Maryland deer hunting: counties, public hunting areas and 2026-27 seasons
Maryland hunters reported 71,656 deer in the 2025-26 season, 31,691 antlered and 39,965 antlerless, 15% fewer than the 84,201 of 2024-25. Archery opened September 11, 2026, and the firearm season runs November 28 to December 12.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
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When are Maryland's 2026-27 seasons?
| Season | Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Deer, archery | September 11 to October 21; October 25 to November 27; December 14 to 18; January 3 to 31, 2027 | Statewide (January 8 to 10 archery in Region A only) |
| Deer, early muzzleloader | October 22 to 24 | Statewide; one deer in all in Region A |
| Deer, antlerless muzzleloader | October 26 to 31 | Region B |
| Deer, junior hunt | November 14 to 15 | Hunters 16 and younger |
| Deer, firearm | November 28 to December 12 | Statewide; Region A antlerless December 5 to 12 |
| Deer, late muzzleloader | December 19 to January 2 | Statewide; Region A antlerless December 26 to January 2 |
| Deer, firearm | January 8 to 10, 2027 | Region B |
| Deer, primitive hunt days | February 1 to 3, 2027 | Statewide |
| Black bear | October 26 to 31 | Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick |
| Turkey, fall | October 31 to November 8 | Allegany, Garrett, Washington |
| Turkey, winter | January 21 to 23, 2027 | Statewide |
| Turkey, spring | April 19 to May 24, 2027 | Statewide (junior days April 17 to 18) |
Sources: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027; Maryland DNR: 2026-27 archery deer season opens September 11; Maryland DNR: early muzzleloader deer season opens October 22; Maryland DNR hunting regulation proposals for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.
How many deer does each Maryland county give up?
The most deer in 2025-26 came from Frederick (6,342), Carroll (5,270), Garrett (5,147), Dorchester (5,106) and Baltimore (4,779).
| County | Region | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany | A | 2,924 | 1,739 | 3,412 | 372 | 27.7% |
| Anne Arundel | B | 1,422 | 579 | 2,269 | 101 | 4.7% |
| Baltimore | B | 4,779 | 2,008 | 5,239 | 85 | 5.5% |
| Calvert | B | 1,224 | 524 | 1,720 | 100 | 3.5% |
| Caroline | B | 2,540 | 916 | 3,144 | 192 | 3.6% |
| Carroll | B | 5,270 | 2,340 | 5,988 | 130 | 1.6% |
| Cecil | B | 3,159 | 1,320 | 3,585 | 130 | 6.1% |
| Charles | B | 2,096 | 874 | 3,368 | 452 | 7.6% |
| Dorchester | B | 5,106 | 2,338 | 6,074 | 216 | 20.8% |
| Frederick | B | 6,342 | 2,900 | 6,869 | 294 | 5.2% |
| Garrett | A | 5,147 | 3,058 | 5,613 | 542 | 23% |
| Harford | B | 3,162 | 1,286 | 3,800 | 108 | 2.8% |
| Howard | B | 2,105 | 837 | 2,181 | 46 | 5.9% |
| Kent | B | 3,019 | 1,202 | 3,504 | 193 | 3.9% |
| Montgomery | B | 3,069 | 1,229 | 3,464 | 137 | 5% |
| Prince George's | B | 998 | 466 | 1,806 | 123 | 5.1% |
| Queen Anne's | B | 3,355 | 1,271 | 3,766 | 240 | 2.3% |
| Somerset | B | 1,846 | 657 | 2,140 | 184 | 22.2% |
| St. Mary's | B | 1,933 | 835 | 2,473 | 293 | 3.2% |
| Talbot | B | 1,951 | 713 | 2,302 | 102 | 0.1% |
| Washington | A and B | 4,560 | 2,337 | 5,066 | 382 | 10.5% |
| Wicomico | B | 2,787 | 1,112 | 3,226 | 242 | 11% |
| Worcester | B | 2,862 | 1,150 | 3,192 | 430 | 17.1% |
Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026; Maryland DNR Big Game Report 2024-2025. Public land measured by FilledTag from Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
Which public hunting areas give up the most deer?
The most deer reported on one DNR area in 2025-26: Chesapeake Forest Lands (838), Savage River SF (553), Green Ridge SF (391), Patuxent River SP (217) and Garrett SF (215).
