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Gratiot County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Gratiot County covers 572 square miles around Alma. Hunters reported 6,925 deer here in the 2025 license year, 3,195 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 4% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 5.5% of Gratiot County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (16,866 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.

Map of Michigan's Gratiot County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways US 27, M 57 and M 46; towns: Alma, Ithaca, St. Louis, Carson City and Maple Rapids

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landGratiot CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Gratiot County at a glance
Size365,833 acres (572 square miles)
Deer reported, 20256,925 (3,195 antlered, 3,730 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20252,844 deer
Public land5.5% (20,091 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks3 (17,382 acres inside Gratiot County)
Hunting Access Program land10 sites, 892 acres
Towns in and near itAlma, Ithaca, St. Louis, Carson City, Maple Rapids and Hubbardston

How many deer are harvested in Gratiot County?

Hunters reported 6,925 deer in Gratiot County in 2025: 3,195 antlered and 3,730 antlerless. By season: 2,844 in the regular firearm season, 1,415 by archers (early and late segments) and 677 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20256,9253,1953,7302,8441,37936677
20246,6763,0573,6192,9001,38621525
20235,3732,9412,4322,6561,39345393
20225,4403,0902,3502,7551,46334441

Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Gratiot 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 Gratiot County?

20,091 of Gratiot County's 365,833 acres are public land open to the public (5.5%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 16,866 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Gratiot County
State game and wildlife areas16,8664.6%
Land trusts and other open land1,5990.4%
County, city and regional land9050.2%
State forest and other DNR land7210.2%
All public land open to the public20,0915.5%

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 Gratiot County

DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Gratiot County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Forest Reserve (650 acres).

Hunting Access Program land in Gratiot County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 10 active Hunting Access Program properties in Gratiot County, 892 acres of private land leased for public hunting. Each property's listing says which hunting it allows and how to check in. DNR Hunting Access Program.

How do you get to Gratiot County?

Highways through it: US 27 (about 53 miles inside), M 57 (about 24 miles inside) and M 46 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Alma, Ithaca, St. Louis, Breckenridge, Ashley and Perrinton. Nearby: Carson City (on the line), Maple Rapids (on the line), Hubbardston (2 miles) and Merrill (2 miles).

Which counties border Gratiot County?

Gratiot County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Ionia County6,14520253.6%2
Clinton County6,94720254%
Midland County5,031202514.5%3
Saginaw County9,36920257.1%4
Isabella County5,45520251.5%4
Montcalm County7,41220256.3%
Shiawassee County6,57720251.8%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Gratiot County in 2025?

Hunters reported 6,925 deer: 3,195 antlered and 3,730 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 6,676.

Is there public hunting land in Gratiot County?

Yes. 20,091 acres, 5.5% 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 game and wildlife areas (16,866 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Gratiot County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 10 active properties, 892 acres, on the DNR's 2026 layer.

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Where these numbers come from

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 Ionia County Clinton County Midland County Saginaw County Isabella County Montcalm County Shiawassee County