Potomac State Forest: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 111 deer on Potomac State Forest in the 2025-26 season, 65 antlered and 46 antlerless, against 94 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR state forest of about 11,311 acres in Garrett County, in deer management Region A.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II. Area: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP). Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
State forestState parkArmy Corps of EngineersPotomac SFCounty lineHighway
| Size | 11,311 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Garrett County |
| Managed by | Maryland Forest Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 111 (65 antlered, 46 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 94 |
| Deer management region | Region A |
| Nearest towns | Swanton (next to it), Kitzmiller (next to it) and Deer Park (2 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Potomac SF each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 65 | 46 | 111 |
| 2024-25 | 57 | 37 | 94 |
| 2023-24 | 61 | 34 | 95 |
| 2022-23 | 53 | 31 | 84 |
| 2021-22 | 33 | 26 | 59 |
| 2020-21 | 49 | 21 | 70 |
| 2019-20 | 29 | 27 | 56 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
When can you hunt Potomac SF in 2026-27?
Seasons follow Region A: archery September 11 to January 31 with breaks, early muzzleloader October 22 to 24, firearm November 28 to December 12, late muzzleloader December 19 to January 2. Bear season in the western counties is October 26 to 31. Spring turkey runs April 19 to May 24, 2027.
| County | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett County | 5,147 | 3,058 | 542 | 23% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Potomac SF?
Highways within five miles: MD 135, MD 495, MD 560, MD 38, MD 36 and MD 937. Nearest towns: Swanton (next to it), Kitzmiller (next to it), Deer Park (2 miles) and Bloomington (2 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Potomac SF?
111 in 2025-26: 65 antlered and 46 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 94. DNR's tables go back to 2019-20 for this area.
Do you need a permit to hunt Potomac SF?
DNR's public land table counts deer taken here, so it is hunted; check DNR for any permit, drawing or day restrictions before you go.
What county is Potomac SF in?
Garrett County. Garrett County reported 5,147 deer in 2025-26, 3,058 antlered, and is in Region A.
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.
FilledTag is not part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.