Maryland Deer Population: Estimated at 220,000 in 2022 and 232,000 in 2020. A state estimate of 207,000 deer in 2018. Estimated at 214,000 deer prior to hunting season in 2016 and 2017, down somewhat from the 220,000 in 2015, and 227,000 in 2014. The rise in deer take for 2016 was attributed to better weather and the opening of Sunday hunting. The deer population peaked around the year 2000 at about 290,000, trending down since then. Herd analysis at right.
Maryland Deer News
Maryland Hunters Harvest 76,687 Deer for 2022-2023 Season February 16, 2023 DNR News
... The statewide harvest included 29,682 antlered and 42,872 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,908 antlered and 2,225 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 8% higher than the 2021-2022 total of 70,845 deer. The increased harvest is credited to more participation by hunters and favorable weather..,
Maryland Deer Harvest Up 10% in 2022 Firearm Season December 22, 2022 Maryland - Maryland.gov
... Hunters reported taking 12,003 antlered deer during the two-week season, up 14% from last year’s official total of 10,498. The antlerless harvest increased 6% from 16,086 last year to 17,121 this year. Sika deer represented 450 of the total antlered harvest and 527 of the total antlerless harvest...
Deer with antlers entangled in wire fence rescued in Maryland December 20, 2022 UPI
... The video shows Hall pulling the wires of the fence apart so the deer could pull its antlers free ...
Don't just set your sites on antlered deer November 26, 2022 Maryland, Frederick News-Post
... The Department of Natural Resources has tested 11,592 deer for Chronic Wasting Disease since 1999. The disease was detected for the first time in Maryland from a deer taken by a hunter in November 2010. To date, 133 infected deer have been documented in the state...
Maryland increases deer disease testing November 13, 2022 Cumberland Times-News
... For the first time since 2009, the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service will test for chronic wasting disease in deer from one end of the state to the other... “We know CWD exists in Allegany and Washington counties. This is an effort to determine if it is anywhere else in Maryland,” ...
Maryland Reports Strong 2022 Early Deer Season Results November 11, 2022 DNR News
... The early season rebound was largely attributed to improved weather for hunting and increased hunter effort when compared to the previous year. The impacts of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) were also less prevalent, although an outbreak in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties has caused a decrease in the early harvest ...
Deer caught in the crosshairs as their population grows July 19, 2022 Maryland, Bay Journal
... Pennsylvania’s deer population is estimated at 1.5 million, with approximately 50,000 deer-vehicle collisions each year — among the most in the nation. Virginia has between 850,000 and 1 million deer, and Maryland has an estimated 220,000..,
Deer disease staying east of Cumberland July 10, 2022 Maryland, Cumberland Times-News
... Earlier this year, the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service reported that 53 deer with CWD had been confirmed during the annual sampling project..,
Police rescue nursing deer after mother was hit by car in Eldersburg June 15, 2022
... The fawn was attempting to nurse on the deceased deer...he transported the fawn to a wildlife rehabilitation clinic...
Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in 53 Deer in Western Maryland May 18, 2022 Maryland.gov
... The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that 53 white-tailed deer sampled within Allegany and Washington counties in 2021 tested positive for chronic wasting disease, a neurodegenerative disease found in deer and elk. All of Maryland’s positive samples were found within the existing Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area..,
Garrett County deer hunting totals down 20 percent February 17, 2022 West Virginia, WV News
... “Fluctuations in the annual harvest are attributable to various factors, including hunter effort and natural food availability, but is also indicative that the deer population is trending toward a population level that reduces damage to agriculture and minimizes impacts on our natural communities.” ...
Maryland Hunters Report Taking 70,845 Deer in 2021-2022 Season February 10, 2022 Maryland Department of Natural Resources News
... deer hunters harvested 70,845 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 10, 2021 through Feb. 3, 2022... 13% lower than the 2020-2021 total of 81,729 deer..,
26,569 deer taken in two-week season in Maryland January 14, 2022 Delaware State News
... The harvest was 16% lower than last year’s official count of 31,649...
Maryland Deer Firearms Season Reopens January 7 January 3, 2022, Maryland.gov news site
... Hunters are reminded that an antler-point restriction remains in effect. Deer hunters may harvest one antlered white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that does not meet the requirement of having at least three points on one antler. Any additional antlered deer taken within the established bag limit must meet the minimum point restriction ...
