Sanilac State Game Area: hunting and access
Sanilac State Game Area is 1,577 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Sanilac County, 4 miles from Ubly, a state game area by the DNR's map. 1,577 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 8,784 deer in Sanilac 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 landSanilac State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,577 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Sanilac County |
| Deer harvest unit | Sanilac County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southeast Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 1,577 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Ubly (4 mi), Cass City (6 mi) and Gagetown (8 mi) |
What is Sanilac State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names 6 units within Sanilac State Game Area: Central, West, Far-NE, Near-NE, East and South.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Sanilac State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Sanilac State Game Area: 1,577 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Sanilac State Game Area?
Sanilac State Game Area lies in Sanilac County. Hunters reported 8,784 deer in Sanilac County in 2025, against 9,544 in 2024.
| County | Sanilac State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanilac County | 1,577 | 8,784 | 9,544 | 8,311 |
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 Sanilac State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Ubly (4 miles), Cass City (6 miles), Gagetown (8 miles) and Bad Axe (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 53, M 19 and M 81.
What other public land is near Sanilac State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Cass City State Game Area: 1,203 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Minden City State Game Area: 9,200 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Gagetown State Game Area: 1,344 acres, 4.9 miles away
- Verona State Game Area: 7,527 acres, 7.7 miles away
- Brookfield Township No. 1 State Game Area: 203 acres, 8.9 miles away
- Elmwood Township State Game Area: 272 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sanilac State Game Area
Counting Sanilac State Game Area itself, 1,900 of the 46,119 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 1,519 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 239 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 142 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sanilac State Game Area?
In Sanilac County, 4 miles from Ubly.
How much of Sanilac State Game Area is open to hunting?
1,577 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Sanilac State Game Area?
1,900 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sanilac 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 Cass City State Game Area (2.7 miles).
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Michigan are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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.