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2026-27 · State game area
A hunter's look at Keeler State Game Area
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Van Buren County.
Photo: H. Michael Miley (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Keeler State Game Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Keeler State Game Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Round Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Keeler State Game Area in short
Classed as a DNR state game area, Keeler State Game Area is found in Van Buren County. The Southwest Lower Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of southwest Michigan. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Wildlife Division. At 397 acres it is number 61 by size among the 95 Michigan state game areas with a figure on file. Printed DNR figure: 396 acres. It appears on the DNR list of game and wildlife areas. Drive east from St. Joseph for roughly 14 miles.
From the source page (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS Acres field); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Keeler State Game Area
Keeler State Game Area: species and bag limits
The record lists no species for Keeler State Game Area, so the state seasons for its county, DMU and units apply.
21 species have dated seasons reaching Van Buren County (43 rows), White-tailed deer, Wild turkey, Ruffed grouse, Woodcock and Pheasant first.
Species from the source (The DNR list gives no species for this area; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Keeler State Game Area: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Keeler State Game Area falls in Zone 3, Southern Lower Peninsula. Old maps show the Limited Firearm Deer Zone here. The 2026 rules removed it, opening all legal firearms in the Lower Peninsula. Up to 5 antlerless licenses may be used in Van Buren County. Early and late antlerless firearm hunts run in Van Buren County. Turkey: spring unit ZZ, fall unit I; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is South Zone waterfowl ground (Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27).
Deer management units over Keeler State Game Area
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | By county | No APR |
| DMU 311 | Keeler Unit | Open | By county | No APR |
| DMU 080 | Van Buren county | Open | 5 | No APR |
Bear units that cover Keeler State Game Area
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansville | Closed to bear | – | – | – |
Turkey units, Keeler State Game Area
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | Unit total, spring |
| Fall I | 822 | Unit total so far |
Zones from the DNR 2026 zone layers as recorded in lands.json; DMU status and APR from the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits from the 2026 deer summary; BMU hunts and quotas from the 2026 bear summary and bear registration data; turkey from the DNR turkey harvest report; CWD lists from the DNR CWD rules. Checked October 22, 2026.
Keeler State Game Area on the map with its neighbors
Keeler State Game Area gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 7,306 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuller Woods | State game area | 85 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Webster Lake (Berrien Township No.1) | State game area | 43 | 15 mi | south |
| Van Buren | State park | 259 | 16 mi | north |
| Paw Paw River | State game area | 360 | 16 mi | northeast |
| Grand Mere | State park | 691 | 19 mi | southwest |
| Kinney | WPA | 78 | 20 mi | east |
| Cornish | State game area | 391 | 20 mi | east |
| Boyle Lake | State wildlife area | 429 | 21 mi | southwest |
| Warren Dunes | State park | 756 | 23 mi | southwest |
| Crane Pond | State game area | 4,214 | 26 mi | southeast |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Keeler State Game Area rules and licenses
Access rules for Keeler State Game Area
Michigan seasons and licenses open Keeler State Game Area to everyone. Expect posted refuges, safety zones and closed pieces, and use only stands and blinds that follow the DNR public-land rules.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Keeler State Game Area
- Public-land stands: portable, set no earlier than Sept. 1, removed by March 1, labelled with your name and address or Sportcard number, and nothing driven into the bark.
- A portable blind leaves with you each day; a blind of dead natural material needs no ID; a constructed blind needs ID and is not allowed on Zone 3 game areas, parks or recreation areas.
- Michigan law asks for hunter orange from Aug. 15 to April 30, visible from all sides when deer hunting with a firearm; archers in archery season are exempt.
- Report a deer or a turkey within 72 hours of recovery, online or in the Hunt Fish app, and keep the confirmation number.
- Stay 150 yards off occupied buildings with a firearm unless you hold written permission.
- Leave the seed at home; food plots are banned on public land.
- The Lower Peninsula baiting and feeding ban applies here.
- Nov. 15-30 brings ORV and snowmobile closures on public hunting land in the morning and late afternoon.
Keeler State Game Area license list
eLicense and the Hunt Fish app sell everything here. Choose a single deer or deer combo license when you buy; antlerless licenses come over the counter.
Access from the source page; public-land stand, blind, safety-zone and food-plot rules from the DNR deer regulations summary; hunter orange from MCL 324.40116; prices from the 2026 license fee tables. Checked October 22, 2026.
