Jessica Nelson
Photo by Jessica Nelson, submitted to the 2018 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
Statewide harvest 10% higher than the 5-year average
Maryland 2025 - Maryland deer hunters harvested 84,201 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 6, 2024 through Feb. 4, 2025.
The statewide harvest reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources included 32,148 antlered and 47,271 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 2,143 antlered and 2,639 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 15.9% higher than the 2023-2024 total of 72,642 deer and 10.4% higher than the 5-year average of 76,272.
“Deer hunters across Maryland enjoyed another year in the field as snow and cooler temperatures made for many successful hunts later in the season,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer said. “Maryland’s deer population remains healthy and we thank hunters for their assistance in managing the state’s deer population.”
Hunters harvested 9,459 deer on Sundays, comprising 11.2% 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) increased 12.1%, from 9,169 deer last year to 10,275 this year. Hunters in the western counties reported 5,836 antlered and 4,439 antlerless deer.
Hunters in Region B — the remainder of the state — harvested 73,926 deer, up 16.5% from 63,473 deer harvested last year. A total of 28,455 antlered and 45,471 antlerless deer were reported in this region.
Frederick County had the highest reported whitetail harvest again this year, with 6,869 deer reported: a 4.9% increase from last year. Carroll County followed with 5,988 and Garrett County was third with 5,613 deer. Baltimore and Washington counties rounded out the top five with 5,239 and 5,066 deer, respectively.
