Hugg-Thomas Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 39 deer on Hugg-Thomas Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 11 antlered and 28 antlerless, against 35 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 260 acres in Howard 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 Hugg-Thomas WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState parkHugg-Thomas WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 260 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Howard County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 39 (11 antlered, 28 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 35 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Sykesville (next to it), Eldersburg (3 mi) and Lisbon (5 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Hugg-Thomas WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 11 | 28 | 39 |
| 2024-25 | 13 | 22 | 35 |
| 2023-24 | 9 | 11 | 20 |
| 2022-23 | 12 | 17 | 29 |
| 2021-22 | 13 | 15 | 28 |
| 2020-21 | 8 | 19 | 27 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 14 | 19 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
What is Hugg-Thomas WMA like?
DNR describes it: "Once the family estate of Admiral Jacob Hugg, a founder of the town of Sykesville in Carroll County, Hugg-Thomas WMA consists of 275 acres in two separate parcels of land separated by Forsythe Road. On the parcel north of Forsythe Road you can visit the ruins of the 19th century Hugg mansion."
On wildlife: "This area provides habitat for upland and forest wildlife species including white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, and songbirds."
Quoted from DNR's page for Hugg-Thomas WMA.
What are the rules on Hugg-Thomas WMA?
- Hunting access is restricted to seasonal permit holders from September 1st through February 28th and during the Spring Turkey Season.
- Hunting is permitted Monday through Saturday. No hunting is allowed on Sundays.
- The opening day of Deer Firearms Season is drawn by lottery.
- Permitted hunting devices include all legal devices allowed in Howard County.
- During Spring Turkey Season, hunters must sign in at the parking lot with their Free Public Hunting Permit. Five hunters may sign in at a time.
- Some provisions exist for licensed vehicle use on trails for hunters with a Universal Disability Pass. Contact the Gwynnbrook Wildlife Office at 410-356-9272 for more information.
From DNR's page for Hugg-Thomas WMA.
When can you hunt Hugg-Thomas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 2,105 | 837 | 46 | 5.9% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Hugg-Thomas WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-70, US 40, MD 32, MD 97, MD 144 and MD 26. Nearest towns: Sykesville (next to it), Eldersburg (3 miles), Lisbon (5 miles) and Ellicott City (9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Hugg-Thomas WMA?
39 in 2025-26: 11 antlered and 28 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 35. DNR's tables go back to 2019-20 for this area.
Do you need a permit to hunt Hugg-Thomas WMA?
DNR's page for Hugg-Thomas WMA says: "Hunting access is restricted to seasonal permit holders from September 1st through February 28th and during the Spring Turkey Season. Hunting is permitted Monday through Saturday. No hunting is allowed on Sundays."
What county is Hugg-Thomas WMA in?
Howard County. Howard County reported 2,105 deer in 2025-26, 837 antlered, and is in Region B.
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 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.