Popes Creek Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 16 deer on Popes Creek Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 5 antlered and 11 antlerless, against 14 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 523 acres in Charles 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 Popes Creek WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Popes Creek WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 523 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Charles County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 16 (5 antlered, 11 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 14 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Port Tobacco Village (7 mi), La Plata (9 mi) and Pomfret (11 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Popes Creek WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| 2024-25 | 2 | 12 | 14 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
What is Popes Creek WMA like?
DNR describes it: "Popes Creek Wildlife Management Area is located in Charles County, Maryland near Newburg. This property was purchased by the State of Maryland from Turneill, LLC in 2018."
Quoted from DNR's page for Popes Creek WMA.
What are the rules on Popes Creek WMA?
- Hunting is permitted Monday through Saturday, year-round. No hunting is allowed on Sundays.
- Permitted hunting devices include all legal devices allowed in Charles County in the established hunting seasons that allow them.
- Trapping is allowed by permit only. Popes Creek WMA is included in the Southern Region Public Lands Trapping Lottery. The online application can be found on the main
- Southern Region Public Hunting Lands webpage. Any spaces not filled in the lottery are available by inquiring through the Myrtle Grove Wildlife Office at 301-743-5161.
- Hunting access is permitted day and night; however, overnight camping is not allowed.
- Popes Creek WMA has no designated waterfowl sites, but waterfowl hunting is allowed on the property.
From DNR's page for Popes Creek WMA.
When can you hunt Popes Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles County | 2,096 | 874 | 452 | 7.6% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Popes Creek WMA?
Highways within five miles: MD 301, MD 234 and MD 257. Nearest towns: Port Tobacco Village (7 miles), La Plata (9 miles), Pomfret (11 miles) and Charlotte Hall (11 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Popes Creek WMA?
16 in 2025-26: 5 antlered and 11 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 14.
Do you need a permit to hunt Popes Creek WMA?
DNR's page for Popes Creek WMA says: "Hunting is permitted Monday through Saturday, year-round. No hunting is allowed on Sundays. Permitted hunting devices include all legal devices allowed in Charles County in the established hunting seasons that allow them."
What county is Popes Creek WMA in?
Charles County. Charles County reported 2,096 deer in 2025-26, 874 antlered, and is in Region B.
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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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