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Houghton County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Houghton County covers 1,041 square miles around Houghton. Hunters reported 830 deer here in the 2025 license year, 587 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 12% from 2024. 31.5% of Houghton County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (158,215 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 Houghton County: public land by manager, the counties around it, highways US 41, M 26 and M 203; towns: Houghton, Hancock, Lake Linden, Ahmeek and Baraga

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestState parks and recreation areasNational park landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Houghton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Houghton County at a glance
Size666,394 acres (1,041 square miles)
Deer reported, 2025830 (587 antlered, 243 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 2025469 deer
Public land31.5% (209,627 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks4 (8,452 acres inside Houghton County)
Hunting Access Program landNone mapped this year
Towns in and near itHoughton, Hancock, Lake Linden, Ahmeek, Baraga and L'Anse

How many deer are harvested in Houghton County?

Hunters reported 830 deer in Houghton County in 2025: 587 antlered and 243 antlerless. By season: 469 in the regular firearm season, 275 by archers (early and late segments) and 61 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20258305872434692086761
20249428101326681461174
20236975781195041151437
20221,0078851227541261677

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

209,627 of Houghton County's 666,394 acres are public land open to the public (31.5%). The biggest share is national forest: 158,215 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Houghton County
National forest158,21523.7%
State forest and other DNR land41,8136.3%
State game and wildlife areas4,1120.6%
County, city and regional land3,4510.5%
Land trusts and other open land1,3420.2%
State parks and recreation areas5640.1%
National park land130under 0.1%
All public land open to the public209,62731.5%
Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)185,01027.8%

185,010 acres of Houghton County (27.8%) are Commercial Forest land: privately owned, but under state law (MCL 324.51113) the owner may not deny the public hunting and fishing unless the DNR or the legislature closes it.

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 Houghton County

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

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Ottawa National Forest (158,215 acres), Baraga State Forest Area (39,464 acres) and Michigan Tech Trails And Nara Nature Park (319 acres).

How do you get to Houghton County?

Highways through it: US 41 (about 35 miles inside), M 26 (about 25 miles inside), M 203 (about 18 miles inside), M 28 (about 15 miles inside) and M 38 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Houghton, Hancock, Lake Linden, Laurium, South Range and Calumet. Nearby: Ahmeek (on the line), Baraga (6 miles), L'Anse (8 miles) and Ontonagon (18 miles).

Which counties border Houghton County?

Houghton County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Iron County1,605202535.8%
Baraga County573202526%
Keweenaw County118202554.1%
Ontonagon County712202542.8%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Houghton County in 2025?

Hunters reported 830 deer: 587 antlered and 243 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 942.

Is there public hunting land in Houghton County?

Yes. 209,627 acres, 31.5% 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 national forest (158,215 acres). The DNR's maps show 4 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Houghton County have Hunting Access Program land?

Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.

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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 Iron County Baraga County Keweenaw County Ontonagon County