Frederick County, Maryland: deer harvest, public hunting areas and seasons
Hunters reported 6,342 deer in Frederick County in the 2025-26 season, 2,900 antlered and 3,442 antlerless, against 6,869 in 2024-25. Frederick County is in deer management Region B. 351 of the 2025-26 deer came off 8 public hunting areas DNR lists in the county. 5.2% of the county is public land.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. Land: DNR and PAD-US.
Wildlife management areaState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Frederick CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Deer management region | Region B |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 6,342 (2,900 antlered, 3,442 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 6,869 |
| Public land | 5.2% (22,039 acres) |
| Deer taken on public areas, 2025-26 | 351 on 8 areas |
| Spring turkeys, 2026 | 294 |
| Bears, 2025-26 | 8 |
| Firearm season, 2026 | November 28 to December 12 and January 8 to 10 |
How many deer are taken in Frederick County?
6,342 deer in 2025-26, down 8% from 6,869 in 2024-25. By weapon season:
| Season | Archery antlered | Archery antlerless | Firearm antlered | Firearm antlerless | Muzzleloader antlered | Muzzleloader antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,097 | 920 | 1,343 | 1,862 | 460 | 660 | 6,342 |
| 2024-25 | 1,099 | 1,050 | 1,483 | 2,235 | 430 | 572 | 6,869 |
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Table 1; Maryland DNR Big Game Report 2024-2025, Table 1.
How has the antlerless harvest changed?
| Season | Antlerless deer |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3,442 |
| 2024-25 | 3,857 |
| 2023-24 | 3,606 |
| 2022-23 | 4,043 |
| 2021-22 | 3,414 |
| 2020-21 | 4,488 |
| 2019-20 | 3,815 |
Sources: DNR's reports for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive); before 2024-25 from each report's button buck table, whose county rows add up to its statewide total.
Which public hunting areas in Frederick County give up the most deer?
| Public hunting area | Antlered, 2025-26 | Antlerless, 2025-26 | All deer, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick City Watershed | 51 | 65 | 135 |
| Cunningham Falls SP, Thurmont Watershed | 36 | 41 | 74 |
| Monocacy NRMA | 37 | 30 | 77 |
| South Mountain SP | 18 | 23 | 49 |
| Ft. Detrick | 6 | 11 | |
| Heaters Island WMA | 2 | 12 | 11 |
| Urbana Fishery Management Area | 1 | 12 | 5 |
| Emmitsburg Watershed | 1 | 5 | 19 |
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II; Maryland DNR Big Game Report 2024-2025. Linked areas have their own page.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Frederick County?
| Season | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deer, archery | September 11 to October 21; October 25 to November 27; December 14 to 18; January 3 to 31, 2027 | Antlered deer statewide; antlerless 15 in Region B |
| Deer, early muzzleloader | October 22 to 24 | Antlered and antlerless |
| Deer, antlerless muzzleloader (Region B) | October 26 to 31 | Antlerless only |
| Deer, junior hunt | November 14 and 15 | Hunters 16 and younger, with an adult |
| Deer, firearm | November 28 to December 12; January 8 to 10, 2027 | Antlered; antlerless 10 in Region B |
| Deer, late muzzleloader | December 19 to January 2 | |
| Deer, primitive hunt days | February 1 to 3, 2027 | Longbow, recurve, flintlock or sidelock only |
| Black bear | October 26 to 31 | Western counties only |
| Turkey, winter | January 21 to 23, 2027 | |
| Turkey, spring | April 19 to May 24, 2027 (junior days April 17 to 18) |
Statewide, a hunter may take two antlered white-tailed deer a year, no more than one in a weapon season, plus one more with a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp. Only one antlered deer a year may have fewer than three points on one antler; junior and apprentice hunters 16 and under are exempt.
Sources: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027; Maryland DNR: 2026-27 archery deer season opens September 11; Maryland DNR: early muzzleloader deer season opens October 22; Maryland DNR hunting regulation proposals for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.
How many turkeys are taken in Frederick County?
| Spring season | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | 294 | 281 | 322 | 391 | 343 | 281 | 348 |
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, wild turkey tables.
Are bears hunted in Frederick County?
Yes. Hunters took 8 bears in Frederick County in the 2025-26 six-day season, of 89 statewide; the others came from Garrett (62), Allegany (12) and Washington (7). The 2026 season is October 26 to 31.
Sources: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026; Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
How much public land is in Frederick County?
5.2% of Frederick County is public land: 22,039 of its 424,487 acres. The largest share is state park, 12,768 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Frederick County |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 12,768 | 3% |
| National Park Service | 9,129 | 2.2% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 1,219 | 0.3% |
| Wildlife management area | 142 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Not every acre of DNR land is open to hunting; DNR's page for each area has its rules.
Which counties border Frederick County?
| County | Region | Public land | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | Region B | 1.6% | 5,270 | 2,340 | 130 |
| Howard County | Region B | 5.9% | 2,105 | 837 | 46 |
| Montgomery County | Region B | 5% | 3,069 | 1,229 | 137 |
| Washington County | Region A and B | 10.5% | 4,560 | 2,337 | 382 |
Highways crossing Frederick County: US 15 (69 miles), I-70 (59 miles), US 40 (48 miles), MD 17 (30 miles), US 340 (29 miles) and MD 75 (24 miles). Towns inside: Frederick, Walkersville, Brunswick and Thurmont.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Frederick County, Maryland?
6,342 in 2025-26: 2,900 antlered and 3,442 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). In 2024-25 the county reported 6,869. By weapon, firearms took 3,205, archery 2,017 and muzzleloaders 1,120.
Where can you hunt deer on public land in Frederick County?
DNR's 2025-26 public land table lists 8 areas in the county. The most deer came off Frederick City Watershed (116), Cunningham Falls SP, Thurmont Watershed (77) and Monocacy NRMA (67).
When is deer firearm season in Frederick County in 2026?
November 28 to December 12, and again January 8 to 10, 2027, in Region B (Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027). Region B's firearm limit is 10 antlerless deer.
How many turkeys are taken in Frederick County?
294 in the 2026 spring season, against 281 in 2025 (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). The 2027 spring season runs April 19 to May 24.
Can you hunt bears in Frederick County?
Yes. Frederick is one of Maryland's four bear-hunting counties; hunters took 8 of the state's 89 bears there in the 2025-26 six-day season (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). The 2026 bear season is October 26 to 31.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026; Maryland DNR Big Game Report 2024-2025; earlier seasons from Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive.
- Seasons and limits: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027; Maryland DNR: 2026-27 archery deer season opens September 11; Maryland DNR: early muzzleloader deer season opens October 22.
- County boundary: Maryland county boundaries (Maryland iMAP). Public land: 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. Numbers are copied from DNR and federal sources or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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