Ogemaw County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Ogemaw County covers 575 square miles around West Branch. Hunters reported 4,009 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,064 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 2% from 2024. 28.7% of Ogemaw County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (70,686 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 forest and other DNR landNational forestNational wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landOgemaw CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 368,042 acres (575 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 4,009 (2,064 antlered, 1,945 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,937 deer |
| Public land | 28.7% (105,730 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 1 (4,197 acres inside Ogemaw County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | West Branch, Prescott, Rose City, Whittemore, Twining and Turner |
How many deer are harvested in Ogemaw County?
Hunters reported 4,009 deer in Ogemaw County in 2025: 2,064 antlered and 1,945 antlerless. By season: 1,937 in the regular firearm season, 1,002 by archers (early and late segments) and 445 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,009 | 2,064 | 1,945 | 1,937 | 954 | 48 | 445 |
| 2024 | 4,096 | 2,186 | 1,910 | 2,145 | 1,063 | 47 | 369 |
| 2023 | 3,558 | 1,998 | 1,560 | 2,011 | 999 | 59 | 102 |
| 2022 | 4,491 | 2,383 | 2,108 | 2,444 | 1,340 | 68 | 149 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw County?
105,730 of Ogemaw County's 368,042 acres are public land open to the public (28.7%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 70,686 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ogemaw County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 70,686 | 19.2% |
| National forest | 20,142 | 5.5% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 7,238 | 2% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 4,522 | 1.2% |
| National wildlife refuges | 2,557 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 585 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 105,730 | 28.7% |
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 Ogemaw County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Ogemaw County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rifle River Recreation Area: 4,197 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Huron National Forest (20,150 acres), Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area (2,562 acres) and Forest Reserve (940 acres).
How do you get to Ogemaw County?
Highways through it: I-75 (about 31 miles inside), M 55 (about 29 miles inside), M 33 (about 24 miles inside), M 30 (about 8 miles inside) and M 76 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: West Branch, Prescott, Rose City, Skidway Lake and Lupton. Nearby: Whittemore (4 miles), Twining (5 miles), Turner (5 miles) and Omer (8 miles).
Which counties border Ogemaw County?
Ogemaw 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iosco County | 2,895 | 2025 | 41% | 3 |
| Alcona County | 4,071 | 2025 | 27.9% | 2 |
| Arenac County | 3,671 | 2025 | 14.7% | 5 |
| Oscoda County | 1,605 | 2025 | 58.2% | |
| Gladwin County | 4,585 | 2025 | 27.6% | |
| Crawford County | 1,535 | 2025 | 59.8% | |
| Roscommon County | 1,993 | 2025 | 63.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Ogemaw County in 2025?
Hunters reported 4,009 deer: 2,064 antlered and 1,945 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 4,096.
Is there public hunting land in Ogemaw County?
Yes. 105,730 acres, 28.7% 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 forest and other DNR land (70,686 acres). The DNR's maps show 1 wildlife area or park open to hunting here.
Does Ogemaw 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 Iosco County Alcona County Arenac County Oscoda County Gladwin County Crawford County Roscommon County