Grove Farm Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 29 deer on Grove Farm Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 21 antlered and 8 antlerless, against 39 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 976 acres in Cecil County, in deer management Region B.
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 Grove Farm WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState parkMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Grove Farm WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 976 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Cecil County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 29 (21 antlered, 8 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 39 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Betterton (3 mi), Still Pond (5 mi) and Kennedyville (6 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Grove Farm WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21 | 8 | 29 |
| 2024-25 | 16 | 23 | 39 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
What is Grove Farm WMA like?
DNR describes it: "The former Wright property, located just west of Cecilton, Maryland, was acquired by the Department of Natural Resources in March 2008. The 988-acre tract is dedicated to wildlife conservation."
On wildlife: "Grove Farm WMA provides habitat for migratory waterfowl and upland and forest wildlife species including white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and songbirds."
Quoted from DNR's page for Grove Farm WMA.
What are the rules on Grove Farm WMA?
- Hunting is allowed all legal days of the week year-round. See your Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping for available Sunday hunting in Cecil County.
- Non-toxic shot is required for dove and waterfowl hunting.
- Waterfowl hunters not utilizing an established blind site must be 250 yards away from an established site. Waterfowl hunting from tidal shoreline is only allowed from established blind sites.
- Six waterfowl sites and four goose fields are available for use. Reservations are required during any waterfowl season from September through January. Goose fields will not be available until crops have been harvested.
- During Spring Turkey Season reservations are required daily from opening day through the second Saturday. Five reservations are available per day. After the second Saturday hunting is allowed seven days a week without a reservation.
- Permitted hunting devices include all legal devices allowed in Cecil County.
From DNR's page for Grove Farm WMA.
When can you hunt Grove Farm WMA in 2026-27?
Seasons follow Region B: archery September 11 to January 31 with breaks, early muzzleloader October 22 to 24, firearm November 28 to December 12 and January 8 to 10, 2027, late muzzleloader December 19 to January 2. Spring turkey runs April 19 to May 24, 2027.
| County | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cecil County | 3,159 | 1,320 | 130 | 6.1% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Grove Farm WMA?
Highways within five miles: MD 282, MD 292, MD 298, MD 444, MD 213 and MD 272. Nearest towns: Betterton (3 miles), Still Pond (5 miles), Kennedyville (6 miles) and Aberdeen Proving Ground (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Grove Farm WMA?
29 in 2025-26: 21 antlered and 8 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 39.
Do you need a permit to hunt Grove Farm WMA?
DNR's page for Grove Farm WMA says: "Hunting is allowed all legal days of the week year-round. See your Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping for available Sunday hunting in Cecil County. Six waterfowl sites and four goose fields are available for use. Reservations are required during any waterfowl season from September through January. Goose fields will not be available until crops have been harvested."
What county is Grove Farm WMA in?
Cecil County. Cecil County reported 3,159 deer in 2025-26, 1,320 antlered, and is in Region B.
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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.
FilledTag is not part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.