Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area: hunting and access
Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area is 1,260 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Osceola and Missaukee counties, next to Marion, a state game area by the DNR's map. 1,260 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 4,180 deer in Osceola 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)Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,260 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Osceola County and Missaukee County |
| Deer harvest unit | Osceola County, Missaukee County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Northern Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 1,260 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Marion (next to it), Tustin (2 mi) and Wedgewood (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area: 1,260 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area?
Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 4,180 deer in Osceola County in 2025, against 4,548 in 2024.
| County | Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola County | 1,103 | 4,180 | 4,548 | 4,356 |
| Missaukee County | 157 | 2,503 | 2,967 | 2,641 |
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 Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Marion (next to it), Tustin (2 miles), Wedgewood (3 miles) and McBain (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 131, M 66, M 55 and M 115.
What other public land is near Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Houghton Lake State Wildlife Research Area: 12,141 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Dead Stream Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 1,024 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Houghton Lake Flats South Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 992 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Bear Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 943 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Mitchell State Park: 724 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Houghton Lake Flats North Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 839 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area
Counting Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area itself, 13,952 of the 98,800 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 7,719 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 3,271 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,709 |
| National forest | 745 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 465 |
| County, city and regional land | 43 |
Another 98 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 Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area?
In Osceola and Missaukee counties, next to Marion.
How much of Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area is open to hunting?
1,260 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area?
13,952 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands 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 Houghton Lake State Wildlife Research Area (1.6 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.