Mentored hunts are a great way to introduce new or novice hunters to the sport. Annual opportunities are available at the Patuxent Research Refuge and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Department of Natural Resources photo.
As temperatures cool, beach towns get less crowded, and classrooms fill with children, the end of the summer season marks the beginning of another–deer hunting season in Maryland.
Outdoors enthusiasts and hunters alike set their sights on the first Friday after Labor Day – the official kick-off of deer archery season. With burly whitetails in the Western Maryland mountains to exotic sika in the marshes of the Eastern Shore, plentiful opportunities await those wishing to stock their freezer with venison for the winter.
In addition to a traditional sport, deer hunting in Maryland is a valuable management tool which helps maintain a healthy population of the herd. Hunters who harvest deer can help reduce crop damage, limit deer-vehicle collisions, and lessen the effects of deer conflicts in urban/suburban areas. And with nearly 450,000 acres of public hunting land, there’s an incredible opportunity for new hunters to dive into the excitement of deer season.
Rules and Regulations
[IMG alt="White-tailed deer, DNR photo contest submission by Patricia Neal.
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White-tailed deer, DNR photo contest submission by Patricia Neal.
Prospective hunters have the option to purchase an apprentice hunting license, popular with youth and first-time hunters, or follow the traditional route by taking a hunter safety course prior to purchasing a Maryland hunting license. Those who have not yet received their hunter safety certificate can take the basic hunter safety course in-person, or via “hybrid” training. The free in-person course is a multi-day training class offered in locations around the state.
Alternatively, prospective hunters age 13 and older may complete the online training course through Hunter-Ed. After successful completion of the online training, you will be issued a “voucher” to attend a one day, in-person, Field Day Workshop. While the FDW is provided without cost, the online course does charge a fee.
Maryland’s Hunter Education Program also provides advanced training classes in bow hunting, muzzleloader hunting, and tree-stand safety. These courses are not required for hunting in Maryland, but provide valuable knowledge and may be required for hunting in nearby states.
Once your training requirement is fulfilled, you’ll need your hunting license–available online– and applicable stamps depending on the type of hunting you’ll be doing. An Archery Stamp is required if hunting deer during archery season, a Muzzleloader Stamp is necessary for hunting during muzzleloader season, while a Sika Deer Stamp is necessary to hunt sika deer. Funds generated from the purchase of hunting licenses goes to wildlife management and conservation for deer and other game species.
Information regarding bag limits and season dates is found in the Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping for 2024-25.
Plan your hunting trip
Maryland offers public hunting opportunities at many state parks, state forests, wildlife management areas, and other designated state-managed lands. Some areas may require a free permit, reservation, or daily sign-in.
Public lands produced more than 13 percent of the state’s total deer harvest in 2023-24. Whether hunting the expansive Savage River State Forest’s more than 55,000 acres in remote Western Maryland, or staying within reach of major metropolitan areas at one of Baltimore County’s three major reservoirs–Liberty, Loch Raven, and Prettyboy–hunters’ chances of finding a suitable tract of land are promising. Public land in Allegany and Garrett counties were among the highest-producing areas, while counties in Central Maryland accounted for a fair share of public land hunting success.
Novice hunters located in the densely-populated regions of the state should look for expansive properties known to be fertile deer habitat. Patuxent River State Park, for example, spans Howard and Montgomery counties and has accounted for nearly 300 harvested deer in each of the past two years. If hunting on private property, written permission is required unless the owner or lessee is in the hunting party.
Scouting the property may help increase chances of a successful and enjoyable experience. Hunters should start by studying maps to identify key features like food sources, water sources, bedding areas, and transition lines where different types of vegetation meet. Once on the ground, hunters should look for signs of deer activity such as trails, rubs, and scrapes. Early scouting allows the opportunity to learn the terrain and plan a hunting strategy.
Safety first
Hunters are encouraged to practice tree stand safety by wearing a properly-maintained full body harness. Department of Natural Resources photo.
Tree stand falls have accounted for nearly 70 percent of all hunting accidents in Maryland in the past five years. Three of those accidents were fatal. Hunters need to practice tree stand safety by adhering to the following tips.
- Carefully inspect the tree stand and full-body harness prior to use.
- Always use a full-body safety harness when climbing a tree or in a tree stand.
- Only climb healthy trees.
- Use a haul line to get hunting equipment into and out of the stand.
- Inform others of the location of the hunt and time of return.
- Have a mobile phone available and charged.
Hunters need to follow fluorescent color clothing requirements of daylight fluorescent orange or pink, and even when it’s not required – during deer archery season or while hunting migratory birds and turkey – hunters are still encouraged to wear it as the safety benefits outweigh the risks.
I bagged a deer! Now what?
Once taking a deer, a hunter must affix a field tag to the animal before registering it, or report the harvest from the field by getting a confirmation number through Maryland DNR’s online licensing and registration system, the AccessDNR app, or the Maryland Big Game Registration Phone Line, 1-888-800-0121. After completing this step and field dressing the deer, the hunter can take their harvest to a local processor butcher.
Hunters who don’t want to keep the meat can donate their deer to Farmers and Hunters Feeding The Hungry, a program that works with approved processors to deliver venison to Marylanders in need.
Those who keep the meat can prepare their venison with one of DNR’s recipes and know that their harvest is both personally rewarding and helpful to the state’s management goals.
Article by Hunter Dortenzo, Public Information Officer for the Maryland Natural Resources Police.