Patuxent River State Park: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 217 deer on Patuxent River State Park in the 2025-26 season, 99 antlered and 118 antlerless, against 326 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR state park of about 6,755 acres in Howard and Montgomery counties, 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 Patuxent River SP. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState parkPatuxent River SPCounty lineHighway
| Size | 6,755 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Howard County, Montgomery County |
| Managed by | Maryland Park Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 217 (99 antlered, 118 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 326 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Ashton-Sandy Spring (next to it), Brookeville (2 mi) and Highland (2 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Patuxent River SP each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 99 | 118 | 217 |
| 2024-25 | 126 | 200 | 326 |
| 2023-24 | 98 | 191 | 289 |
| 2022-23 | 112 | 183 | 295 |
| 2021-22 | 118 | 209 | 327 |
| 2020-21 | 117 | 278 | 395 |
| 2019-20 | 108 | 239 | 347 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive). Added up across Howard and Montgomery counties, where DNR lists the area in each.
When can you hunt Patuxent River SP 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% |
| Montgomery County | 3,069 | 1,229 | 137 | 5% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Patuxent River SP?
Highways within five miles: MD 108, I-70, US 40, MD 97, MD 650 and MD 27. Nearest towns: Ashton-Sandy Spring (next to it), Brookeville (2 miles), Highland (2 miles) and Damascus (3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Patuxent River SP?
217 in 2025-26: 99 antlered and 118 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 326. DNR's tables go back to 2019-20 for this area.
Do you need a permit to hunt Patuxent River SP?
DNR's public land table counts deer taken in the park, so it is hunted. Check DNR's page for Patuxent River SP for where in the park and on which days hunting is allowed, and whether a permit or drawing applies, before you go.
What county is Patuxent River SP in?
Howard County and Montgomery 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.
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