Gladwin County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Gladwin County covers 516 square miles around Gladwin. Hunters reported 4,585 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,432 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 1% from 2024. 27.6% of Gladwin County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (79,625 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's reported deer totals, 2022 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1, the DNR's land ownership records and its wildlife, parks, Commercial Forest and HAP layers.
State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landGladwin CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 330,201 acres (516 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 4,585 (2,432 antlered, 2,153 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 2,135 deer |
| Public land | 27.6% (91,049 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 8 (20,449 acres inside Gladwin County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Gladwin, Beaverton, Coleman, Sterling and Clare |
How many deer are harvested in Gladwin County?
Hunters reported 4,585 deer in Gladwin County in 2025: 2,432 antlered and 2,153 antlerless. By season: 2,135 in the regular firearm season, 1,364 by archers (early and late segments) and 448 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,585 | 2,432 | 2,153 | 2,135 | 1,300 | 64 | 448 |
| 2024 | 4,530 | 2,350 | 2,180 | 2,109 | 1,285 | 90 | 402 |
| 2023 | 3,743 | 2,086 | 1,657 | 1,980 | 1,180 | 45 | 111 |
| 2022 | 4,833 | 2,641 | 2,192 | 2,659 | 1,486 | 99 | 121 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Gladwin County. These are deer hunters reported; seasons not shown (youth, Liberty, antlerless and others) are in the total. The DNR's survey estimates, which count deer that were not reported, are higher.
How much public land is in Gladwin County?
91,049 of Gladwin County's 330,201 acres are public land open to the public (27.6%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 79,625 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Gladwin County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 79,625 | 24.1% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 6,463 | 2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 4,297 | 1.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 664 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 91,049 | 27.6% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest). Hunting rules differ by manager: state game areas and state forest land are open to hunting in season unless posted; national forests are open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks and recreation areas are open, open with restrictions or closed by the DNR's map; national park land is closed to most hunting; city and county land sets its own rules.
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Gladwin County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Gladwin County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lame Duck Grouse Enhanced Management System: 7,211 acres
- Gladwin Field Trial Area and Wildlife Unit of State Forest: 4,737 acres
- Molasses River Flooding No.3 State Wildlife Management Area: 1,886 acres
- Molasses River Flooding No.1 State Wildlife Management Area & part of Lame Duck GEMS (SWMA): 1,653 acres
- Molasses River Flooding No.2 State Wildlife Management Area & part of Lame Duck GEMS (SWMA): 1,510 acres
- Molasses River Flooding No.5 State Wildlife Management Area: 1,460 acres
- Bentley Marsh Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 1,444 acres
- Gladwin State Game Area: 548 acres
How do you get to Gladwin County?
Highways through it: M 18 (about 30 miles inside), M 30 (about 29 miles inside) and M 61 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Gladwin and Beaverton. Nearby: Coleman (4 miles), Sterling (7 miles), Clare (8 miles) and West Branch (8 miles).
Which counties border Gladwin County?
Gladwin County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County | 2,573 | 2025 | 4.2% | 2 |
| Clare County | 4,230 | 2025 | 18.7% | |
| Arenac County | 3,671 | 2025 | 14.7% | 5 |
| Ogemaw County | 4,009 | 2025 | 28.7% | |
| Midland County | 5,031 | 2025 | 14.5% | 3 |
| Isabella County | 5,455 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| Roscommon County | 1,993 | 2025 | 63.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Gladwin County in 2025?
Hunters reported 4,585 deer: 2,432 antlered and 2,153 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,530.
Is there public hunting land in Gladwin County?
Yes. 91,049 acres, 27.6% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (79,625 acres). The DNR's maps show 8 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Gladwin County have Hunting Access Program land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.
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 numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest). state game areas: Michigan DNR wildlife property project areas. Hunting Access Program land: Michigan DNR Hunting Access Program properties.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Michigan hunting Bay County Clare County Arenac County Ogemaw County Midland County Isabella County Roscommon County