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Muskegon County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Muskegon County covers 527 square miles around Norton Shores. Hunters reported 2,819 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,506 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 4% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 11.7% of Muskegon County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (20,604 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.

Map of Michigan's Muskegon County: public land by manager, the counties around it, highways US 31, M 46 and M 120; towns: Norton Shores, Muskegon, Whitehall, Casnovia and Kent City

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)Muskegon CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Muskegon County at a glance
Size337,481 acres (527 square miles)
Deer reported, 20252,819 (1,506 antlered, 1,313 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20251,052 deer
Public land11.7% (39,465 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks3 (21,576 acres inside Muskegon County)
Hunting Access Program landNone mapped this year
Towns in and near itNorton Shores, Muskegon, Whitehall, Casnovia, Kent City and Ferrysburg

How many deer are harvested in Muskegon County?

Hunters reported 2,819 deer in Muskegon County in 2025: 1,506 antlered and 1,313 antlerless. By season: 1,052 in the regular firearm season, 1,033 by archers (early and late segments) and 229 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20252,8191,5061,3131,05297063229
20242,9361,5501,3861,0831,04690289
20232,9851,6611,3241,2561,07999179
20222,9201,7501,1701,2221,14876186

Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Muskegon 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 Muskegon County?

39,465 of Muskegon County's 337,481 acres are public land open to the public (11.7%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 20,604 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Muskegon County
State game and wildlife areas20,6046.1%
National forest12,4443.7%
State parks and recreation areas2,4040.7%
County, city and regional land2,2340.7%
Land trusts and other open land1,6350.5%
State forest and other DNR land144under 0.1%
All public land open to the public39,46511.7%
Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)112under 0.1%

112 acres of Muskegon County (under 0.1%) 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 Muskegon County

DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Muskegon County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manistee National Forest (12,444 acres).

How do you get to Muskegon County?

Highways through it: US 31 (about 54 miles inside), M 46 (about 21 miles inside), M 120 (about 19 miles inside), I-96 (about 11 miles inside) and M 37 (about 5 miles inside). Towns inside: Norton Shores, Muskegon, Whitehall, Muskegon Heights, Montague and Lakewood Club. Nearby: Casnovia (on the line), Kent City (2 miles), Ferrysburg (2 miles) and Grant (3 miles).

Which counties border Muskegon County?

Muskegon County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Kent County4,22220255.5%1
Oceana County4,589202518.4%
Ottawa County3,61020253.7%
Newaygo County5,727202521.9%2

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Muskegon County in 2025?

Hunters reported 2,819 deer: 1,506 antlered and 1,313 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,936.

Is there public hunting land in Muskegon County?

Yes. 39,465 acres, 11.7% 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 (20,604 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Muskegon 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

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 Oceana County Ottawa County Newaygo County