Ottawa County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Ottawa County covers 577 square miles around Grand Haven. Hunters reported 3,610 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,843 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 11% from 2024. 3.7% of Ottawa County is public land open to the public, the largest share county, city and regional land (9,329 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 parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Ottawa CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 369,261 acres (577 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 3,610 (1,843 antlered, 1,767 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,286 deer |
| Public land | 3.7% (13,524 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 5 (4,193 acres inside Ottawa County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Grand Haven, Coopersville, Hudsonville, Holland, Fruitport and Walker |
How many deer are harvested in Ottawa County?
Hunters reported 3,610 deer in Ottawa County in 2025: 1,843 antlered and 1,767 antlerless. By season: 1,286 in the regular firearm season, 1,234 by archers (early and late segments) and 369 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,610 | 1,843 | 1,767 | 1,286 | 1,139 | 95 | 369 |
| 2024 | 3,263 | 1,712 | 1,551 | 1,175 | 1,117 | 68 | 311 |
| 2023 | 3,443 | 1,927 | 1,516 | 1,365 | 1,200 | 65 | 265 |
| 2022 | 3,758 | 2,077 | 1,681 | 1,429 | 1,418 | 90 | 317 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Ottawa 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 Ottawa County?
13,524 of Ottawa County's 369,261 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is county, city and regional land: 9,329 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ottawa County |
|---|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 9,329 | 2.5% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,131 | 0.6% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 1,637 | 0.4% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 426 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 13,524 | 3.7% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 122 | under 0.1% |
122 acres of Ottawa 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 Ottawa County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Ottawa County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Bass River Recreation Area: 1,663 acres
- Grand Haven State Game Area: 1,450 acres
- Bakale Wildlife Unit of Bass River State Recreation Area: 653 acres
- Olive Township State Game Area: 247 acres
- Blendon Township State Game Area: 180 acres
How do you get to Ottawa County?
Highways through it: US 31 (about 52 miles inside), I-96 (about 39 miles inside), M 21 (about 35 miles inside), I-196 (about 31 miles inside) and M 45 (about 26 miles inside). Towns inside: Grand Haven, Coopersville, Hudsonville, Zeeland, Ferrysburg and Spring Lake. Nearby: Holland (on the line), Fruitport (on the line), Walker (on the line) and Grandville (2 miles).
Which counties border Ottawa County?
Ottawa County touches 3 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 |
| Allegan County | 6,450 | 2025 | 10.3% | |
| Muskegon County | 2,819 | 2025 | 11.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Ottawa County in 2025?
Hunters reported 3,610 deer: 1,843 antlered and 1,767 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 3,263.
Is there public hunting land in Ottawa County?
Yes. 13,524 acres, 3.7% 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 county, city and regional land (9,329 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Ottawa County have Hunting Access Program land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Michigan are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Michigan included.
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.