St. Mary's County, Maryland: deer harvest, public hunting areas and seasons
Hunters reported 1,933 deer in St. Mary's County in the 2025-26 season, 835 antlered and 1,098 antlerless, against 2,473 in 2024-25. St. Mary's County is in deer management Region B. 163 of the 2025-26 deer came off 10 public hunting areas DNR lists in the county. 3.2% 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 forestState parkNational wildlife refugeMilitary (closed unless the base allows)St. Mary's CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Deer management region | Region B |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 1,933 (835 antlered, 1,098 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 2,473 |
| Public land | 3.2% (7,966 acres) |
| Deer taken on public areas, 2025-26 | 163 on 10 areas |
| Spring turkeys, 2026 | 293 |
| Firearm season, 2026 | November 28 to December 12 and January 8 to 10 |
How many deer are taken in St. Mary's County?
1,933 deer in 2025-26, down 22% from 2,473 in 2024-25. By weapon season:
| Season | Archery antlered | Archery antlerless | Firearm antlered | Firearm antlerless | Muzzleloader antlered | Muzzleloader antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 406 | 359 | 276 | 490 | 153 | 249 | 1,933 |
| 2024-25 | 551 | 591 | 341 | 610 | 111 | 269 | 2,473 |
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 | 1,098 |
| 2024-25 | 1,470 |
| 2023-24 | 1,116 |
| 2022-23 | 1,130 |
| 2021-22 | 820 |
| 2020-21 | 1,264 |
| 2019-20 | 1,547 |
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 St. Mary's County give up the most deer?
| Public hunting area | Antlered, 2025-26 | Antlerless, 2025-26 | All deer, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patuxent Naval Air Station | 23 | 31 | 35 |
| St. Mary's River SP or Salem Tract | 18 | 25 | 44 |
| Newtowne Neck SP | 6 | 15 | 15 |
| Greenwell SP | 4 | 8 | 13 |
| St. Inigoes SF | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| Myrtle Point CWMA | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Historic St. Mary's City CWMA | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| Point Lookout SP (Jacobs Property) | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Elms' CWMA | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Saint Clements SP | 0 | 0 |
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 St. Mary's 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 |
| 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 St. Mary's County?
| Spring season | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | 293 | 282 | 226 | 253 | 204 | 187 | 226 |
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, wild turkey tables.
How much public land is in St. Mary's County?
3.2% of St. Mary's County is public land: 7,966 of its 247,103 acres. The largest share is state park, 6,038 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of St. Mary's County |
|---|---|---|
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 7,590 | 3.1% |
| State park | 6,038 | 2.4% |
| State forest | 1,847 | 0.7% |
| Wildlife management area | 81 | 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 St. Mary's County?
| County | Region | Public land | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles County | Region B | 7.6% | 2,096 | 874 | 452 |
Highways crossing St. Mary's County: MD 5 (56 miles), MD 235 (49 miles), MD 242 (13 miles), MD 234 (13 miles), MD 238 (11 miles) and MD 244 (11 miles). Towns inside: Leonardtown.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in St. Mary's County, Maryland?
1,933 in 2025-26: 835 antlered and 1,098 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). In 2024-25 the county reported 2,473. By weapon, firearms took 766, archery 765 and muzzleloaders 402.
Where can you hunt deer on public land in St. Mary's County?
DNR's 2025-26 public land table lists 10 areas in the county. The most deer came off Patuxent Naval Air Station (54), St. Mary's River SP or Salem Tract (43) and Newtowne Neck SP (21).
When is deer firearm season in St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County?
293 in the 2026 spring season, against 282 in 2025 (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). The 2027 spring season runs April 19 to May 24.
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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.