Emmet County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Emmet County covers 483 square miles around Petoskey. Hunters reported 1,158 deer here in the 2025 license year, 705 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 10% from 2024. 27% of Emmet County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (65,142 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)Hunting Access Program landEmmet CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 308,970 acres (483 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,158 (705 antlered, 453 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 699 deer |
| Public land | 27% (83,301 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 3 (14,992 acres inside Emmet County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Petoskey, Mackinaw City, Pellston, Boyne City, Wolverine and St. Ignace |
How many deer are harvested in Emmet County?
Hunters reported 1,158 deer in Emmet County in 2025: 705 antlered and 453 antlerless. By season: 699 in the regular firearm season, 221 by archers (early and late segments) and 124 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,158 | 705 | 453 | 699 | 201 | 20 | 124 |
| 2024 | 1,292 | 766 | 526 | 749 | 232 | 28 | 152 |
| 2023 | 1,072 | 694 | 378 | 698 | 216 | 16 | 44 |
| 2022 | 1,331 | 781 | 550 | 870 | 277 | 26 | 49 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Emmet 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 Emmet County?
83,301 of Emmet County's 308,970 acres are public land open to the public (27%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 65,142 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Emmet County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 65,142 | 21.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 8,029 | 2.6% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 6,497 | 2.1% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 2,947 | 1% |
| County, city and regional land | 686 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 83,301 | 27% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 2,817 | 0.9% |
2,817 acres of Emmet County (0.9%) 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 Emmet County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Emmet County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Wilderness State Park: 10,791 acres
- French Farm Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 2,950 acres
- O'Neal Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 1,251 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: University of Michigan Biological Station (3,165 acres) and Waugoshance and Temperance Islands Natural Area (249 acres).
How do you get to Emmet County?
Highways through it: US 31 (about 46 miles inside), M 119 (about 28 miles inside), US 131 (about 11 miles inside), M 68 (about 3 miles inside) and I-75 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Petoskey, Mackinaw City, Pellston, Harbor Springs, Alanson and Brutus. Nearby: Boyne City (4 miles), Wolverine (6 miles), St. Ignace (7 miles) and Mackinac Island (7 miles).
Which counties border Emmet County?
Emmet County touches 2 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheboygan County | 1,874 | 2025 | 40.1% | 3 |
| Charlevoix County | 1,380 | 2025 | 21.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Emmet County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,158 deer: 705 antlered and 453 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 1,292.
Is there public hunting land in Emmet County?
Yes. 83,301 acres, 27% 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 (65,142 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Emmet County have Hunting Access Program land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Michigan are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Michigan included.
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.