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Kent County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Kent County covers 872 square miles around Grand Rapids. Hunters reported 4,222 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,337 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 2% from 2024. 5.5% of Kent County is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (10,762 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 Kent County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways US 131, M 37 and I-96; towns: Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, Freeport and Pierson

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hunting Access Program landKent CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Kent County at a glance
Size558,033 acres (872 square miles)
Deer reported, 20254,222 (2,337 antlered, 1,885 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20251,439 deer
Public land5.5% (30,955 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks3 (8,457 acres inside Kent County)
Hunting Access Program land1 site, 153 acres
Towns in and near itGrand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, Freeport, Pierson and Greenville

How many deer are harvested in Kent County?

Hunters reported 4,222 deer in Kent County in 2025: 2,337 antlered and 1,885 antlerless. By season: 1,439 in the regular firearm season, 1,671 by archers (early and late segments) and 401 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20254,2222,3371,8851,4391,539132401
20244,1402,2401,9001,4741,396116385
20234,8682,8432,0251,8901,851145320
20225,5253,3652,1602,1742,212136388

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

30,955 of Kent County's 558,033 acres are public land open to the public (5.5%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 10,762 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Kent County
County, city and regional land10,7621.9%
State game and wildlife areas7,0151.3%
Land trusts and other open land6,9381.2%
State parks and recreation areas6,2391.1%
National forest1under 0.1%
All public land open to the public30,9555.5%
Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)3030.1%

303 acres of Kent County (0.1%) 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 Kent County

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

Hunting Access Program land in Kent County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 1 active Hunting Access Program property in Kent County, 153 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 Kent County?

Highways through it: US 131 (about 78 miles inside), M 37 (about 62 miles inside), I-96 (about 60 miles inside), M 6 (about 32 miles inside) and M 44 (about 29 miles inside). Towns inside: Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, Kentwood, Grandville and Rockford. Nearby: Freeport (on the line), Pierson (2 miles), Greenville (3 miles) and Grant (3 miles).

Which counties border Kent County?

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

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Barry County3,69520258.4%
Ionia County6,14520253.6%2
Ottawa County3,61020253.7%
Allegan County6,450202510.3%
Newaygo County5,727202521.9%2
Montcalm County7,41220256.3%
Muskegon County2,819202511.7%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Kent County in 2025?

Hunters reported 4,222 deer: 2,337 antlered and 1,885 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,140.

Is there public hunting land in Kent County?

Yes. 30,955 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 county, city and regional land (10,762 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Kent County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 1 active property, 153 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 Barry County Ionia County Ottawa County Allegan County Newaygo County Montcalm County Muskegon County