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Sanilac County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Sanilac County covers 964 square miles around Croswell. Hunters reported 8,784 deer here in the 2025 license year, 4,002 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 8% from 2024. 2.5% of Sanilac County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (11,614 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 Sanilac County: public land by manager, Hunting Access Program land, the counties around it, highways M 19, M 25 and M 46; towns: Croswell, Sandusky, Marlette, Ubly and Yale

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landSanilac CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Sanilac County at a glance
Size616,781 acres (964 square miles)
Deer reported, 20258,784 (4,002 antlered, 4,782 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 20253,874 deer
Public land2.5% (15,655 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks5 (12,888 acres inside Sanilac County)
Hunting Access Program land7 sites, 595 acres
Towns in and near itCroswell, Sandusky, Marlette, Ubly, Yale and Clifford

How many deer are harvested in Sanilac County?

Hunters reported 8,784 deer in Sanilac County in 2025: 4,002 antlered and 4,782 antlerless. By season: 3,874 in the regular firearm season, 1,728 by archers (early and late segments) and 946 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20258,7844,0024,7823,8741,66662946
20249,5444,3735,1714,1241,824921,005
20238,3114,3104,0014,0521,97681638
20228,1504,3993,7513,9702,10274710

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

15,655 of Sanilac County's 616,781 acres are public land open to the public (2.5%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 11,614 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Sanilac County
State game and wildlife areas11,6141.9%
Land trusts and other open land3,0460.5%
County, city and regional land5780.1%
State parks and recreation areas239under 0.1%
State forest and other DNR land178under 0.1%
All public land open to the public15,6552.5%

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 Sanilac County

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

Hunting Access Program land in Sanilac County

The DNR's 2026 layer shows 7 active Hunting Access Program properties in Sanilac County, 595 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 Sanilac County?

Highways through it: M 19 (about 42 miles inside), M 25 (about 37 miles inside), M 46 (about 28 miles inside), M 53 (about 27 miles inside) and M 90 (about 27 miles inside). Towns inside: Croswell, Sandusky, Marlette, Lexington, Deckerville and Carsonville. Nearby: Ubly (2 miles), Yale (2 miles), Clifford (3 miles) and Cass City (3 miles).

Which counties border Sanilac County?

Sanilac County touches 4 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Huron County5,45520253.6%3
Lapeer County7,24120255.9%
Tuscola County7,10020256.9%
St. Clair County6,12820256.7%1

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Sanilac County in 2025?

Hunters reported 8,784 deer: 4,002 antlered and 4,782 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 9,544.

Is there public hunting land in Sanilac County?

Yes. 15,655 acres, 2.5% 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 (11,614 acres). The DNR's maps show 5 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.

Does Sanilac County have Hunting Access Program land?

Yes. 7 active properties, 595 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 Huron County Lapeer County Tuscola County St. Clair County