Maryland Hunters Take 26,569 Deer in Two-Week Firearms Season December 20, 2021 Maryland.gov news site
... The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters harvested 26,569 deer during the two-week firearms season from Nov. 27 through Dec. 11. The harvest was 16% lower than last year’s official count of 31,649...
Maryland Announces Opening Weekend Deer Firearm Season Results December 5, 2021 TheBayNet.com
... hunters reported 10,419 deer taken on the opening weekend of the 2021 Maryland firearm season, Nov. 27-28. The overall harvest was 6% lower than last year’s official opening weekend ...
Maryland's Deer Firearms Hunting Season Set to Open Nov. 27 November 21, 2021 The Southern Maryland Chronicle
... an antler-point restriction remains in effect. Deer hunters may harvest one antlered white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that does not meet the requirement of having at least three points on one antler...
Frederick County is a destination location for deer hunters November 12, 2021 Maryland, Frederick News-Post
... According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 11,184 deer were estimated to have been killed by motor vehicles in 2018 in Maryland alone. Animal-vehicle collisions increase in October and November, as fall is deer mating season...
Human activity has caused a super abundance of white-tailed deer October 22, 2021 Maryland, Capital Gazette
... Maryland’s white-tailed deer population was 232,000 last year, an increase from 140,426 in 1989... Deer hunter licenses issued declined from 194,000 in 1975 to only 115,000 in 2020...
Catonsville residents save deer with bucket stuck on its head October 15, 2021 Maryland, Baltimore Fishbowl
... A deer was standing in her backyard with a blue trick-or-treat bucket over its head... neighbor and members of her landscaping service cornered the deer into her stairwell and finally removed the bucket...
Trio Loses Hunting Privileges for Poaching Antlerless Albino Deer July 21, 2021, Maryland, maryland.gov
... In November and December, the Natural Resources Police investigated reports of deer illegally killed near the Blakeslee community in Garrett County. On December 3, 2020, officers learned from concerned citizens that an antlerless albino deer was illegally hunted...
Rockville reports 21 deer culled in pilot program May 5, 2021 Maryland, Bethesda Magazine
... Steve Mader, the superintendent of parks and facilities for the city, told the council that officials received 426 emails during the event opposing the pilot program... “We had one case of destruction where somebody went in and damaged a bunch of [the contractor’s] tree stands, game cameras,”...
Marylanders Reminded to Leave Deer Wild April 29, 2021 Maryland DNR News
... inquisitive fawns will sometimes explore new surroundings and may appear to be lost or orphaned. There is usually no need for human intervention since in most cases, the doe is nearby foraging and will return to nurse her fawn when it is safe..,
Drones flying over Arlington to measure deer population March 29, 2021 Maryland,
INSIDENOVA.COM
... Thermal and infrared imagery has helped improve counting by relating animals’ unique heat and visibility signatures to precisely count only deer. In one study, it was shown that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, can be about 43-96% more accurate than ground or human-made observations in counting wildlife...
Sika Deer, Creature Feature February 19, 2021 Maryland, Bay Weekly
... Sika deer have an 18-year lifespan, which is longer than the white-tailed deer... The sub-species introduced here from Japan in 1909 has faint spotting on their back... They have been recorded as having ten distinct sounds..,
Maryland Hunters Harvest 81,000 Deer during 2020-2021 Season February 16, 2021 Maryland DNR
... deer hunters harvested 81,729 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 11, 2020 through Feb. 3, 2021. The statewide harvest included 29,242 antlered and 49,033 antlerless white-tailed deer, plus 1,500 antlered and 1,954 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 3% higher than the 2019-2020 total of 79,457 deer..,
Hunters oppose commercialization of deer hunting February 1, 2021 Maryland, MarylandReporter.com
... the idea of legalizing the commercial exploitation of a publicly-owned resource, our wild deer population... We cannot be silent while lawmakers sanction the exploitation of a publicly-owned resource – aka, Public Trust Doctrine – for personal financial gain, violating all ethics of conservation hunting...
Primitive Deer Hunt begins in Maryland Feb. 1 January 26, 2021 Frederick News Post
... The low-tech hunting devices include long bows, flintlock, recurve bows and sidelock percussion muzzleloaders, but not other items such as crossbows, compound bows or drawlocks. Fiber optic sights are allowed on primitive bows or muzzleloaders...
