Maryland’s Junior Deer Hunt Opens November 16

Annual hunt is an excellent opportunity for adults to mentor young hunters

Photo by Chauntell Hawkins, submitted to the Maryland DNR Photo Contest.

Maryland’s 2024 Junior Deer Hunt will be open November 16 statewide and in certain counties on Sunday, November 17. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages experienced deer hunters to take advantage of these days to introduce young people to the time-honored tradition of hunting. 

The Junior Deer Hunt is open on private and designated public land in all counties on November 16. The season is also open on Sunday, November 17 on private land in all counties except Baltimore, Howard, and Prince George’s counties. Also on November 17, junior hunters in Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, may hunt on designated public lands.

“The Junior Deer Hunt is an excellent time for young hunters to experience the thrill of deer hunting,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer said. “The season coincides with peak deer activity during the rut and pleasant fall weather.”

Hunters 16 years of age or younger who possess a valid license may use air guns or firearms that meet the regulatory requirements to hunt sika and white-tailed deer on these days. Youth must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old who holds a valid Maryland hunting license. Adults may serve as mentors only and can not possess a hunting device while accompanying a junior hunter. 

Hunters who are not serving as mentors for a junior deer hunter may participate in other open hunting seasons during the junior deer hunt days. All hunters including archery and other game hunters are required to wear blaze orange or pink during the youth hunt dates.

The bag limits for the Junior Deer Hunt Days are:

• One antlered or antlerless white-tailed deer in Region A;
• Three white-tailed deer in Region B, with no more than one antlered; and
• One antlered or one antlerless sika deer.

Deer taken by youth hunters during the two days do not count toward regular archery, firearm, or muzzleloader bag limits. They are also exempt from the antler point restriction.

Season dates, bag limits, hunting regulations, and registration procedures can be found in the Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.

Deer hunters looking to pursue sika deer must purchase a sika hunting stamp through the department’s online licensing website, at a licensing agent, or by calling DNR License and Regisration Services at 866-344-8889. An antlered sika is defined as a deer with at least one antler visible above the hairline. 

Hunters should carefully inspect all tree stands and always wear a full-body safety harness while in the stand and while climbing in or out. The department strongly recommends using a sliding knot, commonly known as a prusik knot, attached to a line that is secured above the stand that allows the hunter to be safely tethered to the tree as soon as they leave the ground.

Hunters are encouraged to help others by donating deer taken in Maryland. A state tax credit offers hunters an incentive for donated deer. Other local or state programs are also available, so hunters should check with their deer processor.