Working Paper 102 · Herd & HarvestMichigan · 83 counties · Provisional FDR Index · October 2026 snapshot
Michigan Deer Counties Ranked: Arenac and Hillsdale Lead the FDR Index
FDR Research Desk · Published FDR county analysis · Agency sources and methods linked below
Arenac and Hillsdale share a displayed 65.9 at the top of Michigan's provisional FDR Index. Their Trophy Index scores are much farther apart: Arenac displays 30 and Hillsdale 81. Clinton leads the trophy order at 91 while sitting nineteenth in the composite. The county with the highest overall model score and the county with the strongest trophy history are different places. Branch is the only Michigan county in the first ten of both lists.
KEY FINDINGS
- Arenac, Hillsdale and Genesee lead the provisional FDR Index. The displayed scores are 65.9, 65.9 and 65.4. The table keeps the published model order even where displayed scores tie.
- Clinton leads the separate Trophy Index at 91. It ranks nineteenth in the composite. The measures answer different questions.
- Branch is the only county in both top tens. It is eighth in the composite and ninth in the Trophy Index order. The county finder includes all 83 Michigan counties.
Michigan county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores captured October 5, 2026. Both indices use a 0 to 100 scale. Equal displayed composite scores keep the published model order. Zero is a valid score; unavailable scores are marked Not rated.
10 of 83 entries shown
| State rank | County | Provisional FDR Index | Trophy Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arenac | 65.9 | 30 |
| 2 | Hillsdale | 65.9 | 81 |
| 3 | Genesee | 65.4 | 76 |
| 4 | Dickinson | 63.5 | 21 |
| 5 | Alcona | 62.6 | 22 |
| 6 | Alpena | 62 | 24 |
| 7 | Lapeer | 61.1 | 71 |
| 8 | Branch | 60.7 | 85 |
| 9 | Delta | 60.5 | 19 |
| 10 | Mecosta | 60.3 | 58 |
01County comparison
The narrow gap at the top
Arenac is first in the published model order and Hillsdale second, both at 65.9. Genesee follows at 65.4. At the printed precision, Arenac and Hillsdale are tied. Their separate rank numbers do not demonstrate a hunting advantage for one over the other.
The trophy column separates Arenac and Hillsdale much more clearly. Arenac's 30 places it fifty-second in Michigan's trophy order. Hillsdale's 81 places it eighteenth. If trophy history is your reason for comparing those two counties, the composite alone leaves out the distinction you came looking for.
Dickinson and Delta show another split. They place fourth and ninth in the composite, yet carry Trophy Index scores of 21 and 19. These Upper Peninsula counties rank well in the broader model without ranking well on the trophy measure. The two columns are answering different questions within Michigan, not merely shuffling neighboring counties.
02County comparison
Clinton leads one list; Branch makes both
Clinton's Trophy Index of 91 leads Michigan. Kalamazoo and Berrien both display 89, while Wayne, Ingham and Washtenaw display 87. Clinton's composite score is 56.9, placing it nineteenth. A hunter investigating Clinton for trophy history should know that distinction before calling it the model's all-around leader.
Branch has a different profile: eighth in the composite at 60.7 and ninth in the trophy order at 85. It is the only county in the first ten of both rankings. That makes Branch a useful comparison for someone who wants both measures in view. It is not independent confirmation of hunting quality, since trophy information also contributes to the composite.
Two more pairs show what one headline score misses. Hillsdale and Shiawassee both have a Trophy Index of 81, but their composite ranks are second and thirteenth. Mecosta and Van Buren share a composite score of 60.3, yet their Trophy Index scores are 58 and 83. Equal values in one column can accompany a substantial split in the other.
03County comparison
Keep Michigan's harvest measures separate
The Michigan DNR harvest summary labels its totals as reported harvests. A reporting total and an estimate from a hunter survey are different measurements. Combining them into one continuous line can create an apparent change that comes from the collection method. The agency's harvest dashboard is the place to inspect reported totals by the selected season and geography.
The FDR table is fixed to the model output captured October 5, 2026. Its components have uneven coverage, which is why the composite remains provisional. Keep the DNR's selected season and reporting method attached to any harvest figure you bring into the comparison.
04County comparison
A county comparison worth making
Search the county where you hunt and compare it with Branch or Clinton. Branch represents overlap between the two leading groups; Clinton represents the trophy leader outside the composite top ten. If your county looks stronger in one column and weaker in the other, identify which question matters to your hunt before changing plans.
The acreage model does not grant access. A confirmed property in a county you know can be more useful than a higher county score attached to no available ground. Keep your observations from that property beside the county evidence so that a surprising result has to earn its place in your decision.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
Michigan combines herd and harvest signals, trophy history, change over time and a roadway component. Habitat coverage is incomplete. Derived FDR scores, captured October 5, 2026. The provisional composite combines several county signals with uneven input coverage. The separate Trophy Index uses 2011 through 2025 trophy history per estimated bow-huntable acre and a national comparison group. Neither scale represents a percentage chance of success. Mapped habitat acreage does not establish hunting permission.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores captured October 5, 2026. Both indices use a 0 to 100 scale. Equal displayed composite scores keep the published model order. Zero is a valid score; unavailable scores are marked Not rated.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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