Oscoda County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Oscoda County covers 571 square miles around Mio. Hunters reported 1,605 deer here in the 2025 license year, 791 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 30% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 58.2% of Oscoda County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (153,569 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 forestNational wildlife refugesCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Oscoda CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 365,731 acres (571 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,605 (791 antlered, 814 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,012 deer |
| Public land | 58.2% (212,676 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | None mapped |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Mio, Rose City, Roscommon and Hillman |
How many deer are harvested in Oscoda County?
Hunters reported 1,605 deer in Oscoda County in 2025: 791 antlered and 814 antlerless. By season: 1,012 in the regular firearm season, 344 by archers (early and late segments) and 121 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,605 | 791 | 814 | 1,012 | 328 | 16 | 121 |
| 2024 | 2,290 | 1,096 | 1,194 | 1,383 | 530 | 25 | 188 |
| 2023 | 1,864 | 986 | 878 | 1,293 | 423 | 33 | 56 |
| 2022 | 2,407 | 1,073 | 1,334 | 1,598 | 558 | 41 | 103 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Oscoda 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 Oscoda County?
212,676 of Oscoda County's 365,731 acres are public land open to the public (58.2%). The biggest share is national forest: 153,569 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Oscoda County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 153,569 | 42% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 55,757 | 15.2% |
| National wildlife refuges | 1,398 | 0.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,388 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 564 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 212,676 | 58.2% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 97 | under 0.1% |
97 acres of Oscoda 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.
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Huron National Forest (153,532 acres) and Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area (1,400 acres).
How do you get to Oscoda County?
Highways through it: M 72 (about 30 miles inside) and M 33 (about 28 miles inside). Towns inside: Mio. Nearby: Rose City (6 miles), Roscommon (11 miles), Hillman (15 miles) and West Branch (16 miles).
Which counties border Oscoda County?
Oscoda County touches 8 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 |
| Alpena County | 3,989 | 2025 | 13.8% | 10 |
| Ogemaw County | 4,009 | 2025 | 28.7% | |
| Otsego County | 1,200 | 2025 | 30.8% | |
| Crawford County | 1,535 | 2025 | 59.8% | |
| Roscommon County | 1,993 | 2025 | 63.1% | |
| Montmorency County | 2,465 | 2025 | 40.4% | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Oscoda County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,605 deer: 791 antlered and 814 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,290.
Is there public hunting land in Oscoda County?
Yes. 212,676 acres, 58.2% 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 national forest (153,569 acres).
Does Oscoda 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 Alpena County Ogemaw County Otsego County Crawford County Roscommon County Montmorency County