Barry State Game Area: hunting and access
Barry State Game Area is 17,393 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Barry County, 2 miles from Middleville, a state game area by the DNR's map. 17,351 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 3,695 deer in Barry 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 landNational forestNational wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Barry State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 17,393 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Barry County |
| Deer harvest unit | Barry County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southwest Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 17,351 acres (99.8%) |
| Nearest towns | Middleville (2 mi), Hastings (4 mi) and Delton (5 mi) |
What is Barry State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names one unit within Barry State Game Area: Fish Lk.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Barry State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Barry State Game Area: 17,351 acres open to general hunting, and 41 acres not marked.
How many deer are taken around Barry State Game Area?
Barry State Game Area lies in Barry County. Hunters reported 3,695 deer in Barry County in 2025, against 4,402 in 2024.
| County | Barry State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County | 17,393 | 3,695 | 4,402 | 4,796 |
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 Barry State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Middleville (2 miles), Hastings (4 miles), Delton (5 miles) and Wayland (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 37, M 179 and M 43.
What other public land is near Barry State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Yankee Springs Recreation Area: 3,524 acres, next to it
- Edger Waterfowl Production Area: 158 acres, next to it
- Middleville State Game Area: 4,587 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Allegan State Game Area: 51,518 acres, 9.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Barry State Game Area
Counting Barry State Game Area itself, 23,617 of the 105,273 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (22.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 16,602 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 4,662 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,466 |
| County, city and regional land | 472 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 256 |
| National wildlife refuges | 159 |
Another 447 acres within 3 miles 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.
Questions hunters ask
Where is Barry State Game Area?
In Barry County, 2 miles from Middleville.
How much of Barry State Game Area is open to hunting?
17,351 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Barry State Game Area?
23,617 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Barry 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 Yankee Springs Recreation Area (next to it).
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Michigan included.
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.