Nanticoke Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 53 deer on Nanticoke Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 18 antlered and 35 antlerless, against 82 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 2,222 acres in Wicomico 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 Nanticoke WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState forestNational wildlife refugeNanticoke WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 2,222 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Wicomico County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 53 (18 antlered, 35 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 82 |
| Sika among them, 2025-26 | 23 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Brookview (next to it), Galestown (next to it) and Sharptown (next to it) |
How many deer are taken on Nanticoke WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 18 | 35 | 53 |
| 2024-25 | 22 | 60 | 82 |
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 Nanticoke WMA like?
DNR describes it: "The Nanticoke River is one of the largest rivers on the Delmarva Peninsula, supported by a watershed that is nearly 530,000 acres in size, and draining into the Chesapeake Bay. In 1993, the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation assisted the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in purchasing the 1,587 acre Nutter’s Neck tract (Wic."
On hunting and other uses: "Upland areas and wetlands provide opportunities for deer hunters to pursue white-tail deer and a few sika deer found here. Fields and woodland edges provide habitat for mourning doves, cottontail rabbits, bobwhite quail, and woodcock."
On wildlife: "Visitors to Nanticoke River WMA might glimpse one of the many bald eagles that frequent the river in search of food. Any trip along the bottomland forests could yield abundant opportunities to see a number of wading birds and waterfowl, as the marshes are extremely productive and support a wide variety of birds."
Quoted from DNR's page for Nanticoke WMA.
What are the rules on Nanticoke WMA?
- Use of Nanticoke River WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year.
- Hunting is allowed in accordance with open seasons and shooting hours, unless otherwise noted.
- All State and Federal Hunting Laws and Regulations are applicable.
- Dove hunting is restricted to certain days and shooting hours.
- Certain fields are managed dove hunting areas and have additional hunting restrictions.
From DNR's page for Nanticoke WMA.
When can you hunt Nanticoke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicomico County | 2,787 | 1,112 | 242 | 11% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Nanticoke WMA?
Highways within five miles: MD 313, MD 349, MD 331, MD 352, US 50 and MD 392. Nearest towns: Brookview (next to it), Galestown (next to it), Sharptown (next to it) and Eldorado (next to it).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Nanticoke WMA?
53 in 2025-26: 18 antlered and 35 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 82.
Do you need a permit to hunt Nanticoke WMA?
DNR's page for Nanticoke WMA says: "Use of Nanticoke River WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year. Use of Nanticoke River WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year."
What county is Nanticoke WMA in?
Wicomico County. Wicomico County reported 2,787 deer in 2025-26, 1,112 antlered, and is in Region B.
What can you hunt on Nanticoke WMA?
DNR: "Upland areas and wetlands provide opportunities for deer hunters to pursue white-tail deer and a few sika deer found here. Fields and woodland edges provide habitat for mourning doves, cottontail rabbits, bobwhite quail, and woodcock."
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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.