Mason County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Mason County covers 510 square miles around Ludington. Hunters reported 4,294 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,982 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 1% from 2024. 20.2% of Mason County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (60,515 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 forest and other DNR landNational forestState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Mason CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 326,504 acres (510 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 4,294 (1,982 antlered, 2,312 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,897 deer |
| Public land | 20.2% (66,054 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 2 (3,599 acres inside Mason County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ludington, Scottville, Custer, Pentwater, Manistee and Eastlake |
How many deer are harvested in Mason County?
Hunters reported 4,294 deer in Mason County in 2025: 1,982 antlered and 2,312 antlerless. By season: 1,897 in the regular firearm season, 1,221 by archers (early and late segments) and 303 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,294 | 1,982 | 2,312 | 1,897 | 1,176 | 45 | 303 |
| 2024 | 4,321 | 1,995 | 2,326 | 1,908 | 1,213 | 43 | 414 |
| 2023 | 4,126 | 2,051 | 2,075 | 2,074 | 1,203 | 55 | 102 |
| 2022 | 4,727 | 2,150 | 2,577 | 2,483 | 1,368 | 53 | 136 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Mason 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 Mason County?
66,054 of Mason County's 326,504 acres are public land open to the public (20.2%). The biggest share is national forest: 60,515 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Mason County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 60,515 | 18.5% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 4,575 | 1.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 395 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 304 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 265 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 66,054 | 20.2% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 775 | 0.2% |
775 acres of Mason County (0.2%) 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 Mason County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Mason County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ludington State Park: 3,200 acres
- Pere Marquette State Game Area: 399 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manistee National Forest (60,523 acres) and Big Sable Dunes and Swales Natural Area (180 acres).
How do you get to Mason County?
Highways through it: US 31 (about 43 miles inside), US 10 (about 21 miles inside) and M 116 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Ludington, Scottville, Custer, Free Soil and Fountain. Nearby: Pentwater (3 miles), Manistee (5 miles), Eastlake (5 miles) and Walkerville (7 miles).
Which counties border Mason County?
Mason 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 1,820 | 2025 | 46.9% | |
| Oceana County | 4,589 | 2025 | 18.4% | |
| Newaygo County | 5,727 | 2025 | 21.9% | 2 |
| Manistee County | 2,439 | 2025 | 31.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Mason County in 2025?
Hunters reported 4,294 deer: 1,982 antlered and 2,312 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,321.
Is there public hunting land in Mason County?
Yes. 66,054 acres, 20.2% 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 national forest (60,515 acres). The DNR's maps show 2 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Mason 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 Lake County Oceana County Newaygo County Manistee County