Whitetail deer
Maryland deer hunting
19 public hunting areas ranked by today’s conditions, herd density, and habitat, plus current seasons and CWD zones.
Live · updatedSeason & rut right now
Rut phase today: Outside the rut · peak breeding around 11/10. Full rut forecast →
archery
Sep 5 – Oct 15
Archery — early split.
archery
Oct 19 – Nov 28
Archery — mid split.
archery
Dec 15 – Dec 19
Archery.
archery
Jan 4 – Jan 8
Archery — January.
archery
Jan 12 – Jan 31
Archery — late January.
muzzleloader
Oct 16 – Oct 18
Muzzleloader — October.
muzzleloader
Oct 20 – Oct 25
Muzzleloader — antlerless (Region B).
muzzleloader
Dec 20 – Jan 3
Muzzleloader — late.
firearm
Nov 29 – Dec 13
Firearms.
firearm
Jan 9 – Jan 11
Firearms — January (Region B).
CWD Disease Surveillance Area: CWD was first detected in a wild Maryland deer in Allegany County in November 2010. Maryland’s CWD Management Area covers 7 western/central counties: Allegany, Washington, Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Montgomery and Howard. In the Management Area, whole carcasses may not leave except to an approved processor/taxidermist — only deboned meat, quarters with no spine/head, cleaned hide/skull cap, antlers with no tissue, and finished mounts may be moved out. Importing whole carcasses/high-risk parts from another state’s CWD area is prohibited. Confirm the current rules with MD DNR.
Regulations: Maryland DNR — 2025-26 Hunting Seasons Calendar (latest published) · verified 2026-07-27.
Seasons at a glance
Every game class we model in Maryland, and whether it’s open today. See all 2025-26 season dates, bag limits & shooting hours →
Public hunting land, ranked for today
Each tract is scored on its own conditions, then blended with county herd density and habitat. Highest first.
- 72 Savage River State Forest herd 72 · ground 84
- 69 Garrett State Forest herd 72 · ground 67
- 69 Millington Wildlife Management Area herd 85 · ground 75
- 68 Mt. Nebo Wildlife Management Area herd 72 · ground 63
- 65 Potomac State Forest herd 72 · ground 76
- 64 Green Ridge State ForestCWD herd 60 · ground 86
- 64 Idylwild Wildlife Management Area herd 72 · ground 75
- 64 Sideling Hill Wildlife Management AreaCWD herd 72 · ground 74
- 63 Chesapeake Forest Lands herd 72 · ground 70
- 63 Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area herd 72 · ground 68
- 63 Indian Springs Wildlife Management AreaCWD herd 72 · ground 70
- 62 Pocomoke State Forest herd 60 · ground 80
- 62 Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management AreaCWD herd 60 · ground 79
- 62 Ellis Bay Wildlife Management Area herd 72 · ground 63
- 61 Warrior Mountain Wildlife Management AreaCWD herd 60 · ground 71
- 60 Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area herd 50 · ground 75
- 59 Deal Island Wildlife Management Area herd 60 · ground 64
- 57 Fairmount Wildlife Management Area herd 60 · ground 53
- 41 Cedar Island Wildlife Management Area herd 60 · ground 49
Public land map
Every mapped tract. Tap a marker for conditions.
Top counties by deer-harvest density
All 23 counties →Season-final harvest per square mile, a herd-quality proxy from the state’s annual report.
| County | Harvest | Per sq mi | CWD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll | 5,268 | 11.76 | Yes |
| Kent | 3,018 | 10.9 | — |
| Washington | 4,560 | 9.96 | Yes |
| Frederick | 6,342 | 9.59 | Yes |
| Dorchester | 5,104 | 9.43 | — |
| Cecil | 3,159 | 9.13 | — |
| Queen Anne's | 3,355 | 9.02 | — |
| Howard | 2,105 | 8.39 | Yes |
| Baltimore | 4,779 | 7.99 | Yes |
| Caroline | 2,540 | 7.96 | — |
| Garrett | 5,146 | 7.93 | — |
| Wicomico | 2,787 | 7.45 | — |