Eaton County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Eaton County covers 579 square miles around Charlotte. Hunters reported 5,870 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,866 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 2% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 1% of Eaton County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (1,474 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 landEaton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 370,833 acres (579 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 5,870 (2,866 antlered, 3,004 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 2,491 deer |
| Public land | 1% (3,691 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 5 (1,102 acres inside Eaton County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Charlotte, Grand Ledge, Eaton Rapids, Nashville, Lansing and Eagle |
How many deer are harvested in Eaton County?
Hunters reported 5,870 deer in Eaton County in 2025: 2,866 antlered and 3,004 antlerless. By season: 2,491 in the regular firearm season, 1,518 by archers (early and late segments) and 616 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,870 | 2,866 | 3,004 | 2,491 | 1,458 | 60 | 616 |
| 2024 | 5,770 | 2,886 | 2,884 | 2,512 | 1,404 | 56 | 579 |
| 2023 | 4,774 | 2,607 | 2,167 | 2,180 | 1,430 | 45 | 368 |
| 2022 | 4,787 | 2,792 | 1,995 | 2,168 | 1,558 | 52 | 424 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Eaton 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 Eaton County?
3,691 of Eaton County's 370,833 acres are public land open to the public (1%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 1,474 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Eaton County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,474 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,420 | 0.4% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 761 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 36 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,691 | 1% |
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 Eaton County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Eaton County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Potterville State Game Area: 446 acres
- Tamarack Lake State Game Area: 266 acres
- Windsor Township State Game Area: 227 acres
- Lake Interstate State Game Area: 109 acres
- adjacent safety risk area; DO NOT ENTER: 54 acres
How do you get to Eaton County?
Highways through it: I-69 (about 63 miles inside), US 27 (about 62 miles inside), M 50 (about 36 miles inside), M 99 (about 25 miles inside) and M 43 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Charlotte, Grand Ledge, Eaton Rapids, Potterville, Vermontville and Mulliken. Nearby: Nashville (on the line), Lansing (2 miles), Eagle (3 miles) and Springport (3 miles).
Which counties border Eaton County?
Eaton County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County | 3,695 | 2025 | 8.4% | |
| Ionia County | 6,145 | 2025 | 3.6% | 2 |
| Ingham County | 5,420 | 2025 | 3.7% | 3 |
| Calhoun County | 5,784 | 2025 | 1.1% | 2 |
| Clinton County | 6,947 | 2025 | 4% | |
| Jackson County | 6,674 | 2025 | 4.5% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Eaton County in 2025?
Hunters reported 5,870 deer: 2,866 antlered and 3,004 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 5,770.
Is there public hunting land in Eaton County?
Yes. 3,691 acres, 1% 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 land trusts and other open land (1,474 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Eaton 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 Barry County Ionia County Ingham County Calhoun County Clinton County Jackson County