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Wexford County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land

Wexford County covers 575 square miles around Cadillac. Hunters reported 1,658 deer here in the 2025 license year, 850 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 25% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 41.8% of Wexford County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (96,457 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 Wexford County: public land by manager, the counties around it, highways US 131, M 55 and M 115; towns: Cadillac, Buckley, Manton, Fife Lake and Tustin

State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Wexford CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway

Wexford County at a glance
Size368,186 acres (575 square miles)
Deer reported, 20251,658 (850 antlered, 808 antlerless)
Regular firearm season, 2025850 deer
Public land41.8% (154,063 acres)
Wildlife areas and parks1 (724 acres inside Wexford County)
Hunting Access Program landNone mapped this year
Towns in and near itCadillac, Buckley, Manton, Fife Lake, Tustin and Kingsley

How many deer are harvested in Wexford County?

Hunters reported 1,658 deer in Wexford County in 2025: 850 antlered and 808 antlerless. By season: 850 in the regular firearm season, 523 by archers (early and late segments) and 127 in the muzzleloader season.

License yearDeer reportedAntleredAntlerlessRegular firearmArchery, earlyArchery, lateMuzzleloader
20251,65885080885050023127
20242,2121,1911,0211,12259642230
20232,0661,1359311,1606123470
20222,3521,2081,1441,4356324469

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

154,063 of Wexford County's 368,186 acres are public land open to the public (41.8%). The biggest share is national forest: 96,457 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Wexford County
National forest96,45726.2%
State forest and other DNR land54,46714.8%
State parks and recreation areas2,1200.6%
Land trusts and other open land7440.2%
County, city and regional land2750.1%
All public land open to the public154,06341.8%
Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)2,0260.6%

2,026 acres of Wexford County (0.6%) 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 Wexford County

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

Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manistee National Forest (96,470 acres), Cadillac State Forest Area (53,419 acres) and Kollmeyer (121 acres).

How do you get to Wexford County?

Highways through it: US 131 (about 50 miles inside), M 55 (about 31 miles inside), M 115 (about 31 miles inside), M 37 (about 28 miles inside) and M 42 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Cadillac, Buckley, Manton, Mesick, Harrietta and Haring. Nearby: Fife Lake (4 miles), Tustin (4 miles), Kingsley (5 miles) and Copemish (5 miles).

Which counties border Wexford County?

Wexford County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:

CountyDeer harvestedYearPublic landHunting Access Program land sites
Lake County1,820202546.9%
Benzie County1,323202530.5%
Osceola County4,18020258.1%
Kalkaska County1,298202544.7%
Manistee County2,439202531.5%
Missaukee County2,503202529.3%
Grand Traverse County1,837202522.5%

Questions hunters ask

How many deer were harvested in Wexford County in 2025?

Hunters reported 1,658 deer: 850 antlered and 808 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,212.

Is there public hunting land in Wexford County?

Yes. 154,063 acres, 41.8% 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 national forest (96,457 acres). The DNR's maps show 1 wildlife area or park open to hunting here.

Does Wexford 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

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 Lake County Benzie County Osceola County Kalkaska County Manistee County Missaukee County Grand Traverse County