Tuscola State Game Area: hunting and access
Tuscola State Game Area is 9,097 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Tuscola County, 2 miles from Caro, a state game area by the DNR's map. 9,097 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 areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landTuscola State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 9,097 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Tuscola County |
| Deer harvest unit | Tuscola County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southeast Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 9,097 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Caro (2 mi), Mayville (5 mi) and Vassar (7 mi) |
What are the rules on Tuscola State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Tuscola State Game Area: 9,097 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Tuscola State Game Area?
Tuscola State Game Area lies in Tuscola County. Hunters reported 7,100 deer in Tuscola County in 2025, against 7,136 in 2024.
| County | Tuscola State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola County | 9,097 | 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 Tuscola State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Caro (2 miles), Mayville (5 miles), Vassar (7 miles) and Fairgrove (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 24, M 46 and M 81.
What other public land is near Tuscola State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Vassar State Game Area: 3,435 acres, next to it
- Deford State Game Area: 10,026 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Almer Township State Game Area: 160 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Murphy Lake State Game Area: 2,717 acres, 7.7 miles away
- Denmark Township State Game Area: 92 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Clark Lake State Game Area: 89 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Tuscola State Game Area
Counting Tuscola State Game Area itself, 12,689 of the 63,238 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (20.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 11,889 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 495 |
| County, city and regional land | 297 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Tuscola State Game Area?
In Tuscola County, 2 miles from Caro.
How much of Tuscola State Game Area is open to hunting?
9,097 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Tuscola State Game Area?
12,689 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Tuscola 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 Vassar State Game Area (next to it).
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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.