Macomb County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Macomb County covers 484 square miles around Sterling Heights. Hunters reported 2,360 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,161 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 9% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 5.4% of Macomb County is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (9,199 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 landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMacomb CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 309,820 acres (484 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 2,360 (1,161 antlered, 1,199 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 877 deer |
| Public land | 5.4% (16,743 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 3 (1,114 acres inside Macomb County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Sterling Heights, Warren, St. Clair Shores, Hazel Park, Harper Woods and Grosse Pointe Woods |
How many deer are harvested in Macomb County?
Hunters reported 2,360 deer in Macomb County in 2025: 1,161 antlered and 1,199 antlerless. By season: 877 in the regular firearm season, 649 by archers (early and late segments) and 256 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,360 | 1,161 | 1,199 | 877 | 606 | 43 | 256 |
| 2024 | 2,167 | 1,138 | 1,029 | 782 | 617 | 40 | 225 |
| 2023 | 1,855 | 1,078 | 777 | 749 | 601 | 38 | 152 |
| 2022 | 2,122 | 1,214 | 908 | 871 | 705 | 43 | 152 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Macomb 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 Macomb County?
16,743 of Macomb County's 309,820 acres are public land open to the public (5.4%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 9,199 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Macomb County |
|---|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 9,199 | 3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 5,388 | 1.7% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,897 | 0.6% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 198 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 61 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 16,743 | 5.4% |
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 Macomb County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Macomb County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- W.C. Wetzel Recreation Area: 911 acres
- Chesterfield Township State Game Area: 143 acres
- Salt River Marsh State Wildlife Area: 60 acres
How do you get to Macomb County?
Highways through it: I-94 (about 48 miles inside), M 53 (about 45 miles inside), M 3 (about 30 miles inside), M 59 (about 27 miles inside) and M 19 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Sterling Heights, Warren, St. Clair Shores, Roseville, Eastpointe and New Baltimore. Nearby: Hazel Park (on the line), Harper Woods (on the line), Grosse Pointe Woods (on the line) and Madison Heights (on the line).
Which counties border Macomb County?
Macomb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 693 | 2025 | 7.4% | |
| Lapeer County | 7,241 | 2025 | 5.9% | |
| Oakland County | 3,783 | 2025 | 10.4% | |
| St. Clair County | 6,128 | 2025 | 6.7% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Macomb County in 2025?
Hunters reported 2,360 deer: 1,161 antlered and 1,199 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,167.
Is there public hunting land in Macomb County?
Yes. 16,743 acres, 5.4% 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 (9,199 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Macomb 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 Wayne County Lapeer County Oakland County St. Clair County