Montcalm County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Montcalm County covers 721 square miles around Greenville. Hunters reported 7,412 deer here in the 2025 license year, 3,814 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 7% from 2024. 6.3% of Montcalm County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (22,690 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 landHunting Access Program landMontcalm CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 461,308 acres (721 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 7,412 (3,814 antlered, 3,598 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 3,100 deer |
| Public land | 6.3% (28,984 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 5 (23,423 acres inside Montcalm County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Greenville, Howard City, Stanton, Sand Lake, Morley and Belding |
How many deer are harvested in Montcalm County?
Hunters reported 7,412 deer in Montcalm County in 2025: 3,814 antlered and 3,598 antlerless. By season: 3,100 in the regular firearm season, 2,015 by archers (early and late segments) and 668 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,412 | 3,814 | 3,598 | 3,100 | 1,979 | 36 | 668 |
| 2024 | 6,921 | 3,634 | 3,287 | 3,046 | 1,828 | 63 | 579 |
| 2023 | 6,894 | 3,913 | 2,981 | 3,225 | 1,964 | 49 | 513 |
| 2022 | 8,103 | 4,797 | 3,306 | 3,860 | 2,400 | 63 | 563 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Montcalm 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 Montcalm County?
28,984 of Montcalm County's 461,308 acres are public land open to the public (6.3%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 22,690 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Montcalm County |
|---|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 22,690 | 4.9% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3,113 | 0.7% |
| National forest | 1,779 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 822 | 0.2% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 580 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 28,984 | 6.3% |
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 Montcalm County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Montcalm County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Flat River State Game Area: 9,222 acres
- Stanton State Game Area: 4,924 acres
- Langston State Game Area: 3,258 acres
- Edmore State Game Area: 3,043 acres
- Vestaburg State Game Area: 2,976 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manistee National Forest (1,779 acres) and Forest Reserve (566 acres).
How do you get to Montcalm County?
Highways through it: M 46 (about 53 miles inside), M 66 (about 27 miles inside), US 131 (about 26 miles inside), M 57 (about 24 miles inside) and M 91 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Greenville, Howard City, Stanton, Edmore, Lakeview and Carson City. Nearby: Sand Lake (on the line), Morley (2 miles), Belding (2 miles) and Hubbardston (2 miles).
Which counties border Montcalm County?
Montcalm 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 4,222 | 2025 | 5.5% | 1 |
| Ionia County | 6,145 | 2025 | 3.6% | 2 |
| Clinton County | 6,947 | 2025 | 4% | |
| Gratiot County | 6,925 | 2025 | 5.5% | 10 |
| Mecosta County | 4,353 | 2025 | 5.7% | |
| Newaygo County | 5,727 | 2025 | 21.9% | 2 |
| Isabella County | 5,455 | 2025 | 1.5% | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Montcalm County in 2025?
Hunters reported 7,412 deer: 3,814 antlered and 3,598 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 6,921.
Is there public hunting land in Montcalm County?
Yes. 28,984 acres, 6.3% 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 game and wildlife areas (22,690 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Montcalm 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 Kent County Ionia County Clinton County Gratiot County Mecosta County Newaygo County Isabella County