Garrett County, Maryland: deer harvest, public hunting areas and seasons
Hunters reported 5,147 deer in Garrett County in the 2025-26 season, 3,058 antlered and 2,089 antlerless, against 5,613 in 2024-25. Garrett County is in deer management Region A. 1,089 of the 2025-26 deer came off 12 public hunting areas DNR lists in the county. 23% 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 forestState parkArmy Corps of EngineersGarrett CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Deer management region | Region A |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 5,147 (3,058 antlered, 2,089 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 5,613 |
| Public land | 23% (96,650 acres) |
| Deer taken on public areas, 2025-26 | 1,089 on 12 areas |
| Spring turkeys, 2026 | 542 |
| Fall turkeys, 2025 | 23 |
| Bears, 2025-26 | 62 |
| Firearm season, 2026 | November 28 to December 12 |
How many deer are taken in Garrett County?
5,147 deer in 2025-26, down 8% from 5,613 in 2024-25. By weapon season:
| Season | Archery antlered | Archery antlerless | Firearm antlered | Firearm antlerless | Muzzleloader antlered | Muzzleloader antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 935 | 518 | 1,553 | 1,107 | 570 | 464 | 5,147 |
| 2024-25 | 994 | 576 | 1,742 | 1,291 | 502 | 508 | 5,613 |
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 | 2,089 |
| 2024-25 | 2,375 |
| 2023-24 | 1,956 |
| 2022-23 | 1,876 |
| 2021-22 | 1,478 |
| 2020-21 | 2,031 |
| 2019-20 | 1,874 |
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 Garrett County give up the most deer?
| Public hunting area | Antlered, 2025-26 | Antlerless, 2025-26 | All deer, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savage River SF | 296 | 257 | 576 |
| Garrett SF | 110 | 105 | 229 |
| Potomac SF | 65 | 46 | 94 |
| Mount Nebo WMA | 41 | 37 | 67 |
| Wolf Den Run SP | 10 | 16 | 21 |
| Frostburg Watershed | 14 | 10 | 25 |
| Deep Creek Lake SP | 12 | 10 | 25 |
| Youghiogheny NEA | 13 | 4 | 7 |
| Sang Run SP | 3 | 11 | 12 |
| Youghiogheny Reservoir | 10 | 2 | 5 |
| Cunningham Swamp WMA | 5 | 4 | 14 |
| 4H Center | 3 | 5 | 11 |
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 Garrett 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 2 a year in Region A, one a day |
| Deer, early muzzleloader | October 22 to 24 | One deer in all in Region A |
| Deer, junior hunt | November 14 | Hunters 16 and younger, with an adult |
| Deer, firearm | November 28 to December 12 (antlerless December 5 to 12) | Antlered; antlerless within Region A's 2 |
| Deer, late muzzleloader | December 19 to January 2 (antlerless December 26 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, fall | October 31 to November 8 | Three 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 Garrett County?
| Spring season | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | 542 | 506 | 546 | 579 | 436 | 374 | 387 |
Fall season: 23 in 2025, 57 in 2024, 40 in 2023, 34 in 2022, 30 in 2021, 32 in 2020, 53 in 2019.
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, wild turkey tables.
Are bears hunted in Garrett County?
Yes. Hunters took 62 bears in Garrett County in the 2025-26 six-day season, of 89 statewide; the others came from Allegany (12), Washington (7) and Frederick (8). 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 Garrett County?
23% of Garrett County is public land: 96,650 of its 420,177 acres. The largest share is state forest, 73,256 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Garrett County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest | 73,256 | 17.4% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 10,620 | 2.5% |
| State park | 10,561 | 2.5% |
| Wildlife management area | 2,213 | 0.5% |
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 Garrett County?
| County | Region | Public land | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany County | Region A | 27.7% | 2,924 | 1,739 | 372 |
Highways crossing Garrett County: I-68 (62 miles), US 219 (56 miles), US 40 (38 miles), MD 495 (23 miles), MD 135 (22 miles) and MD 42 (15 miles). Towns inside: Oakland, Mountain Lake Park, Grantsville and Friendsville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Garrett County, Maryland?
5,147 in 2025-26: 3,058 antlered and 2,089 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). In 2024-25 the county reported 5,613. By weapon, firearms took 2,660, archery 1,453 and muzzleloaders 1,034.
Where can you hunt deer on public land in Garrett County?
DNR's 2025-26 public land table lists 12 areas in the county. The most deer came off Savage River SF (553), Garrett SF (215) and Potomac SF (111).
When is deer firearm season in Garrett County in 2026?
November 28 to December 12; antlerless deer only December 5 to 12, within Region A's limit of two antlerless deer a year (Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027).
How many turkeys are taken in Garrett County?
542 in the 2026 spring season, against 506 in 2025 (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). The fall season took 23 in 2025. The 2027 spring season runs April 19 to May 24.
Can you hunt bears in Garrett County?
Yes. Garrett is one of Maryland's four bear-hunting counties; hunters took 62 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.