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Ingham County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Ingham County covers 561 square miles around Lansing. Hunters reported 5,420 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,664 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 1% from 2024. 3.7% of Ingham County is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (5,144 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 Ingham County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways US 127, I-96 and M 43; towns: Lansing, East Lansing, Mason, Dimondale and Eaton Rapids

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landIngham CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Ingham County at a glance
Size358,853 acres (561 square miles)
Deer reported, 20255,420 (2,664 antlered, 2,756 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20252,088 deer
Public land3.7% (13,157 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks2 (5,149 acres inside Ingham County)
Hunting Access Program land3 sites, 445 acres
Towns in and near itLansing, East Lansing, Mason, Dimondale, Eaton Rapids and Fowlerville

How many deer are harvested in Ingham County?

Hunters reported 5,420 deer in Ingham County in 2025: 2,664 antlered and 2,756 antlerless. By season: 2,088 in the regular firearm season, 1,499 by archers (early and late segments) and 571 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20255,4202,6642,7562,0881,41782571
20245,5022,6592,8432,1711,47683587
20234,7092,5022,2071,9411,53097361
20224,8032,7192,0842,0891,55792417

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

13,157 of Ingham County's 358,853 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 5,144 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Ingham County
County, city and regional land5,1441.4%
State game and wildlife areas4,8861.4%
Land trusts and other open land3,0010.8%
State forest and other DNR land91under 0.1%
State parks and recreation areas35under 0.1%
All public land open to the public13,1573.7%

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 Ingham County

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

Hunting Access Program land in Ingham County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 3 active Hunting Access Program properties in Ingham County, 445 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 Ingham County?

Highways through it: US 127 (about 59 miles inside), I-96 (about 47 miles inside), M 43 (about 27 miles inside), M 52 (about 26 miles inside) and M 36 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Lansing, East Lansing, Mason, Williamston, Webberville and Stockbridge. Nearby: Dimondale (2 miles), Eaton Rapids (3 miles), Fowlerville (4 miles) and Perry (4 miles).

Which counties border Ingham County?

Ingham County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Eaton County5,87020251%
Clinton County6,94720254%
Jackson County6,67420254.5%1
Livingston County5,47220259.3%
Shiawassee County6,57720251.8%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Ingham County in 2025?

Hunters reported 5,420 deer: 2,664 antlered and 2,756 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 5,502.

Is there public hunting land in Ingham County?

Yes. 13,157 acres, 3.7% 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 county, city and regional land (5,144 acres). The DNR's maps show 2 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Ingham County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 3 active properties, 445 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 Eaton County Clinton County Jackson County Livingston County Shiawassee County