Monroe County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Monroe County covers 559 square miles around Monroe. Hunters reported 2,399 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,329 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 12% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 3.4% of Monroe County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (4,714 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 refugesState parks and recreation areasNational park landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMonroe CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 358,024 acres (559 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 2,399 (1,329 antlered, 1,070 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 945 deer |
| Public land | 3.4% (12,035 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 6 (6,615 acres inside Monroe County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Monroe, Dundee, Milan, Deerfield, Rockwood and Flat Rock |
How many deer are harvested in Monroe County?
Hunters reported 2,399 deer in Monroe County in 2025: 1,329 antlered and 1,070 antlerless. By season: 945 in the regular firearm season, 884 by archers (early and late segments) and 246 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,399 | 1,329 | 1,070 | 945 | 835 | 49 | 246 |
| 2024 | 2,145 | 1,141 | 1,004 | 803 | 701 | 61 | 205 |
| 2023 | 1,692 | 982 | 710 | 699 | 650 | 43 | 117 |
| 2022 | 1,867 | 1,096 | 771 | 726 | 754 | 47 | 154 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Monroe 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 Monroe County?
12,035 of Monroe County's 358,024 acres are public land open to the public (3.4%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 4,714 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Monroe County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 4,714 | 1.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 2,655 | 0.7% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 2,048 | 0.6% |
| County, city and regional land | 1,423 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuges | 1,121 | 0.3% |
| National park land | 42 | under 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 32 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 12,035 | 3.4% |
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 Monroe County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Monroe County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pointe Mouillee State Game Area: 2,627 acres
- Erie State Game Area: 1,605 acres
- Sterling State Park: 915 acres
- Crystal Waters State Game Area: 680 acres
- Petersburg State Game Area: 616 acres
- Pointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area: 172 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (1,154 acres).
How do you get to Monroe County?
Highways through it: I-75 (about 54 miles inside), US 23 (about 51 miles inside), US 24 (about 31 miles inside), M 50 (about 22 miles inside) and M 125 (about 20 miles inside). Towns inside: Monroe, Dundee, Milan, South Rockwood, Maybee and Luna Pier. Nearby: Deerfield (on the line), Rockwood (on the line), Flat Rock (on the line) and Britton (3 miles).
Which counties border Monroe County?
Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 693 | 2025 | 7.4% | |
| Lenawee County | 5,768 | 2025 | 1.6% | |
| Washtenaw County | 4,412 | 2025 | 8.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Monroe County in 2025?
Hunters reported 2,399 deer: 1,329 antlered and 1,070 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,145.
Is there public hunting land in Monroe County?
Yes. 12,035 acres, 3.4% 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 land trusts and other open land (4,714 acres). The DNR's maps show 6 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Monroe 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 Lenawee County Washtenaw County