Menominee County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Menominee County covers 1,052 square miles around Menominee. Hunters reported 5,455 deer here in the 2025 license year, 3,136 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 6% from 2024. 15.2% of Menominee County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (91,382 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 forestState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Menominee CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 673,159 acres (1,052 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 5,455 (3,136 antlered, 2,319 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 3,184 deer |
| Public land | 15.2% (102,556 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 5 (9,602 acres inside Menominee County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Menominee, Carney, Daggett, Norway, Escanaba and Iron Mountain |
How many deer are harvested in Menominee County?
Hunters reported 5,455 deer in Menominee County in 2025: 3,136 antlered and 2,319 antlerless. By season: 3,184 in the regular firearm season, 1,225 by archers (early and late segments) and 430 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,455 | 3,136 | 2,319 | 3,184 | 1,095 | 130 | 430 |
| 2024 | 5,787 | 3,478 | 2,309 | 3,576 | 1,113 | 104 | 405 |
| 2023 | 4,430 | 2,951 | 1,479 | 3,037 | 960 | 94 | 245 |
| 2022 | 5,406 | 3,354 | 2,052 | 3,748 | 1,095 | 120 | 313 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Menominee 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 Menominee County?
102,556 of Menominee County's 673,159 acres are public land open to the public (15.2%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 91,382 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Menominee County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 91,382 | 13.6% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 5,729 | 0.9% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 2,942 | 0.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,095 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 402 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 6 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 102,556 | 15.2% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 100,629 | 14.9% |
100,629 acres of Menominee County (14.9%) 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 Menominee County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Menominee County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Hayward Lake to North Lake Floodings State Wildlife Management Area: 3,292 acres
- Cedar River Grouse Enhanced Management System: 3,090 acres
- Menominee River Recreation Area: 2,618 acres
- J.W. Wells State Park: 386 acres
- Peterson Pond Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 216 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Natural Area Shakey Lakes (1,516 acres) and University of Michigan (995 acres).
How do you get to Menominee County?
Highways through it: US 41 (about 52 miles inside), M 35 (about 35 miles inside), US 2 (about 20 miles inside) and M 69 (about 18 miles inside). Towns inside: Menominee, Carney, Daggett, Stephenson, Powers and Hermansville. Nearby: Norway (6 miles), Escanaba (12 miles), Iron Mountain (13 miles) and Kingsford (14 miles).
Which counties border Menominee County?
Menominee County touches 3 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta County | 3,565 | 2025 | 42% | |
| Dickinson County | 1,964 | 2025 | 46.7% | |
| Marquette County | 1,502 | 2025 | 24.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Menominee County in 2025?
Hunters reported 5,455 deer: 3,136 antlered and 2,319 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 5,787.
Is there public hunting land in Menominee County?
Yes. 102,556 acres, 15.2% 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 state forest and other DNR land (91,382 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Menominee 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 Delta County Dickinson County Marquette County