Luce County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Luce County covers 927 square miles around Newberry. Hunters reported 260 deer here in the 2025 license year, 223 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 1% from 2024. 56.5% of Luce County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (286,117 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 landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Luce CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 593,244 acres (927 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 260 (223 antlered, 37 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 178 deer |
| Public land | 56.5% (335,150 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 5 (26,495 acres inside Luce County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Newberry |
How many deer are harvested in Luce County?
Hunters reported 260 deer in Luce County in 2025: 223 antlered and 37 antlerless. By season: 178 in the regular firearm season, 64 by archers (early and late segments) and 15 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 260 | 223 | 37 | 178 | 50 | 14 | 15 |
| 2024 | 262 | 253 | 9 | 208 | 36 | 4 | 13 |
| 2023 | 251 | 240 | 11 | 184 | 32 | 9 | 23 |
| 2022 | 315 | 294 | 21 | 232 | 45 | 10 | 21 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Luce 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 Luce County?
335,150 of Luce County's 593,244 acres are public land open to the public (56.5%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 286,117 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Luce County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 286,117 | 48.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 25,434 | 4.3% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 15,356 | 2.6% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 8,134 | 1.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 109 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 335,150 | 56.5% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 97,593 | 16.5% |
97,593 acres of Luce County (16.5%) 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 Luce County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Luce County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park: 15,670 acres
- Blind Sucker River Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 5,088 acres
- Dollarville Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 3,014 acres
- Halifax Grouse Enhanced Management System: 2,696 acres
- Black Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 27 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Newberry State Forest Area (279,143 acres) and Natural Area McMahon Lake Strangmoor (1,088 acres).
How do you get to Luce County?
No numbered highway crosses it. Towns inside: Newberry.
Which counties border Luce County?
Luce County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alger County | 521 | 2025 | 43.8% | |
| Chippewa County | 983 | 2025 | 46.6% | 25 |
| Mackinac County | 786 | 2025 | 54.1% | 3 |
| Schoolcraft County | 790 | 2025 | 66% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Luce County in 2025?
Hunters reported 260 deer: 223 antlered and 37 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 262.
Is there public hunting land in Luce County?
Yes. 335,150 acres, 56.5% 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 forest and other DNR land (286,117 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Luce 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 Alger County Chippewa County Mackinac County Schoolcraft County