Otsego County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Otsego County covers 526 square miles around Gaylord. Hunters reported 1,200 deer here in the 2025 license year, 732 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 24% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 30.8% of Otsego County is public land open to the public, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (101,492 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 wildlife refugesOther federal landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Otsego CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 336,581 acres (526 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,200 (732 antlered, 468 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 774 deer |
| Public land | 30.8% (103,506 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | None mapped |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Gaylord, Vanderbilt, Boyne Falls, Wolverine and Boyne City |
How many deer are harvested in Otsego County?
Hunters reported 1,200 deer in Otsego County in 2025: 732 antlered and 468 antlerless. By season: 774 in the regular firearm season, 246 by archers (early and late segments) and 93 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,200 | 732 | 468 | 774 | 229 | 17 | 93 |
| 2024 | 1,585 | 921 | 664 | 941 | 380 | 16 | 133 |
| 2023 | 1,373 | 832 | 541 | 889 | 310 | 30 | 45 |
| 2022 | 1,881 | 1,064 | 817 | 1,234 | 446 | 35 | 49 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Otsego 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 Otsego County?
103,506 of Otsego County's 336,581 acres are public land open to the public (30.8%). The biggest share is state forest and other DNR land: 101,492 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Otsego County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 101,492 | 30.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,440 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 279 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 237 | 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 54 | under 0.1% |
| National forest | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 103,506 | 30.8% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 3,559 | 1.1% |
3,559 acres of Otsego County (1.1%) 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: Pigeon River Country State Forest Area (46,533 acres).
How do you get to Otsego County?
Highways through it: I-75 (about 52 miles inside) and M 32 (about 29 miles inside). Towns inside: Gaylord and Vanderbilt. Nearby: Boyne Falls (4 miles), Wolverine (5 miles), Boyne City (10 miles) and Mancelona (10 miles).
Which counties border Otsego County?
Otsego 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim County | 2,153 | 2025 | 14.1% | |
| Oscoda County | 1,605 | 2025 | 58.2% | |
| Crawford County | 1,535 | 2025 | 59.8% | |
| Kalkaska County | 1,298 | 2025 | 44.7% | |
| Cheboygan County | 1,874 | 2025 | 40.1% | 3 |
| Charlevoix County | 1,380 | 2025 | 21.9% | |
| Montmorency County | 2,465 | 2025 | 40.4% | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Otsego County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,200 deer: 732 antlered and 468 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 1,585.
Is there public hunting land in Otsego County?
Yes. 103,506 acres, 30.8% 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 (101,492 acres).
Does Otsego 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 Antrim County Oscoda County Crawford County Kalkaska County Cheboygan County Charlevoix County Montmorency County