Keeler State Game Area dates from September to March
Keeler State Game Area is in Lower Peninsula Zone 3. The 43 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Liberty Hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, early | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Independence Hunt | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular firearm | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, late | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | December firearm | Lower Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit I | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall second part | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Fall | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Crow | Summer | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Crow | Late winter | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans days | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth weekend | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Management season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Management season | Statewide | Mar 2, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Coyote | Regular hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Feral swine | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Skunk | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Woodchuck | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 hunting regulation summaries (deer, bear, elk, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearer editions), checked October 22, 2026.
Mandatory reporting numbers for the Keeler State Game Area area
Van Buren County hunters reported 3,648 deer in 2025, 1,906 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 3,648 and 4,521. 621 deer reported so far in 2026. CWD testing in Van Buren County, 2022: 188 wild deer tested, 0 positive. The 2026 spring turkey count for Van Buren County is 349. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Keeler State Game Area.
Van Buren County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 244 | 377 | 621 |
| 2025 | 1,906 | 1,742 | 3,648 |
| 2024 | 1,905 | 1,838 | 3,743 |
| 2023 | 2,459 | 2,004 | 4,463 |
| 2022 | 2,543 | 1,978 | 4,521 |
2025 DMU figures for Keeler State Game Area
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 311 | 4,008 | 3,899 | 7,907 |
Van Buren County CWD sampling
| Year | Tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 188 | 0 |
Turkey figures, Van Buren County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 349 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 9 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 38 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 225 |
Deer from the DNR Harvest Report Summary (mandatory reporting; 2026 season to date); CWD from the DNR CWD testing data; turkeys from the turkey harvest report and the 2025 fall survey. Checked October 22, 2026.
Towns and shops that serve Keeler State Game Area hunters
The nearest towns with pages of their own, then the businesses that serve this ground.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | Berrien | 14 mi | 7,930 | 662 |
| Cassopolis | Cass | 18 mi | 1,707 | 2,337 |
| Paw Paw | Van Buren | 18 mi | 3,408 | 533 |
| Vandalia | Cass | 20 mi | 323 | 6,045 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Van Buren County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Keeler State Game Area
DNR and federal desks that cover Keeler State Game Area
Local office on the DNR list: Crane Pond DNR Wildlife Office.
Towns and populations from Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 22, 2026. Call ahead.
Keeler State Game Area: shooting hours by date
Every time below comes from the DNR deer table; the B, C and D columns add the offsets printed on the zone map legend.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:59 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 7:15 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 7:11 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 7:16 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 7:31 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
Zone A times from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer hunting hours table, zone offsets from the DNR hunting hours map legend, checked October 22, 2026. Hunting hours for every zone.
DNR range closest to Keeler State Game Area
Keeler State Game Area has no range; Echo Point Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 34 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes rifle, handgun
Takes rifle, smallbore rimfire, trap, handgun, archery
Takes trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Keeler State Game Area questions, answered from the data
In which part of Michigan does Keeler State Game Area lie?
Van Buren County holds it, 14 miles from St. Joseph.
Is Keeler State Game Area open for every species in season?
No species list is published, so every open season applies under the area rules.
What deer management unit is Keeler State Game Area in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 486, 311 and 080. Use limit, Van Buren County: 5.
Can I hunt bear at Keeler State Game Area?
Dansville BMU. Dansville: no bear hunting.
Can I hunt turkeys at Keeler State Game Area?
Yes, unit ZZ in spring and I in fall.
Which duck zone is Keeler State Game Area in?
Waterfowl zone: South. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Keeler State Game Area?
Banned, as everywhere in the Lower Peninsula. No free-ranging deer from this county has tested positive since 2015.
Is hunter pink legal at Keeler State Game Area?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Keeler State Game Area?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Keeler State Game Area?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Keeler State Game Area need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
What public ground borders or neighbors Keeler State Game Area?
The closest alternatives are Fuller Woods State Game Area (14 miles), Webster Lake (Berrien Township No.1) State Game Area (15 miles) and Van Buren State Park (16 miles).
How does the record classify Keeler State Game Area?
DNR state game area, under the DNR Wildlife Division.
Before you drive to Keeler State Game Area
Use this page as a start: the manager of Keeler State Game Area has the final word on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: Michigan DNR: state wildlife game areas list · DNR GIS; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0).