Maryland hunters reported harvesting 30,833 deer during the two-week firearm season from November 30 through December. 14. The firearms season harvest was almost 9% higher than last year’s official count of 28,312 deer.
“The two-week firearm season continues to be our most popular deer season,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer said. “We’d like to thank all those who participated in the management of Maryland’s deer population this firearms season and congratulate those hunters who were successful in putting venison in their freezers.”
Hunters reported taking 11,709 antlered deer during the two-week season, a 2.7% decrease compared to last year’s official total of 12,028. The antlerless harvest increased 17% from 16,284 last year to 19,124 this year. Sika deer represented 540 of the total antlered harvest and 566 of the total antlerless harvest. The Sika deer harvest was up 1.4% overall.
More than 4,062 deer were taken on the two Sundays during the season, representing just over 13% of the total harvest. Deer hunting is currently permitted on select Sundays in 20 of 23 counties.
Hunters in Region A — Allegany, Garrett, and western Washington counties — reported taking 2,632 antlered and 2,106 antlerless deer (up 2.5% and 48%, respectively). The antlerless harvest increase was attributed to a recent regulation change that added 5 – 6 days to the antlerless firearm season in Region A. The added days provide more opportunity for hunters in the region to harvest deer, which assists the department with deer population management.
In the remainder of the state (Region B), hunters reported taking 9,077 antlered and 17,018 antlerless deer. The antlered harvest decreased 4% while the antlerless harvest increased 14.5%.
In Washington County, the buck harvest dropped 1%, from 979 bucks harvested in 2023 to 967 this fall. Washington County’s antlerless harvest rose 12% over last year, with 980 antlerless deer taken this year. In total, Washington County deer harvests increased by 5%, with a total of 1,947 deer taken during the fall season in 2024, up from 1,854 in 2023.
Allegany County hunters took 17% more deer this fall, checking a total of 1,571 bucks and does, up from 1,342 in 2023.
Modern firearm deer season opens again on January 10, 2025, in deer management region B. Maryland’s muzzleloader deer hunting season will reopen December 21 and run through January 4.