Backus Creek State Game Area: hunting and access
Backus Creek State Game Area is 4,855 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Roscommon County, 4 miles from Prudenville, a state game area by the DNR's map. 4,855 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,993 deer in Roscommon County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's state game area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR reported deer harvest, 2022 to 2025.
State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landBackus Creek State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,855 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Roscommon County |
| Deer harvest unit | Roscommon County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Northern Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 4,855 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Prudenville (4 mi), St. Helen (7 mi) and Houghton Lake (7 mi) |
What are the rules on Backus Creek State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Backus Creek State Game Area: 4,855 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Backus Creek State Game Area?
Backus Creek State Game Area lies in Roscommon County. Hunters reported 1,993 deer in Roscommon County in 2025, against 2,201 in 2024.
| County | Backus Creek State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roscommon County | 4,855 | 1,993 | 2,201 | 2,013 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the game area alone: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
How do you get to Backus Creek State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Prudenville (4 miles), St. Helen (7 miles), Houghton Lake (7 miles) and Roscommon (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-75, M 18, M 55 and M 157.
What other public land is near Backus Creek State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Denton Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 806 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA: 766 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA (open water; State owned portion of Russell Lake): 101 acres, 3 miles away
- Robinson Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 2,574 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA (open water; State-owned portion of Lake St. Helen): 83 acres, 3.3 miles away
- South Higgins Lake State Park: 1,369 acres, 3.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Backus Creek State Game Area
Counting Backus Creek State Game Area itself, 31,089 of the 46,635 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (66.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 24,933 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 5,473 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 624 |
| County, city and regional land | 59 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Backus Creek State Game Area?
In Roscommon County, 4 miles from Prudenville.
How much of Backus Creek State Game Area is open to hunting?
4,855 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Backus Creek State Game Area?
31,089 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Backus Creek State Game Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Denton Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area (2.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Michigan DNR wildlife property project areas.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest).
- Deer harvest: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
FilledTag is not part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.