Belle Grove Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 9 deer on Belle Grove Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 6 antlered and 3 antlerless. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 337 acres in Allegany County, in deer management Region A.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II. Area: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP); DNR's page for Belle Grove WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState forestState parkNational Park ServiceBelle Grove WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 337 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Allegany County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 9 (6 antlered, 3 antlerless) |
| Deer management region | Region A |
| Nearest towns | Little Orleans (4 mi), Hancock (10 mi) and Flintstone (11 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Belle Grove WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
What is Belle Grove WMA like?
DNR describes it: "In the 1920s and 1930s, wildlife biologists concentrated on raising game birds to help bolster low populations in the wild. The Belle Grove WMA was purchased for this purpose and was used exclusively for raising wild turkeys."
On hunting and other uses: "Hunters can pursue white-tailed deer, grouse, turkeys, squirrels, woodcock and rabbits. There is a special area set aside for physically challenged hunters."
On wildlife: "Turkeys are abundant here. Hens with their chicks, called "poults," can often be seen pecking through the fields for seeds and insects."
Quoted from DNR's page for Belle Grove WMA.
What are the rules on Belle Grove WMA?
- Use of Belle Grove WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year
- Hunting is allowed in accordance with open seasons and shooting hours
- No special permits or drawings are required to hunt this area, except appropriate licenses and stamps.
- Camping is not permitted, but is available on nearby Green Ridge State Forest.
- There is disabled hunter access on Belle Grove WMA.
From DNR's page for Belle Grove WMA.
When can you hunt Belle Grove WMA in 2026-27?
Seasons follow Region A: archery September 11 to January 31 with breaks, early muzzleloader October 22 to 24, firearm November 28 to December 12, late muzzleloader December 19 to January 2. Bear season in the western counties is October 26 to 31. Spring turkey runs April 19 to May 24, 2027.
| County | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany County | 2,924 | 1,739 | 372 | 27.7% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Belle Grove WMA?
Highways within five miles: US 40 and I-68. Nearest towns: Little Orleans (4 miles), Hancock (10 miles), Flintstone (11 miles) and Oldtown (16 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Belle Grove WMA?
9 in 2025-26: 6 antlered and 3 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II).
Do you need a permit to hunt Belle Grove WMA?
DNR's page for Belle Grove WMA says: "Use of Belle Grove WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year No special permits or drawings are required to hunt this area, except appropriate licenses and stamps."
What county is Belle Grove WMA in?
Allegany County. Allegany County reported 2,924 deer in 2025-26, 1,739 antlered, and is in Region A.
What can you hunt on Belle Grove WMA?
DNR: "Hunters can pursue white-tailed deer, grouse, turkeys, squirrels, woodcock and rabbits. There is a special area set aside for physically challenged hunters."
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Where these facts come from
- Deer by area: the public land tables in Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive. Boundary: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP).
- Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027; Maryland DNR: 2026-27 archery deer season opens September 11. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
- Public land around it: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
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