Vassar State Game Area: hunting and access
Vassar State Game Area is 3,435 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Tuscola County, 2 miles from Vassar, a state game area by the DNR's map. 3,435 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 landVassar State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,435 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Tuscola County |
| Deer harvest unit | Tuscola County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southeast Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 3,435 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Vassar (2 mi), Caro (5 mi) and Fairgrove (7 mi) |
What is Vassar State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names 7 units within Vassar State Game Area: East, North, road, South, Central, West and Southwest.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Vassar State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Vassar State Game Area: 3,435 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Vassar State Game Area?
Vassar State Game Area lies in Tuscola County. Hunters reported 7,100 deer in Tuscola County in 2025, against 7,136 in 2024.
| County | Vassar State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola County | 3,435 | 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 Vassar State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Vassar (2 miles), Caro (5 miles), Fairgrove (7 miles) and Mayville (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 46, M 81, M 15 and M 24.
What other public land is near Vassar State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Tuscola State Game Area: 9,097 acres, next to it
- Denmark Township State Game Area: 92 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Almer Township State Game Area: 160 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Murphy Lake State Game Area: 2,717 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Deford State Game Area: 10,026 acres, 7.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Vassar State Game Area
Counting Vassar State Game Area itself, 7,363 of the 50,720 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 6,552 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 609 |
| County, city and regional land | 185 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 17 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Vassar State Game Area?
In Tuscola County, 2 miles from Vassar.
How much of Vassar State Game Area is open to hunting?
3,435 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Vassar State Game Area?
7,363 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Vassar 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 (next to it).
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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.