Skip to Main Content

23,000 Deer Harvested in Maryland during Early Hunting Season

Turkey Harvest Declines 13 Percent from Last Year

Maryland hunters harvested more deer during early hunting season compared to this time last year. Department of Natural Resources biologists attribute the increased harvest to a scarcity of acorns across most of the state, causing deer to move more in search of food.

Hunters wrapped up the early portions of the archery and muzzleloader deer seasons by harvesting an estimated 23,048 deer during September and October ─ five percent higher than last year’s harvest of 21,965.

The two-month harvest includes 12,213 deer taken during the archery season (7,107 taken with vertical bows and 5,106 taken with crossbows) and 10,715 harvested during the October muzzleloader season. An additional 120 deer were reported during managed deer hunts.

Compared to last year, the antlered harvest increased 16 percent from 6,604 deer to 7,637, and the antlerless harvest increased from 15,361 to 15,411. Included in these totals are 523 antlered and 550 antlerless sika deer.

Turkey hunters reported taking 116 wild turkeys (Allegany County 36; Garrett 49; Washington 31) during the one week fall season that ended on Nov. 7. The harvest was 13 percent lower than the 2014 harvest of 134. Reasons for the drop in the turkey harvest are unclear, but the numbers reflect a long term decline in hunter participation in this season.

For detailed information on hunting seasons and bag limits, visit www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting.

Maryland Early Season Deer Harvest (Sept.-Oct.) 2014 & 2015
Antlered   Antlerless   Total
2014 2015 % Change 2014 2015 % Change 2014 2015 % Change
Allegany 412 442 7.3 350 410 17.1 762 852 11.8
Anne Arundel 247 267 8.1 632 612 -3.2 879 879 0
Baltimore 467 482 3.2 1,447 1,372 -5.2 1,914 1,854 -3.1
Calvert 112 170 51.8 325 320 -1.5 437 490 12.1
Caroline
whitetail 119 191 60.5   371 472 27.2   490 663 35.3
sika 1 0 *   1 1 *   2 1 *
Carroll 343 447 30.3 913 1,022 11.9 1,256 1,469 17.0
Cecil 228 246 7.9 633 583 -7.9 861 829 -3.7
Charles 260 223 -14.2 658 576 -12.5 918 799 -13.0
Dorchester
whitetail 163 164 0.6   359 329 -8.4   522 493 -5.6
sika 431 488 13.2   584 520 -11   1,015 1,008 -0.7
Frederick 491 560 14.1 1216 1232 1.3 1,707 1,792 5.0
Garrett 677 779 15.1 519 516 -0.6 1,196 1,295 8.3
Harford 242 290 19.8 781 775 -0.8 1,023 1,065 4.1
Aberdeen Prvg Grds 42 43 2.4   135 86 -36.3   177 129 -27.1
Howard 205 201 -2.0 662 646 -2.4 867 847 -2.3
Kent 221 296 33.9 495 489 -1.2 716 785 9.6
Montgomery 354 375 5.9 1,185 1,149 -3.0 1,539 1,524 -1.0
Prince George’s 204 252 23.5 547 551 0.7 751 803 6.9
Queen Anne’s 212 255 20.3 512 616 20.3 724 871 20.3
Saint Mary’s 203 214 5.4 609 585 -3.9 812 799 -1.6
Somerset
whitetail 93 131 40.9   353 352 -0.3   446 483 8.3
sika 0 4 *   2 0 *   2 4 *
Talbot 141 190 34.8 428 410 -4.2 569 600 5.4
Washington 437 587 34.3 780 881 12.9 1,217 1,468 20.6
Wicomico
whitetail 137 159 16.1   426 467 9.6   563 626 11.2
sika 27 18 *   14 16 *   41 34 *
Worcester
whitetail 122 150 23.0   414 410 -1.0   536 560 4.5
sika 13 13 *   10 13 *   23 26 *
Total 6,604 7,637 15.6   15,361 15,411 0.3   21,965 23,048 4.9
*Small sample size

doit-ewspw-W01