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Saginaw County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Saginaw County covers 816 square miles around Saginaw. Hunters reported 9,369 deer here in the 2025 license year, 4,511 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 18% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 7.1% of Saginaw County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (17,130 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 Saginaw County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways I-75, US 23 and M 46; towns: Saginaw, Frankenmuth, Chesaning, Reese and New Lothrop

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refugesCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hunting Access Program landSaginaw CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Saginaw County at a glance
Size522,251 acres (816 square miles)
Deer reported, 20259,369 (4,511 antlered, 4,858 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20253,296 deer
Public land7.1% (37,263 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks4 (28,106 acres inside Saginaw County)
Hunting Access Program land4 sites, 289 acres
Towns in and near itSaginaw, Frankenmuth, Chesaning, Reese, New Lothrop and Montrose

How many deer are harvested in Saginaw County?

Hunters reported 9,369 deer in Saginaw County in 2025: 4,511 antlered and 4,858 antlerless. By season: 3,296 in the regular firearm season, 2,430 by archers (early and late segments) and 890 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20259,3694,5114,8583,2962,328102890
20247,9323,9383,9942,8702,131123654
20236,2323,7062,5262,7421,934104432
20226,2773,6152,6622,7712,056108451

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

37,263 of Saginaw County's 522,251 acres are public land open to the public (7.1%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 17,130 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Saginaw County
State game and wildlife areas17,1303.3%
National wildlife refuges10,1181.9%
Land trusts and other open land6,4781.2%
County, city and regional land2,9140.6%
State forest and other DNR land6230.1%
All public land open to the public37,2637.1%

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 Saginaw County

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

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (10,129 acres), Forest Reserve (218 acres) and Ringwood Forest (160 acres).

Hunting Access Program land in Saginaw County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 4 active Hunting Access Program properties in Saginaw County, 289 acres of private land leased for public hunting. Each property's listing says which hunting it allows and how to check in. DNR Hunting Access Program.

How do you get to Saginaw County?

Highways through it: I-75 (about 47 miles inside), US 23 (about 47 miles inside), M 46 (about 34 miles inside), M 13 (about 26 miles inside) and M 57 (about 23 miles inside). Towns inside: Saginaw, Frankenmuth, Chesaning, Zilwaukee, St. Charles and Birch Run. Nearby: Reese (on the line), New Lothrop (on the line), Montrose (2 miles) and Auburn (2 miles).

Which counties border Saginaw County?

Saginaw County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Bay County2,57320254.2%2
Genesee County4,95720255.1%
Gratiot County6,92520255.5%10
Midland County5,031202514.5%3
Tuscola County7,10020256.9%
Shiawassee County6,57720251.8%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Saginaw County in 2025?

Hunters reported 9,369 deer: 4,511 antlered and 4,858 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 7,932.

Is there public hunting land in Saginaw County?

Yes. 37,263 acres, 7.1% 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 (17,130 acres). The DNR's maps show 4 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Saginaw County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 4 active properties, 289 acres, on the DNR's 2026 layer.

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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 Bay County Genesee County Gratiot County Midland County Tuscola County Shiawassee County