Michigan deer research / Isabella County
Isabella County, Michigan Deer Hunting Research
Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 58.9 Provisional, ranked #14 of 83 ranked Michigan counties. Built from Michigan DNR (MDNR) county deer harvest registrations (antlered/antlerless), seasons 2011 and 2018–2025.
B - StrongWhat drives the Isabella County index
Provisional components, each scored 0–100 against the ranked Michigan counties. Provisional.
Trophy Index
58↑ out of 100. How this county ranks for trophy bucks against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Ranked per acre of bow-huntable land (10 m estimate).
2011 and 2018 to 2025 harvest trend
| Season | Total harvest |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,455 |
| 2024 | 5,314 |
| 2023 | 5,065 |
| 2022 | 5,340 |
| 2021 | 7,231 |
| 2020 | 7,541 |
| 2019 | 8,126 |
| 2018 | 7,172 |
| 2011 | 9,443 |
Harvest totals from Michigan DNR (MDNR) county deer harvest registrations (antlered/antlerless), seasons 2011 and 2018–2025. Michigan DNR reports totals by county and season; archery / firearm splits are not broken out in this dataset.
County figures in this dataset exist for 2011 and for 2018 through 2025. Seasons in between have no county figure here and are left out, not estimated, and some counties have fewer seasons than others.
Harvest composition
Michigan DNR reports each deer as antlered or antlerless. In 2025, the Isabella County harvest was 2,891 antlered and 2,564 antlerless deer.
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,891 | 2,564 | 5,455 |
| 2024 | 2,844 | 2,470 | 5,314 |
| 2023 | 2,895 | 2,170 | 5,065 |
| 2022 | 3,049 | 2,291 | 5,340 |
| 2021 | 4,604 | 2,627 | 7,231 |
| 2020 | 3,822 | 3,719 | 7,541 |
| 2019 | 4,447 | 3,679 | 8,126 |
| 2018 | 4,127 | 3,045 | 7,172 |
| 2011 | 4,263 | 5,180 | 9,443 |
The dataset carries antlered and antlerless counts only, with no finer split of the antlerless count.
Herd & land detail
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Latest season (2025) | 5,455 deer |
| Harvest per sq mi | 9.53 |
| Antlered harvest | 2,891 |
| Antlerless harvest | 2,564 |
| County land (sq mi) | 572.70 |
Methodology
Provisional index. Provisional index: herd, harvest, trophy (the Trophy Index), and roadway (exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rate) components; habitat/age-structure partial where the state does not publish them.. FULLY DRAWN RESEARCH · Michigan DNR (MDNR) PROVISIONAL COUNTY DEER INDEX
Informational only. Built from public-record Michigan DNR (MDNR) county harvest data, US Census TIGER county land area, the Trophy Index, and exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rates where published. Provisional index; some components partial or pending. Not a prediction or guarantee. Verify with the Michigan DNR (MDNR).
See Isabella County on the map
Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land, leaf-off imagery, and this research, together on one hunting map.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Isabella County, Michigan good for deer hunting?
Isabella County scores 58.9 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #14 of 83 ranked Michigan counties. The provisional index is built from Michigan DNR public harvest records, the Trophy Index and deer-vehicle crash data; some components are partial, as noted in the methodology.
How many deer were harvested in Isabella County last season?
Michigan DNR records show 5,455 deer harvested in Isabella County, Michigan in 2025, the most recent reported season.