DMU 053 Mason County: public land and hunting map
DMU 053 Mason County is one of Michigan DNR’s 115 Deer Management Units (DMUs) in Michigan. It covers about 509 square miles (325,487 acres), and roughly 19% of it is public land: Forest Service 19%.
- 19%public land
- 509square miles
- 60,541public acres
- 1neighbouring units
Measured Oct 12, 2026 from agency boundaries and USGS PAD-US 4.1 · sources and method
Who manages the land
- U.S. Forest Service19%
Share of the unit’s area. Federal agencies plus state wildlife, trust and natural-resource land, as the WikiHunt map classifies it. The rest is private, tribal, local or other land.
Units next to DMU 053 Mason County
Michigan season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons. Many units have their own dates, quotas or draw-only hunts, so check the unit in the regulations before you go.
| Species | Season | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery Deer | Oct 1 – Nov 14 |
| Deer | Firearm Deer | Nov 15 – Nov 30 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader Deer | Dec 6 – Dec 22 |
| Elk | Elk | Dec 8 – Dec 14 |
| Black bear | Bear | Sep 10 – Oct 26 |
| Turkey | Fall Turkey | Sep 15 – Nov 14 |
Full notes on the Michigan page · Michigan regulations.
Questions
How much of DMU 053 Mason County is public land?
About 19% of DMU 053 Mason County (60,541 of 325,487 acres) is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, mostly U.S. Forest Service. Public land is not always open land: check access and closures before you go.
Who manages the land in DMU 053 Mason County?
U.S. Forest Service: 19%. The rest is private, tribal, local government or other land.
Which units border DMU 053 Mason County?
DMU 043 Lake County.
Where are the season dates and rules for DMU 053 Mason County?
Michigan DNR sets them. Start at the Michigan hunting regulations. WikiHunt shows the statewide general seasons on the Michigan page and in the app.
Sources and method
- Boundary: Michigan DNR, the same layer the WikiHunt map draws.
- Public land: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) 4.1, Fee Managers layer (public domain).
- Method: the unit and PAD-US polygons are simplified to about 100 m and measured on a grid of about 250 cells across the unit, so overlapping records are counted once. Expect about ±1 percentage point.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026, checked against each state’s published regulations. Dates change; the regulations win.
- Last updated: Oct 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.