Fort Custer Recreation Area: hunting and access
Fort Custer Recreation Area is 2,865 acres in Kalamazoo County, next to Augusta, listed by the DNR as "Open-Restricted" for hunting and trapping. Hunters reported 3,329 deer in Kalamazoo County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's state parks hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR reported deer harvest, 2022 to 2025.
State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational park landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landFort Custer Recreation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,865 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Kalamazoo County |
| Deer harvest unit | Kalamazoo County |
| Hunting and trapping (DNR) | Open-Restricted |
| Early goose season (DNR) | Closed |
| DNR parks district | Plainwell |
| Nearest towns | Augusta (next to it), Galesburg (2 mi) and Level Park-Oak Park (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Fort Custer Recreation Area?
The DNR's map of state parks open to hunting lists Fort Custer Recreation Area as "Open-Restricted" for hunting and trapping, with restrictions.
Restrictions the DNR lists: No Firearms from 11/15 - 12/1.
The DNR's note: Standard 450' Safety Zones apply around occupied buildings (not shown). No trapping within 50' of mowed portions of developed areas.
How many deer are taken around Fort Custer Recreation Area?
Fort Custer Recreation Area lies in Kalamazoo County. Hunters reported 3,329 deer in Kalamazoo County in 2025, against 3,230 in 2024.
| County | Fort Custer Recreation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo County | 2,865 | 3,329 | 3,230 | 3,689 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the park alone: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
How do you get to Fort Custer Recreation Area?
Nearest towns: Augusta (next to it), Galesburg (2 miles), Level Park-Oak Park (3 miles) and Springfield (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94, M 96, M 89 and M 37.
What other public land is near Fort Custer Recreation Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Gordon E. Guyer - Augusta Creek State Wildlife Area: 390 acres, 3.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Fort Custer Recreation Area
Counting Fort Custer Recreation Area itself, 1,893 of the 41,172 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 846 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 735 |
| County, city and regional land | 231 |
| National park land | 81 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Fort Custer Recreation Area?
In Kalamazoo County, next to Augusta.
Can you hunt in Fort Custer Recreation Area?
The DNR's map lists it as "Open-Restricted" for hunting and trapping. Restrictions: No Firearms from 11/15 - 12/1.
How much public land is around Fort Custer Recreation Area?
1,893 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Fort Custer Recreation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Gordon E. Guyer - Augusta Creek State Wildlife Area (3.3 miles).
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.