Deford State Game Area: hunting and access
Deford State Game Area is 10,026 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Tuscola County, 3 miles from Caro, a state game area by the DNR's map. 10,026 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 7,100 deer in Tuscola 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 areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landDeford State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 10,026 acres in 13 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Tuscola County |
| Deer harvest unit | Tuscola County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southeast Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 10,026 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Caro (3 mi), Kingston (5 mi) and Cass City (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Deford State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Deford State Game Area: 10,026 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Deford State Game Area?
Deford State Game Area lies in Tuscola County. Hunters reported 7,100 deer in Tuscola County in 2025, against 7,136 in 2024.
| County | Deford State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola County | 10,026 | 7,100 | 7,136 | 6,208 |
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 Deford State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Caro (3 miles), Kingston (5 miles), Cass City (5 miles) and Gagetown (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 81, M 46, M 53 and M 24.
What other public land is near Deford State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Tuscola State Game Area: 9,097 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Elmwood Township State Game Area: 272 acres, 4 miles away
- Cass City State Game Area: 1,203 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Almer Township State Game Area: 160 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Gagetown State Game Area: 1,344 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Vassar State Game Area: 3,435 acres, 7.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Deford State Game Area
Counting Deford State Game Area itself, 11,192 of the 83,415 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 10,601 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 420 |
| County, city and regional land | 171 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Deford State Game Area?
In Tuscola County, 3 miles from Caro.
How much of Deford State Game Area is open to hunting?
10,026 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Deford State Game Area?
11,192 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Deford 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 Tuscola State Game Area (2.6 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.