Washtenaw County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Washtenaw County covers 722 square miles around Ann Arbor. Hunters reported 4,412 deer here in the 2025 license year, 2,291 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 13% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 8.1% of Washtenaw County is public land open to the public, the largest share state parks and recreation areas (15,058 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 landNational wildlife refugesState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Washtenaw CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 462,343 acres (722 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 4,412 (2,291 antlered, 2,121 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 1,608 deer |
| Public land | 8.1% (37,241 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 7 (16,432 acres inside Washtenaw County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Milan, Clinton and South Lyon |
How many deer are harvested in Washtenaw County?
Hunters reported 4,412 deer in Washtenaw County in 2025: 2,291 antlered and 2,121 antlerless. By season: 1,608 in the regular firearm season, 1,385 by archers (early and late segments) and 508 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,412 | 2,291 | 2,121 | 1,608 | 1,276 | 109 | 508 |
| 2024 | 5,070 | 2,602 | 2,468 | 1,816 | 1,505 | 106 | 495 |
| 2023 | 4,505 | 2,543 | 1,962 | 1,813 | 1,621 | 114 | 305 |
| 2022 | 4,889 | 2,698 | 2,191 | 2,011 | 1,690 | 136 | 408 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County?
37,241 of Washtenaw County's 462,343 acres are public land open to the public (8.1%). The biggest share is state parks and recreation areas: 15,058 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Washtenaw County |
|---|---|---|
| State parks and recreation areas | 15,058 | 3.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 11,901 | 2.6% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 6,831 | 1.5% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 1,789 | 0.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,662 | 0.4% |
| All public land open to the public | 37,241 | 8.1% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 47 | under 0.1% |
47 acres of Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Washtenaw County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pinckney Recreation Area: 8,088 acres
- Waterloo Recreation Area: 6,247 acres
- Sharonville State Game Area: 896 acres
- Chelsea State Game Area: 803 acres
- Goose Lake State Game Area: 203 acres
- Unadilla State Wildlife Area: 124 acres
- Waterloo Wildlife Unit of Waterloo State Recreation Area: 71 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Stinchfield Woods (773 acres), Mud Lake Bog (240 acres) and Matthaei Botanical Gardens (199 acres).
How do you get to Washtenaw County?
Highways through it: I-94 (about 66 miles inside), US 23 (about 54 miles inside), US 12 (about 33 miles inside), M 14 (about 32 miles inside) and M 52 (about 27 miles inside). Towns inside: Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Chelsea, Manchester and Dexter. Nearby: Milan (on the line), Clinton (on the line), South Lyon (2 miles) and Pinckney (2 miles).
Which counties border Washtenaw County?
Washtenaw 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 693 | 2025 | 7.4% | |
| Monroe County | 2,399 | 2025 | 3.4% | |
| Jackson County | 6,674 | 2025 | 4.5% | 1 |
| Lenawee County | 5,768 | 2025 | 1.6% | |
| Oakland County | 3,783 | 2025 | 10.4% | |
| Livingston County | 5,472 | 2025 | 9.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Washtenaw County in 2025?
Hunters reported 4,412 deer: 2,291 antlered and 2,121 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 5,070.
Is there public hunting land in Washtenaw County?
Yes. 37,241 acres, 8.1% 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 parks and recreation areas (15,058 acres). The DNR's maps show 7 wildlife areas and parks open to hunting here.
Does Washtenaw 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 Wayne County Monroe County Jackson County Lenawee County Oakland County Livingston County