Dickinson County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Dickinson County covers 776 square miles around Norway. Hunters reported 1,964 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,211 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 10% from 2024. 46.7% of Dickinson County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (216,412 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 landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Dickinson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 496,906 acres (776 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,964 (1,211 antlered, 753 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,062 deer |
| Public land | 46.7% (231,880 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 9 (19,455 acres inside Dickinson County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Norway, Iron Mountain, Kingsford, Powers, Crystal Falls and Carney |
How many deer are harvested in Dickinson County?
Hunters reported 1,964 deer in Dickinson County in 2025: 1,211 antlered and 753 antlerless. By season: 1,062 in the regular firearm season, 603 by archers (early and late segments) and 142 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,964 | 1,211 | 753 | 1,062 | 519 | 84 | 142 |
| 2024 | 2,181 | 1,404 | 777 | 1,274 | 503 | 99 | 144 |
| 2023 | 1,542 | 1,029 | 513 | 994 | 396 | 42 | 90 |
| 2022 | 2,015 | 1,353 | 662 | 1,340 | 476 | 58 | 110 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Dickinson 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 Dickinson County?
231,880 of Dickinson County's 496,906 acres are public land open to the public (46.7%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 216,412 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Dickinson County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 216,412 | 43.6% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 13,989 | 2.8% |
| County, city and regional land | 669 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 627 | 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 181 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 231,880 | 46.7% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 46,988 | 9.5% |
46,988 acres of Dickinson County (9.5%) 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 Dickinson County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Dickinson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Groveland Mine Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 6,243 acres
- Ralph Grouse Enhanced Management System: 5,308 acres
- Genes Pond State Wildlife Management Area: 3,452 acres
- Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area: 1,394 acres
- Lake-36 State Wildlife Management Area: 960 acres
- Felch Mountain (flooding) State Wildlife Management Area: 714 acres
- Hancock Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 652 acres
- Blomgren's Marsh State Wildlife Management Area: 567 acres
- Menominee River Recreation Area: 165 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Crystal Falls State Forest Area (213,270 acres).
How do you get to Dickinson County?
Highways through it: US 2 (about 25 miles inside), M 95 (about 17 miles inside), US 141 (about 9 miles inside) and US 8 (about 2 miles inside). Towns inside: Norway, Iron Mountain, Kingsford and Quinnesec. Nearby: Powers (9 miles), Crystal Falls (10 miles), Carney (11 miles) and Alpha (13 miles).
Which counties border Dickinson County?
Dickinson County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County | 1,605 | 2025 | 35.8% | |
| Marquette County | 1,502 | 2025 | 24.7% | |
| Menominee County | 5,455 | 2025 | 15.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Dickinson County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,964 deer: 1,211 antlered and 753 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,181.
Is there public hunting land in Dickinson County?
Yes. 231,880 acres, 46.7% 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 (216,412 acres). The DNR's maps show 9 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Dickinson 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 Iron County Marquette County Menominee County