Maryland Hunters Report Taking 70,845 Deer in 2021-2022 Season

Frederick County Leads State in Harvest Totals

Photo by Patricia Neal, submitted to the 2021 Maryland DNR Photo Contest

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that deer hunters harvested 70,845 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 10, 2021 through Feb. 3, 2022.

The statewide harvest included 27,947 antlered and 39,498 antlerless white-tailed deer, plus 1,541 antlered and 1,859 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 13% lower than the 2020-2021 total of 81,729 deer.

“Maryland hunters concluded another successful but challenging deer season,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said. “Fluctuations in the annual harvest are attributable to various factors including hunter effort and natural food availability, but is also indicative that the deer population is trending toward a population level that reduces damage to agriculture and minimizes impacts on our natural communities.”

Hunters harvested 7,289 deer on Sundays, comprising 10% of the total harvest. Hunting deer on Sunday is only permitted during certain weeks in 20 of Maryland’s 23 counties.

The harvest in deer management Region A (Western Maryland) decreased 16%, from 9,383 deer last year to 7,929 this year. Hunters in the western counties reported 4,888 antlered and 3,041 antlerless deer.

Hunters in Region B — the remainder of the state — harvested 62,916 deer, down 13% from 72,346 deer harvested last year. A total of 24,600 antlered and 38,316 antlerless deer were reported in this region.

Frederick County had the highest reported harvest again this year, with 6,088 deer reported. Carroll County followed with 5,071 deer, and Baltimore County was third with 4,501. Garrett and Washington counties rounded out the top five with 3,923 and 3,899 deer, respectively.