St. Joseph County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
St. Joseph County covers 521 square miles around Sturgis. Hunters reported 2,370 deer here in the 2025 license year, 1,069 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 6% from 2024. 1.3% of St. Joseph County is public land open to the public, the largest share state game and wildlife areas (2,273 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 landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landSt. Joseph CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 333,404 acres (521 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 2,370 (1,069 antlered, 1,301 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 971 deer |
| Public land | 1.3% (4,202 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 3 (2,226 acres inside St. Joseph County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Sturgis, Three Rivers, Constantine, Marcellus, Sherwood and Athens |
How many deer are harvested in St. Joseph County?
Hunters reported 2,370 deer in St. Joseph County in 2025: 1,069 antlered and 1,301 antlerless. By season: 971 in the regular firearm season, 622 by archers (early and late segments) and 224 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,370 | 1,069 | 1,301 | 971 | 590 | 32 | 224 |
| 2024 | 2,229 | 935 | 1,294 | 948 | 480 | 18 | 250 |
| 2023 | 3,703 | 1,784 | 1,919 | 1,788 | 982 | 34 | 279 |
| 2022 | 3,535 | 1,778 | 1,757 | 1,768 | 989 | 32 | 315 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph County?
4,202 of St. Joseph County's 333,404 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). The biggest share is state game and wildlife areas: 2,273 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of St. Joseph County |
|---|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 2,273 | 0.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,139 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 790 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,202 | 1.3% |
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 St. Joseph County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in St. Joseph County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Three Rivers State Game Area: 1,942 acres
- Fabius Township State Game Area: 175 acres
- Leidy Lake State Game Area: 109 acres
How do you get to St. Joseph County?
Highways through it: US 131 (about 37 miles inside), M 60 (about 31 miles inside), M 66 (about 24 miles inside), M 86 (about 21 miles inside) and US 12 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Sturgis, Three Rivers, Constantine, Centreville, White Pigeon and Colon. Nearby: Marcellus (3 miles), Sherwood (3 miles), Athens (3 miles) and Schoolcraft (3 miles).
Which counties border St. Joseph County?
St. Joseph County touches 5 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 1,713 | 2025 | 2.6% | |
| Branch County | 5,674 | 2025 | 0.3% | |
| Calhoun County | 5,784 | 2025 | 1.1% | 2 |
| Kalamazoo County | 3,329 | 2025 | 3.9% | |
| Van Buren County | 3,648 | 2025 | 1.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in St. Joseph County in 2025?
Hunters reported 2,370 deer: 1,069 antlered and 1,301 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,229.
Is there public hunting land in St. Joseph County?
Yes. 4,202 acres, 1.3% 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 (2,273 acres). The DNR's maps show 3 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does St. Joseph 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 Cass County Branch County Calhoun County Kalamazoo County Van Buren County