Excellent Weather Contributed to Strong Harvest
Photo by Ranger Elena Gilroy
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters reported 11,054 deer taken on the opening weekend of the 2020 Maryland firearm season, Nov. 28-29. The harvest was 19% higher than last year’s official first weekend harvest of 9,272 deer.
The harvest total included 4,932 antlered and 5,799 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 163 antlered and 160 antlerless sika deer. The two-week deer firearm season runs through Dec. 12.
“Hunters took advantage of excellent weather for the opening weekend of firearm season to get outside and enjoy one of their favorite pastimes,” Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said. “By all measures, we had great weather and participation this weekend. Maryland deer hunters enjoyed a safe and successful opening weekend.”
Hunters in Region A, which includes Allegany, Garrett, and western Washington counties, harvested 1,107 antlered deer (up 26%). Hunters in Region B, comprising the rest of the state, harvested 3,988 antlered and 5,959 antlerless deer (up 18% and 19%, respectively).
Junior hunters experienced windy weather for their Junior Deer Hunt Days Nov. 14-15, but still harvested 2,170 deer. The harvest was 11% lower than the official harvest of 2,428 last year. Juniors registered 1,370 antlered and 800 antlerless deer.
Maryland Unofficial Results of Junior Deer Hunt (Nov. 14-15, 2020) and Opening Weekend Firearm Deer Season (Nov. 28-29, 2020) |
| County | Junior Hunt | Opening Weekend Firearm Season | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Sunday | Total | ||||||||
| Antlered | Antlerless | Junior Total | Antlered | Antlerless | Total | Antlered | Antlerless | Total | ||
| Allegany | 134 | 43 | 177 | 305 | 0 | 305 | 103 | 0 | 103 | 408 |
| Anne Arundel | 5 | 6 | 11 | 43 | 73 | 116 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 156 |
| Baltimore | 30 | 13 | 43 | 166 | 282 | 448 | * | * | * | 448 |
| Calvert | 9 | 9 | 18 | 42 | 66 | 108 | 15 | 33 | 48 | 156 |
| Caroline | 41 | 35 | 76 | 138 | 207 | 345 | 53 | 96 | 149 | 494 |
| Carroll | 110 | 56 | 166 | 352 | 472 | 824 | 127 | 189 | 316 | 1,140 |
| Cecil | 51 | 35 | 86 | 116 | 194 | 310 | 37 | 96 | 133 | 443 |
| Charles | 22 | 23 | 45 | 93 | 106 | 199 | 42 | 46 | 88 | 287 |
| Dorchester | ||||||||||
| whitetail | 32 | 27 | 59 | 89 | 141 | 230 | 40 | 74 | 114 | 344 |
| sika | 13 | 14 | 27 | 98 | 104 | 202 | 48 | 44 | 92 | 294 |
| Frederick | 151 | 76 | 227 | 492 | 554 | 1,046 | 153 | 197 | 350 | 1,396 |
| Garrett | 226 | 92 | 318 | 362 | 0 | 362 | 153 | 0 | 153 | 515 |
| Harford | 28 | 14 | 42 | 116 | 178 | 294 | 39 | 78 | 117 | 411 |
| Howard | 21 | 7 | 28 | 80 | 116 | 196 | * | * | * | 196 |
| Kent | 39 | 23 | 62 | 134 | 257 | 391 | 42 | 97 | 139 | 530 |
| Montgomery | 50 | 31 | 81 | 120 | 187 | 307 | 32 | 48 | 80 | 387 |
| Prince George’s | 7 | 4 | 11 | 53 | 82 | 135 | * | * | * | 135 |
| Queen Anne’s | 40 | 27 | 67 | 126 | 235 | 361 | 46 | 115 | 161 | 522 |
| Somerset | ||||||||||
| whitetail | 49 | 54 | 103 | 72 | 151 | 223 | 37 | 80 | 117 | 340 |
| sika | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| St. Mary’s | 18 | 10 | 28 | 69 | 79 | 148 | 19 | 36 | 55 | 203 |
| Talbot | 31 | 25 | 56 | 88 | 161 | 249 | 22 | 85 | 107 | 356 |
| Washington | 103 | 50 | 153 | 375 | 210 | 585 | 115 | 78 | 193 | 778 |
| Wicomico | ||||||||||
| whitetail | 83 | 58 | 141 | 134 | 222 | 356 | 50 | 92 | 142 | 498 |
| sika | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| Worcester | ||||||||||
| whitetail | 75 | 66 | 141 | 148 | 216 | 364 | 78 | 146 | 224 | 588 |
| sika | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 1,370 | 800 | 2,170 | 3,825 | 4,303 | 8,128 | 1,270 | 1,656 | 2,926 | 11,054 |
| *Sunday hunting not permitted. |