Mecosta County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Mecosta County covers 571 square miles around Big Rapids. Hunters reported 4,353 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,477 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 8% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 5.7% of Mecosta County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (13,072 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 forestCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hunting Access Program landMecosta CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 365,581 acres (571 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 4,353 (2,477 antlered, 1,876 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,982 deer |
| Public land | 5.7% (20,724 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 2 (14,575 acres inside Mecosta County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Big Rapids, Mecosta, Barryton, Lakeview, Hersey and Reed City |
How many deer are harvested in Mecosta County?
Hunters reported 4,353 deer in Mecosta County in 2025: 2,477 antlered and 1,876 antlerless. By season: 1,982 in the regular firearm season, 1,280 by archers (early and late segments) and 374 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,353 | 2,477 | 1,876 | 1,982 | 1,253 | 27 | 374 |
| 2024 | 4,747 | 2,720 | 2,027 | 2,289 | 1,295 | 44 | 406 |
| 2023 | 4,674 | 2,691 | 1,983 | 2,327 | 1,343 | 38 | 319 |
| 2022 | 5,448 | 3,248 | 2,200 | 2,763 | 1,618 | 39 | 386 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Mecosta 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 Mecosta County?
20,724 of Mecosta County's 365,581 acres are public land open to the public (5.7%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 13,072 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Mecosta County |
|---|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 13,072 | 3.6% |
| National forest | 3,414 | 0.9% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,946 | 0.8% |
| County, city and regional land | 898 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 394 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 20,724 | 5.7% |
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 Mecosta County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Mecosta County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Martiny Lake State Game Area: 7,788 acres
- Haymarsh Lake State Game Area: 6,787 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manistee National Forest (3,416 acres) and Forest Reserve (323 acres).
How do you get to Mecosta County?
Highways through it: US 131 (about 49 miles inside), M 20 (about 31 miles inside) and M 66 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Big Rapids, Mecosta, Barryton, Morley, Stanwood and Canadian Lakes. Nearby: Lakeview (2 miles), Hersey (3 miles), Reed City (4 miles) and Lake Isabella (4 miles).
Which counties border Mecosta County?
Mecosta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 1,820 | 2025 | 46.9% | |
| Clare County | 4,230 | 2025 | 18.7% | |
| Newaygo County | 5,727 | 2025 | 21.9% | 2 |
| Osceola County | 4,180 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| Isabella County | 5,455 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
| Montcalm County | 7,412 | 2025 | 6.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Mecosta County in 2025?
Hunters reported 4,353 deer: 2,477 antlered and 1,876 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,747.
Is there public hunting land in Mecosta County?
Yes. 20,724 acres, 5.7% 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 game and wildlife areas (13,072 acres). The DNR's maps show 2 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Mecosta 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 Clare County Newaygo County Osceola County Isabella County Montcalm County