments) and 188 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,535 | 706 | 829 | 848 | 320 | 52 | 188 |
| 2024 | 2,106 | 1,004 | 1,102 | 1,162 | 531 | 46 | 225 |
| 2023 | 1,767 | 977 | 790 | 1,185 | 400 | 39 | 81 |
| 2022 | 2,409 | 1,160 | 1,249 | 1,577 | 582 | 67 | 85 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Crawford 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 Crawford County?
215,494 of Crawford County's 360,469 acres are public land open to the public (59.8%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 160,807 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Crawford County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 160,807 | 44.6% |
| National forest | 38,051 | 10.6% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 8,174 | 2.3% |
| Other federal land | 4,834 | 1.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,456 | 0.4% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 1,052 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuges | 777 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 343 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 215,494 | 59.8% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 449 | 0.1% |
449 acres of Crawford County (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 Crawford County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Crawford County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hartwick Pines State Park: 8,432 acres
- Conners Marsh Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 1,053 acres
- North Higgins Lake State Park: 166 acres
- Barker Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 49 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Huron National Forest (38,063 acres), Kirtland Warbler Unit Lovells (9,899 acres), Kirtland Warbler Unit Manistee (5,314 acres), Kirtland Warbler Unit Clear Lake (3,609 acres), Natural Area South Branch AuSable River (2,640 acres), Kirtland Warbler Unit N Branch (2,598 acres), Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area (790 acres) and Natural Area South Branch AuSable River Area (301 acres).
How do you get to Crawford County?
Highways through it: US 27 (about 51 miles inside), I-75 (about 50 miles inside), M 93 (about 13 miles inside), M 18 (about 10 miles inside) and M 144 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Grayling. Nearby: Roscommon (2 miles), Mancelona (11 miles), Gaylord (11 miles) and Rose City (14 miles).
Which counties border Crawford County?
Crawford County touches 8 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim County | 2,153 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| Ogemaw County | 4,009 | 2025 | 28.7% | |
| Oscoda County | 1,605 | 2025 | 58.2% | |
| Otsego County | 1,200 | 2025 | 30.8% | |
| Kalkaska County | 1,298 | 2025 | 44.7% | |
| Missaukee County | 2,503 | 2025 | 29.3% | |
| Roscommon County | 1,993 | 2025 | 63.1% | |
| Montmorency County | 2,465 | 2025 | 40.4% | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Crawford County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,535 deer: 706 antlered and 829 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,106.
Is there public hunting land in Crawford County?
Yes. 215,494 acres, 59.8% 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 (160,807 acres). The DNR's maps show 4 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Crawford 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 Antrim County Ogemaw County Oscoda County Otsego County Kalkaska County Missaukee County Roscommon County Montmorency County