Deer Harvest up 16% during Maryland Firearms Season December 21, 2020 December 21, 2020 Maryland DNR
... hunters harvested 31,571 deer during the two-week firearms season from Nov. 28 – Dec. 12. The harvest was 16% higher than last year’s official count of 27,121. Hunters enjoyed good weather compared to the 2019 season, which was hampered by rain, wind, and fog on key days..,
Hunters face charges after illegal killing of albino deer December 11, 2020 Maryland, For The Win
... at the center of the investigation was the shooting of an antlerless albino deer from a vehicle in a private field and leaving the carcass to waste...
Maryland Reports Early Deer Season 2020 Results December 2, 2020 Southern Maryland News Net
... The harvest was a 7% decrease from last year’s official harvest of 21,098 deer for the same period. The early season harvest decline was attributed to warmer weather during muzzleloader season, and a reported increase in the occurrence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in some counties..,
A bounty for killing deer is wrong. Anne Arundel should end its misguided program November 22, 2020 Marlyland, Capital Gazette
... DNR said: “After discussions with the Office of the Attorney General, it has been confirmed that paying hunters for deer harvested ... is in violation of Natural Resources Article Section 10-404 (e), which prohibits the “exchange” for a game mammal taken from the wild ...
Maryland county to keep food program thought to violate law November 19, 2020 Washington Post
... a venison food relief program ... the program is likely a violation of law because the county is giving hunters $50 for each deer, which they say constitutes an “exchange.” ...
Free Webinar Addresses Impact of Surgical Sterilization on White Tail Deer Populations November 15, 2020 Maryland, Patch
... on his six surgical sterilization sites with open populations (not fenced or island environments) ... They noted an average reduction in deer abundance of 25% from Year 1 to Year 2. At research sites with 4 years of sterilization treatment (4 sites), they noted an average total reduction of 45%... [Webinar scheduled for November 17]
Input Sought on Maryland White-tailed Deer Management Plan October 31, 2020 Maryland, The Southern Maryland Chronicle
... “We look forward to this phase of the public process as it always helps inform and improve our ability to manage deer for all Maryland citizens.” The public can view the draft plan and comment online from Oct. 28 through Nov. 27...
Maryland Draft Deer Plan October, 2020, Maryland DNR
... The population increased from an estimated 246,000 deer in 1998 to a high of nearly 300,000 individuals in 2002 before declining to an estimated low of 199,000 in 2014. The population was estimated at 207,000 individuals in 2018. Liberal seasons and bag limits enacted for antlerless deer have successfully stabilized and/or reduced deer populations in many areas..,
Hunting in Maryland shifts toward trophy deer, away from private land October 13, 2020 DelmarvaNow
... Maryland opted to restock white-tailed deer in the first half of the 20th century. Since then, the deer population has increased, reaching almost 300,000 in the early 2000s. It’s averaged about 225,000 over the past few years, according to Brian Eyler, Maryland Department of Natural Resources deer project manager..,
Montgomery Co.’s annual deer population control efforts will start in September August 12, 2020 Maryland, WTOP News
... The 24th year of Montgomery County, Maryland’s deer population control plan ... More than 20,000 deer have been killed over the years ...
Tree diversity promotes growth of late successional species despite increasing deer damage in a restored forest April 2, 2020 Maryland, Ecology
... We show that tree diversity can improve growth of late successional species despite exacerbated mammalian herbivore damage. By facilitating the establishment of species with a range of life-history strategies, increased tree diversity may enhance ecosystem multi-functionality in the early stages of forest restoration...
New Maryland hunting regulations being formed February 16, 2020 Cumberland Times-News
... WHS wants to start a statewide primitive weapon deer hunting season. Hunters would be able to use long bows, recurve bows, flintlock pistols and rifles and sidelock pistols and rifles. Scopes or other modern optics would not be legal... The hunting of coyotes would become legal at any time of the day ...
Maryland Hunters Harvest nearly 80,000 Deer during 2019-2020 Season February 13, 2020 Maryland DNR News
... deer hunters harvested 79,457 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 6, 2019 through Jan. 31, 2020... 29,233 antlered and 46,777 antlerless white-tailed deer, plus 1,552 antlered and 1,895 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 3% higher than the 2018-2019 total of 77,382 deer...
DNR seeks public comment on proposed primitive-weapon deer hunting season February 9, 2020 Maryland, Frederick News Post
... a three-day statewide primitive-weapon deer hunting season. Legal hunting devices for this proposed new season would include long bows, recurve bows, flintlock pistols and rifles, and percussion side-lock pistols and rifles... creation of an urban/suburban deer management zone that would include an unlimited antlerless archery bag limit...