- Assateague SP, 15 deer
- Avondale WMA, 12 deer
- Belle Grove WMA, 9 deer
- Belt Woods NEA, 12 deer
- Billmeyer WMA, 14 deer
- Browns Branch WMA, 33 deer
- Calvert Cliffs SP, 17 deer
- Cedar Point WMA, 34 deer
- Cedarville SF, 11 deer
- Chapel Point SP, 41 deer
- Chesapeake Forest Lands, 838 deer
- Chicamuxen WMA, 4 deer
- Cunningham Swamp WMA, 9 deer
- Dan's Mountain WMA, 131 deer
- Deal Island WMA, 38 deer
- Deep Creek Lake SP, 22 deer
- Earleville WMA, 12 deer
- Elk Neck SF, 50 deer
- Elk Neck SP, 62 deer
- Ellis Bay WMA, 32 deer
- Fair Hill NRMA, 156 deer
- Fairmount WMA, 7 deer
- Fishing Bay WMA, 160 deer
- Fort Frederick SP, 7 deer
- Garrett SF, 215 deer
- Green Ridge SF, 391 deer
- Greenbrier SP, 52 deer
- Greenwell SP, 12 deer
- Grove Farm WMA, 29 deer
- Gunpowder Falls SP, 186 deer
- Gwynnbrook WMA, 11 deer
- Hall Creek NRMA, 5 deer
- Hugg-Thomas WMA, 39 deer
- Idylwild WMA, 86 deer
- Indian Creek NRMA, 14 deer
- Indian Springs WMA, 101 deer
- Isle of Wight WMA, 2 deer
- Johnson WMA, 4 deer
- LeCompte WMA, 21 deer
- Linkwood WMA, 27 deer
- Maryland Marine Properties WMA, 0 deer
- Mckee-Beshers WMA, 50 deer
- Merkle NRMA, 13 deer
- Millington WMA, 92 deer
- Milltown Landing NRMA, 21 deer
- Monocacy NRMA, 67 deer
- Morgan Run NEA, 66 deer
- Mount Nebo WMA, 78 deer
- Myrtle Grove WMA, 46 deer
- Nanjemoy Creek WMA, 8 deer
- Nanjemoy WMA, 2 deer
- Nanticoke WMA, 53 deer
- Newtowne Neck SP, 21 deer
- North Point SP, 17 deer
- Old Bohemia WMA, 25 deer
- Parkers Creek WMA, 42 deer
- Patapsco Valley SP, 193 deer
- Patuxent River SP, 217 deer
- Pocomoke SF, 145 deer
- Pocomoke River WMA, 25 deer
- Pocomoke Sound WMA, 3 deer
- Popes Creek WMA, 16 deer
- Potomac SF, 111 deer
- Prather's Neck WMA, 10 deer
- Riverside WMA, 8 deer
- Rocks SP, 40 deer
- Rocky Gap SP, 19 deer
- Rosaryville SP, 4 deer
- Sandy Point SP, 11 deer
- Savage River SF, 553 deer
- Seneca Creek SP, 149 deer
- Severn Run NEA, 6 deer
- Sideling Hill WMA, 20 deer
- Soldiers Delight NEA, 83 deer
- South Marsh Island WMA, 0 deer
- South Mountain SP, 140 deer
- St. Inigoes SF, 9 deer
- Strider WMA, 16 deer
- Susquehanna SP, 48 deer
- Taylor's Island WMA, 22 deer
- Tuckahoe SP, 43 deer
- Warrior Mountain WMA, 127 deer
- Wellington WMA, 6 deer
- Wetipquin WMA, 7 deer
- Wolf Den Run SP, 26 deer
- Woodmont NRMA, 32 deer
- Wye Island NRMA, 107 deer
How much of Maryland is public hunting ground?
9.3% of Maryland's area inside its county lines is state or federal land: state forest 232,403 acres, state park 138,961 acres, wildlife management area 119,015 acres, national wildlife refuge 51,972 acres, National Park Service 51,309 acres and Army Corps of Engineers 10,620 acres. Hunting rules differ by area; DNR's page for each has them.
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in Maryland in 2026?
Archery opens September 11 and runs to January 31, 2027, with breaks; the early muzzleloader season is October 22 to 24; the firearm season is November 28 to December 12, with January 8 to 10 in Region B; the late muzzleloader season is December 19 to January 2; primitive hunt days are February 1 to 3, 2027 (Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027).
How many deer were taken in Maryland in 2025-26?
71,656: 31,691 antlered and 39,965 antlerless, down from 84,201 in 2024-25 (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). The most came from Frederick (6,342), Carroll (5,270) and Garrett (5,147).
What is Region A in Maryland deer hunting?
Allegany and Garrett counties and the western part of Washington County (Zone 2). There a hunter may take two antlerless deer a year in all, one a day, and the antlerless firearm days are December 5 to 12. The rest of the state is Region B, with an archery limit of 15 antlerless deer, unlimited in the Suburban Deer Management Zone.
What is the antler point rule in Maryland?
Only one antlered white-tailed deer a year may have fewer than three points on one antler; any other antlered deer must have at least three points on one antler. Junior and apprentice hunters 16 and under are exempt.
Where can you hunt bears in Maryland?
In Garrett, Allegany, Washington and Frederick counties, October 26 to 31 in 2026. Hunters took 89 bears in the 2025-26 season, 62 of them in Garrett County (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026).
Get a Maryland hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Maryland are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Maryland included.
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027; Maryland DNR: 2026-27 archery deer season opens September 11; Maryland DNR: early muzzleloader deer season opens October 22.
- Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026; Maryland DNR Big Game Report 2024-2025; Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive.
- Counties: Maryland county boundaries (Maryland iMAP). Public land: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
FilledTag is not part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. DNR's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.