Shiawassee County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Shiawassee County covers 541 square miles around Owosso. Hunters reported 6,577 deer here in the 2025 license year, 3,171 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 7% from 2024, and the most in the 4 years shown. 1.8% of Shiawassee County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (3,500 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 landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHunting Access Program landShiawassee CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 346,206 acres (541 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 6,577 (3,171 antlered, 3,406 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 2,578 deer |
| Public land | 1.8% (6,194 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 1 (935 acres inside Shiawassee County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Owosso, Corunna, Perry, Ovid, Gaines and Oakley |
How many deer are harvested in Shiawassee County?
Hunters reported 6,577 deer in Shiawassee County in 2025: 3,171 antlered and 3,406 antlerless. By season: 2,578 in the regular firearm season, 1,596 by archers (early and late segments) and 726 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,577 | 3,171 | 3,406 | 2,578 | 1,536 | 60 | 726 |
| 2024 | 6,170 | 3,087 | 3,083 | 2,513 | 1,621 | 61 | 573 |
| 2023 | 5,386 | 2,980 | 2,406 | 2,412 | 1,526 | 43 | 439 |
| 2022 | 5,592 | 3,205 | 2,387 | 2,605 | 1,653 | 47 | 475 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Shiawassee 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 Shiawassee County?
6,194 of Shiawassee County's 346,206 acres are public land open to the public (1.8%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 3,500 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Shiawassee County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 3,500 | 1% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 935 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 922 | 0.3% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 837 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,194 | 1.8% |
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 Shiawassee County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Shiawassee County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rose Lake State Wildlife Area: 935 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Forest Reserve (837 acres).
How do you get to Shiawassee County?
Highways through it: I-69 (about 51 miles inside), M 52 (about 26 miles inside), M 21 (about 22 miles inside), M 71 (about 10 miles inside) and M 13 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Owosso, Corunna, Perry, Durand, Laingsburg and Morrice. Nearby: Ovid (on the line), Gaines (on the line), Oakley (on the line) and Elsie (on the line).
Which counties border Shiawassee County?
Shiawassee County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingham County | 5,420 | 2025 | 3.7% | 3 |
| Clinton County | 6,947 | 2025 | 4% | |
| Genesee County | 4,957 | 2025 | 5.1% | |
| Gratiot County | 6,925 | 2025 | 5.5% | 10 |
| Saginaw County | 9,369 | 2025 | 7.1% | 4 |
| Livingston County | 5,472 | 2025 | 9.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Shiawassee County in 2025?
Hunters reported 6,577 deer: 3,171 antlered and 3,406 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 6,170.
Is there public hunting land in Shiawassee County?
Yes. 6,194 acres, 1.8% 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 land trusts and other open land (3,500 acres). The DNR's maps show 1 wildlife area or park open to hunting here.
Does Shiawassee 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 Ingham County Clinton County Genesee County Gratiot County Saginaw County Livingston County