Livingston County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Livingston County covers 585 square miles around Howell. Hunters reported 5,472 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,878 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 12% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 9.3% of Livingston County is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks and recreation areas (12,274 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 landNational wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landLivingston CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 374,695 acres (585 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 5,472 (2,878 antlered, 2,594 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,822 deer |
| Public land | 9.3% (34,827 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 7 (18,534 acres inside Livingston County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Howell, Brighton, Fowlerville, South Lyon, Fenton and Stockbridge |
How many deer are harvested in Livingston County?
Hunters reported 5,472 deer in Livingston County in 2025: 2,878 antlered and 2,594 antlerless. By season: 1,822 in the regular firearm season, 1,983 by archers (early and late segments) and 587 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,472 | 2,878 | 2,594 | 1,822 | 1,827 | 156 | 587 |
| 2024 | 4,875 | 2,594 | 2,281 | 1,670 | 1,678 | 127 | 482 |
| 2023 | 4,525 | 2,642 | 1,883 | 1,775 | 1,720 | 121 | 288 |
| 2022 | 4,905 | 2,894 | 2,011 | 1,918 | 2,005 | 131 | 353 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Livingston 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 Livingston County?
34,827 of Livingston County's 374,695 acres are public land open to the public (9.3%). The biggest share is state parks and recreation areas: 12,274 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Livingston County |
|---|---|---|
| State parks and recreation areas | 12,274 | 3.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 10,295 | 2.7% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 6,042 | 1.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 4,325 | 1.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,891 | 0.5% |
| All public land open to the public | 34,827 | 9.3% |
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 Livingston County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Livingston County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Brighton Recreation Area: 4,572 acres
- Island Lake Recreation Area: 3,932 acres
- Pinckney Recreation Area: 3,610 acres
- Gregory State Game Area: 2,708 acres
- Oak Grove State Game Area: 2,391 acres
- Unadilla State Wildlife Area: 1,065 acres
- Hillcrest State Game Area: 256 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Edwin S. George Biological Station (1,293 acres).
How do you get to Livingston County?
Highways through it: I-96 (about 55 miles inside), US 23 (about 51 miles inside), M 36 (about 24 miles inside), M 59 (about 22 miles inside) and M 106 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Howell, Brighton, Fowlerville, Pinckney and Hartland. Nearby: South Lyon (on the line), Fenton (on the line), Stockbridge (2 miles) and Webberville (2 miles).
Which counties border Livingston County?
Livingston County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingham County | 5,420 | 2025 | 3.7% | 3 |
| Genesee County | 4,957 | 2025 | 5.1% | |
| Jackson County | 6,674 | 2025 | 4.5% | 1 |
| Oakland County | 3,783 | 2025 | 10.4% | |
| Washtenaw County | 4,412 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| Shiawassee County | 6,577 | 2025 | 1.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Livingston County in 2025?
Hunters reported 5,472 deer: 2,878 antlered and 2,594 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,875.
Is there public hunting land in Livingston County?
Yes. 34,827 acres, 9.3% 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 parks and recreation areas (12,274 acres). The DNR's maps show 7 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Livingston 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
- 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 Ingham County Genesee County Jackson County Oakland County Washtenaw County Shiawassee County