South Marsh Island Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 0 deer on South Marsh Island Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 0 antlered and 0 antlerless, against 1 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 3,072 acres in Somerset 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 South Marsh Island WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaNational wildlife refugeSouth Marsh Island WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 3,072 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Somerset County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 0 (0 antlered, 0 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 1 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Deal Island (4 mi), Chance (5 mi) and Smith Island (6 mi) |
How many deer are taken on South Marsh Island WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive).
What is South Marsh Island WMA like?
DNR describes it: "On South Marsh Island, the emphasis is on "marsh." This 3,000 acre island, located within the Chesapeake Bay, is entirely comprised of marshlands, punctuated by ponds and creeks. The marsh was once a convenient hiding place for "picaroons," or pirates, who harassed unprotected American ships during the Revolutionary War."
On hunting and other uses: "Hunters will find large populations of waterfowl like gadwall, black duck, mallard, scaup and Canada geese. Visitors will enjoy crabbing and fishing for trout, rockfish, croaker, bluefish and spot in the waters near South Marsh and along the shoreline."
On wildlife: "The endangered peregrine falcon nests on towers once used to reintroduce young falcons into the wild. The expansive marsh habitat attracts other uncommon birds, like the American oystercatcher, the black skimmer and the black rail."
Quoted from DNR's page for South Marsh Island WMA.
What are the rules on South Marsh Island WMA?
- Use of South Marsh Island 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.
From DNR's page for South Marsh Island WMA.
When can you hunt South Marsh Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County | 1,846 | 657 | 184 | 22.2% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to South Marsh Island WMA?
Highways within five miles: MD 363. Nearest towns: Deal Island (4 miles), Chance (5 miles), Smith Island (6 miles) and Dames Quarter (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on South Marsh Island WMA?
0 in 2025-26: 0 antlered and 0 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 1. DNR's tables go back to 2019-20 for this area.
Do you need a permit to hunt South Marsh Island WMA?
DNR's page for South Marsh Island WMA says: "Use of South Marsh Island WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year. Use of South Marsh Island WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year."
What county is South Marsh Island WMA in?
Somerset County. Somerset County reported 1,846 deer in 2025-26, 657 antlered, and is in Region B.
What can you hunt on South Marsh Island WMA?
DNR: "Hunters will find large populations of waterfowl like gadwall, black duck, mallard, scaup and Canada geese. Visitors will enjoy crabbing and fishing for trout, rockfish, croaker, bluefish and spot in the waters near South Marsh and along the shoreline."
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.