Pocomoke River Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 25 deer on Pocomoke River Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 13 antlered and 12 antlerless, against 16 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 927 acres in Worcester 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 Pocomoke River WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState forestState parkPocomoke River WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 927 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 25 (13 antlered, 12 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 16 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | West Pocomoke (4 mi), Pocomoke City (4 mi) and Girdletree (4 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Pocomoke River WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| 2024-25 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 2022-23 | 6 | 18 | 24 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| 2020-21 | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| 2019-20 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
What is Pocomoke River WMA like?
DNR describes it: "The Pocomoke River WMA's 1,016-acre tract is a mixture of agricultural fields, woodlands, and wetlands located within the Great Cypress Swamp in south central Worcester County. One of nine rivers in Maryland designated as "Wild and Scenic", the Pocomoke winds among bald cypress at their northernmost range, then empties into Pocomoke Sound."
On hunting and other uses: "Hunters find deer, waterfowl, dove and upland game plentiful. The forest shelters many rare plants and wildflowers as well."
On wildlife: "Pocomoke River WMA provides habitat for a variety of local and migratory wildlife species including birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians. Birding, a primary attraction of this WMA, provides a chance to experience the unspoiled wilderness which attracts, sustains and protects so much natural life."
Quoted from DNR's page for Pocomoke River WMA.
What are the rules on Pocomoke River WMA?
- Use of Pocomoke 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.
From DNR's page for Pocomoke River WMA.
When can you hunt Pocomoke River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 2,862 | 1,150 | 430 | 17.1% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Pocomoke River WMA?
Highways within five miles: US 113, US 13, MD 366, MD 364, MD 12 and MD 756. Nearest towns: West Pocomoke (4 miles), Pocomoke City (4 miles), Girdletree (4 miles) and Stockton (5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Pocomoke River WMA?
25 in 2025-26: 13 antlered and 12 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 16. DNR's tables go back to 2019-20 for this area.
Do you need a permit to hunt Pocomoke River WMA?
DNR's page for Pocomoke River WMA says: "Use of Pocomoke River WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year. Use of Pocomoke River WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year."
What county is Pocomoke River WMA in?
Worcester County. Worcester County reported 2,862 deer in 2025-26, 1,150 antlered, and is in Region B.
What can you hunt on Pocomoke River WMA?
DNR: "Hunters find deer, waterfowl, dove and upland game plentiful. The forest shelters many rare plants and wildflowers as well."
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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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