Missaukee County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Missaukee County covers 574 square miles around McBain. Hunters reported 2,503 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,213 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 16% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 29.3% of Missaukee County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (99,542 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 refugesOther federal landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Missaukee CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 367,447 acres (574 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 2,503 (1,213 antlered, 1,290 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,273 deer |
| Public land | 29.3% (107,573 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 6 (8,469 acres inside Missaukee County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | McBain, Lake City, Jennings, Manton, Fife Lake and Marion |
How many deer are harvested in Missaukee County?
Hunters reported 2,503 deer in Missaukee County in 2025: 1,213 antlered and 1,290 antlerless. By season: 1,273 in the regular firearm season, 626 by archers (early and late segments) and 268 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,503 | 1,213 | 1,290 | 1,273 | 605 | 21 | 268 |
| 2024 | 2,967 | 1,542 | 1,425 | 1,506 | 761 | 36 | 332 |
| 2023 | 2,641 | 1,501 | 1,140 | 1,558 | 714 | 22 | 82 |
| 2022 | 2,899 | 1,505 | 1,394 | 1,730 | 774 | 38 | 114 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Missaukee 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 Missaukee County?
107,573 of Missaukee County's 367,447 acres are public land open to the public (29.3%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 99,542 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Missaukee County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 99,542 | 27.1% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 7,724 | 2.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 153 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 153 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 107,573 | 29.3% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 1,360 | 0.4% |
1,360 acres of Missaukee County (0.4%) 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 Missaukee County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Missaukee County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Houghton Lake State Wildlife Research Area: 6,794 acres
- Grass Lake Marsh Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 769 acres
- Addis Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 397 acres
- Dead Stream Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 184 acres
- Cannon Creek Flooding No. 1 State Wildlife Management Area: 168 acres
- Osceola-Missaukee Grasslands State Game Area: 157 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Cadillac State Forest Area (91,709 acres), Natural Area Dead Stream Swamp (5,780 acres), Michigan State University State Farm (819 acres), University of Michigan (443 acres) and Cadillac Forest Management Unit (266 acres).
How do you get to Missaukee County?
Highways through it: M 55 (about 29 miles inside), M 66 (about 28 miles inside) and M 42 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: McBain, Lake City, Jennings and Falmouth. Nearby: Manton (3 miles), Fife Lake (4 miles), Marion (4 miles) and Cadillac (5 miles).
Which counties border Missaukee County?
Missaukee County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clare County | 4,230 | 2025 | 18.7% | |
| Osceola County | 4,180 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| Wexford County | 1,658 | 2025 | 41.8% | |
| Crawford County | 1,535 | 2025 | 59.8% | |
| Kalkaska County | 1,298 | 2025 | 44.7% | |
| Roscommon County | 1,993 | 2025 | 63.1% | |
| Grand Traverse County | 1,837 | 2025 | 22.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Missaukee County in 2025?
Hunters reported 2,503 deer: 1,213 antlered and 1,290 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,967.
Is there public hunting land in Missaukee County?
Yes. 107,573 acres, 29.3% 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 (99,542 acres). The DNR's maps show 6 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Missaukee 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 Clare County Osceola County Wexford County Crawford County Kalkaska County Roscommon County Grand Traverse County