Rhode Island deer hunting: zones, state hunting areas and 2026-27 seasons
Rhode Island hunters took 2,816 deer in the 2025-26 season, 722 of them on public land. Zone 2 gave up the most, 1,601. In 2026-27 Zones 1 and 2 share one set of dates, with the shotgun season December 5 to 31.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: RIDEM 2025-26 Deer Program Report. Seasons: RIDEM 2026-2027 Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide.
Rhode Island hunt plans are coming
Hunt plans for Rhode Island are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. Join the Rhode Island list.
When are Rhode Island's 2026-27 deer seasons?
| Zone | Season | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Archery (youth only) | September 12 to 13 |
| Zone 1 | Archery | September 15 to January 31, 2027 |
| Zone 1 | Muzzleloader (youth only) | October 31 to November 1 |
| Zone 1 | Muzzleloader | November 7 to December 4 |
| Zone 1 | Shotgun | December 5 to 31 |
| Zone 2 | Archery (youth only) | September 12 to 13 |
| Zone 2 | Archery | September 15 to January 31, 2027 |
| Zone 2 | Muzzleloader (youth only) | October 31 to November 1 |
| Zone 2 | Muzzleloader | November 7 to December 4 |
| Zone 2 | Shotgun | December 5 to 31 |
| Zone 3 (Patience and Prudence Islands) | Special season for disabled hunters | October 13 to 16 |
| Zone 3 (Patience and Prudence Islands) | Archery (youth only) | October 17 to 18 |
| Zone 3 (Patience and Prudence Islands) | Archery | October 19 to January 31, 2027 |
| Zone 4 (Block Island) | Archery | October 15, 16, 19 to 23 and 26 to 30 (check local ordinance) |
| Zone 4 (Block Island) | Archery, muzzleloader and shotgun | Set days from November 2, 2026 to February 12, 2027 (weekdays; see the guide's list) |
Source: RIDEM 2026-2027 Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide.
How many deer does each zone give up?
| Zone | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Deer, 2023-24 | Antlerless bag | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 915 | 911 | 892 | 3 antlerless deer | 5.4% |
| Zone 2 | 1,601 | 1,562 | 1,443 | 2 antlerless deer | 14% |
| Zone 3 (Patience and Prudence Islands) | 69 | 74 | 55 | 2 antlerless deer, and no more than 1 antlered deer | 69.7% |
| Zone 4 (Block Island) | 231 | 296 | 395 | unlimited antlerless deer | 4.1% |
Source: RIDEM 2025-26 Deer Program Report, Table 1; RIDEM 2024-25 Deer Program Report, Table 1.
How did the 2025-26 season compare?
| 2025-26 | 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | 2,816 | 2,846 |
| Antlered | 1,374 | 1,427 |
| Antlerless | 1,442 | 1,416 |
| Archery (vertical bow) | 451 | 455 |
| Crossbow | 763 | 651 |
| Muzzleloader | 1,182 | 1,273 |
| Shotgun | 420 | 464 |
| Public land | 722 | 761 |
| Private land | 2,094 | 2,072 |
| Deer hunters | 5,242 | 5,283 |
Source: RIDEM 2025-26 Deer Program Report, Table 1.
How much of Rhode Island is public hunting ground?
10.1% of the state's area inside its zone lines is public land by RIDEM's and federal maps: state hunting land 56,704 acres, Other RIDEM recreation land 10,596 acres, national wildlife refuge 2,261 acres and National Park Service 27 acres.
State hunting areas with their own page
- Arcadia Management Area, 72 deer in 2025-26
- Big River Management Area, 83 deer in 2025-26
- Black Farm Management Area, 4 deer in 2025-26
- Black Hut Management Area, 15 deer in 2025-26
- Buck Hill Management Area, 21 deer in 2025-26
- Burlingame Management Area, 25 deer in 2025-26
- Carolina Management Area, 17 deer in 2025-26
- Durfee Hill Management Area, 18 deer in 2025-26
- Eight Rod Farm Management Area, 18 deer in 2025-26
- George Washington Management Area, 33 deer in 2025-26
- Great Swamp Management Area, 24 deer in 2025-26
- Killingly Pond Management Area, 8 deer in 2025-26
- Nicholas Farm Management Area, 7 deer in 2025-26
- Simmons Mill Management Area, 9 deer in 2025-26
- South Shore Management Area, 9 deer in 2025-26
- Wickaboxet Management Area, 4 deer in 2025-26
- Woody Hill Management Area, 20 deer in 2025-26
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in Rhode Island in 2026-27?
In Zones 1 and 2: archery September 15 to January 31, 2027, muzzleloader November 7 to December 4 and shotgun December 5 to 31, with youth days in September and at the end of October. Patience and Prudence Islands (Zone 3) open to archery October 19; Block Island (Zone 4) has its own set days (RIDEM 2026-2027 Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide).
How many deer were taken in Rhode Island in 2025-26?
2,816, against 2,846 in 2024-25: 1,374 antlered and 1,442 antlerless, 722 on public land, by 5,242 deer hunters (RIDEM 2025-26 Deer Program Report).
What are the deer bag limits in Rhode Island?
Two antlered deer a year in all zones together (no more than one on Patience and Prudence Islands), and antlerless deer by zone: 3 in Zone 1, 2 in Zones 2 and 3, and unlimited on Block Island (Zone 4). Antlerless limits are per zone.
Which state hunting areas give up the most deer in Rhode Island?
In 2025-26: Big River Management Area (83), Arcadia Management Area (72), George Washington Management Area (33), Burlingame Management Area (25) and Great Swamp Management Area (24) (RIDEM 2025-26 Deer Program Report, Table 3).
Get a Rhode Island hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Rhode Island 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, Rhode Island included.
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons: RIDEM 2026-2027 Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide.
- Harvest: RIDEM 2025-26 Deer Program Report; RIDEM 2024-25 Deer Program Report.
- Zones: RIDEM Deer Management Zones. Public land: RIDEM State Hunting Land and RIDEM's recreation land layer for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
FilledTag is not part of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. RIDEM's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.