Worcester County, Maryland: deer harvest, public hunting areas and seasons
Hunters reported 2,862 deer in Worcester County in the 2025-26 season, 1,150 antlered and 1,712 antlerless, against 3,192 in 2024-25. 118 of them were sika deer. Worcester County is in deer management Region B. 502 of the 2025-26 deer came off 8 public hunting areas DNR lists in the county. 17.1% 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 refugeNational Park ServiceWorcester CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Deer management region | Region B |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 2,862 (1,150 antlered, 1,712 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 3,192 |
| Sika deer, 2025-26 | 118 (45 antlered) |
| Public land | 17.1% (64,209 acres) |
| Deer taken on public areas, 2025-26 | 502 on 8 areas |
| Spring turkeys, 2026 | 430 |
| Firearm season, 2026 | November 28 to December 12 and January 8 to 10 |
How many deer are taken in Worcester County?
2,862 deer in 2025-26, down 10% from 3,192 in 2024-25. By weapon season:
| Season | Archery antlered | Archery antlerless | Firearm antlered | Firearm antlerless | Muzzleloader antlered | Muzzleloader antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 339 | 205 | 615 | 1,170 | 151 | 264 | 2,862 |
| 2024-25 | 301 | 246 | 665 | 1,468 | 131 | 248 | 3,192 |
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Table 1; Maryland DNR Big Game Report 2024-2025, Table 1. Weapon columns are white-tailed deer; the total includes sika.
How has the antlerless harvest changed?
| Season | Antlerless deer |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,712 |
| 2024-25 | 2,042 |
| 2023-24 | 1,651 |
| 2022-23 | 1,912 |
| 2021-22 | 2,291 |
| 2020-21 | 2,740 |
| 2019-20 | 2,404 |
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.
How many sika deer are taken in Worcester County?
118 sika in 2025-26 (45 antlered, 73 antlerless), against 133 in 2024-25. Sika need a Sika Deer Stamp, and their bag limits are separate from white-tailed deer (Maryland DNR: early muzzleloader deer season opens October 22).
Which public hunting areas in Worcester County give up the most deer?
| Public hunting area | Antlered, 2025-26 | Antlerless, 2025-26 | All deer, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocomoke SF | 54 | 91 | 126 |
| Chesapeake Forest Lands | 59 | 76 | 138 |
| Assateague NS | 37 | 71 | 122 |
| E.A. Vaughn WMA | 28 | 37 | 48 |
| Pocomoke River WMA | 13 | 12 | 16 |
| Assateague SP | 6 | 9 | 11 |
| Hickory Point | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Isle of Wight WMA | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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 Worcester 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 Worcester County?
| Spring season | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | 430 | 400 | 442 | 350 | 293 | 295 | 240 |
Source: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, wild turkey tables.
How much public land is in Worcester County?
17.1% of Worcester County is public land: 64,209 of its 374,456 acres. The largest share is state forest, 38,543 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Worcester County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest | 38,543 | 10.3% |
| National Park Service | 19,487 | 5.2% |
| Wildlife management area | 4,051 | 1.1% |
| State park | 1,948 | 0.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 180 | 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 Worcester County?
| County | Region | Public land | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County | Region B | 22.2% | 1,846 | 657 | 184 |
| Wicomico County | Region B | 11% | 2,787 | 1,112 | 242 |
Highways crossing Worcester County: US 113 (67 miles), US 50 (29 miles), MD 12 (23 miles), MD 528 (17 miles), MD 90 (16 miles) and US 13 (13 miles). Towns inside: Ocean City, Pocomoke City, Berlin and Snow Hill.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Worcester County, Maryland?
2,862 in 2025-26: 1,150 antlered and 1,712 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026). In 2024-25 the county reported 3,192. By weapon, firearms took 1,785, archery 544 and muzzleloaders 415 white-tailed deer.
Where can you hunt deer on public land in Worcester County?
DNR's 2025-26 public land table lists 8 areas in the county. The most deer came off Pocomoke SF (145), Chesapeake Forest Lands (135) and Assateague NS (108).
When is deer firearm season in Worcester 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 Worcester County?
430 in the 2026 spring season, against 400 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.