LeCompte Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 21 deer on LeCompte Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 12 antlered and 9 antlerless, against 25 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 763 acres in Dorchester 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 LeCompte WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState forestNational wildlife refugeLeCompte WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 763 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Dorchester County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 21 (12 antlered, 9 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 25 |
| Sika among them, 2025-26 | 15 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Vienna (2 mi), Mardela Springs (6 mi) and Quantico (8 mi) |
How many deer are taken on LeCompte WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 12 | 9 | 21 |
| 2024-25 | 8 | 17 | 25 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive). Totals include sika deer.
What is LeCompte WMA like?
DNR describes it: "Listed as an endangered species in 1967, the Delmarva fox squirrel has been steadily increasing in numbers in Maryland. LeCompte's 485 acres of mature oak and loblolly pine forests were set aside to provide a refuge for this native squirrel."
On hunting and other uses: "Hunters will find white-tailed deer and sika deer, which is a species imported to Maryland from Asia. There is a hunting area for the physically challenged."
On wildlife: "A walk around the field edges or the forest trails will always reward the visitor with a good look at the Delmarva fox squirrel. Visitors on an early morning forest hike in the spring might hear the melodious gobble of a wild turkey."
Quoted from DNR's page for LeCompte WMA.
What are the rules on LeCompte WMA?
- Use of LeCompte WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year.
- Hunting is allowed in accordance with open seasons and shooting hours, except special restrictions applying for waterfowl, doves and squirrels.
- All State and Federal Hunting Laws and Regulations are applicable.
- No squirrel hunting is permitted at any time.
- Dove hunting is restricted to certain days and shooting hours.
- Only ATV’s, UTV’s and golf carts are permitted in the accessible hunting zone.
- Accessible waterfowl blinds on the 35-acre impoundment are available one day per week by reservation to those hunters with HFV and Access Permits.
- Trail system noted on the map is suitable for hiking and birding as well as hunting.
From DNR's page for LeCompte WMA.
When can you hunt LeCompte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County | 5,106 | 2,338 | 216 | 20.8% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to LeCompte WMA?
Highways within five miles: US 50 and MD 331. Nearest towns: Vienna (2 miles), Mardela Springs (6 miles), Quantico (8 miles) and Tyaskin (9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on LeCompte WMA?
21 in 2025-26: 12 antlered and 9 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 25.
Do you need a permit to hunt LeCompte WMA?
DNR's page for LeCompte WMA says: "Use of LeCompte WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year. No squirrel hunting is permitted at any time."
What county is LeCompte WMA in?
Dorchester County. Dorchester County reported 5,106 deer in 2025-26, 2,338 antlered, and is in Region B.
What can you hunt on LeCompte WMA?
DNR: "Hunters will find white-tailed deer and sika deer, which is a species imported to Maryland from Asia. There is a hunting area for the physically challenged."
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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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