National parks to curb deer populations in Western Maryland January 29, 2020
Cumberland Times-News
... firearms experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will work under the direction of National Park Service ... Catoctin Mountain Park has worked to reduce deer populations in the park since 2010...
Deer harvest is down again. There's more going on than just bad weather December 30, 2019 Maryland, DelmarvaNow
... a decline of 14 percent [from 2018]... three years in a row of declining kills when the DNR blamed the abundance or scarcity of acorns ... most hunters in our region are already talking about the lack of deer ...
Rockville OKs managed hunt to control deer population December 19, 2019 Maryland, WTOP
... approved a pilot program that will use bow hunters to cull deer at the city’s Redgate Golf Course property ...
Hunters Harvest 27,000 Deer During Firearms Season December 19, 2019 Maryland, DNR News
... The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters reported taking 27,088 deer during the state’s most popular hunt, the two-week firearms season. The total harvest was 14% lower than last year’s official count of 31,631. Bad weather on key weekends contributed to the decline in many parts of the state...
Deer in Montgomery County, by the numbers December 16, 2019 Maryland, Bethesda Magazine
... the state estimates there are about 207,000 deer in Maryland..,
Rockville Mayor and Council To Vote on Deer Culling Plan December 16, 2019 Maryland, Bethesda Magazine
... allow residents to hunt deer in Redgate Park with compound bows or crossbows... In January, the previous council heard several options for population management, including administering birth control to female deer...
Maryland Deer Firearms Opening Day Harvest Up 29% December 7, 2019 The Southern Maryland Chronicle
... hunters reported 8,061 deer taken on the opening day of the 2019 Maryland firearm season, Nov. 30. This represents a 29% increase over last year’s Saturday opener. The overall weekend harvest of 9,201 was down 9% from 2018 due to nearly non-stop rain and wind across the state on Sunday...
Natural Resources Police Put Spotlight on Illegal Hunting Practices November 26, 2019 Maryland, Bay Net
... Four Frederick men face up to $3,500 in fines after police say they admitted to jacklighting. Officers say they observed two vehicles slowing to a stop along Hoffman Seachrist Nov. 11, after which one of the passengers of the vehicle shone a spotlight across the field into a wooded area...
A mysterious disease is striking American beech trees November 14, 2019 Maryland, Science Magazine
... A mysterious disease is starting to kill American beeches ... the fifth most common tree species in southern New England and in New York state ... Its annual nut crop provides food for birds, squirrels, and deer... By 2018, foresters had documented beeches with similar symptoms in 24 counties in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and New York, and Canada's Ontario province...
Maryland Deer Archery Season Opens September 6 Sept. 4 DNR News
... the statewide bag limit for white-tailed bucks is two deer (no more than one per weapon season). ... An antler-point restriction remains in effect. Deer hunters may harvest one antlered white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that does not meet the requirement of having at least three points on one antler...
Police cut deer free from soccer net in Maryland August 12, 2019 UPI.com
... the fawn did not appear to be injured and wandered off on its own...
Montgomery Parks, 2020 Annual Deer Population Management Operations and Seasonal Park Closures - August 2019, Maryland
...will begin its annual deer population management program in September 2019 into March 2020. Eight park units have been added this year, for a total of 54 parks where archery and/or shotgun managed deer hunting or Park Police-based sharpshooting operations will take place... Initiated 23 years ago ... Over 19,500 deer have been removed from select parks since the inception ...
Two Maryland teens charged after Snapchat video shows them taunting deer with broken legs, police say May 31, 2019 The Baltimore Sun
... a Snapchat video allegedly showing a 19-year-old Allegany County woman and a 16-year-old girl hitting a deer with their car and then throwing bottles the the deer ...
25 Local Deer Test Positive For Chronic Wasting Disease May 26, 2019 Maryland, WCBC Radio
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported this week that 25 white-tailed deer sampled in Allegany and Washington counties during 2018 tested positive for chronic wasting disease, a neurological disease found in deer and elk... A total of 561 samples were collected during 2018..,
Why are Maryland deer hunting numbers down? February 25, 2019 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... The final total for the state was 77,382 deer, down 11 percent from last year. The official explanation of that tally is that it's due to bad weather, rain and ice on numerous key Saturdays of the season ... if the weather kept hunters home, then numbers should be down across the board. They are not...,
Maine Wildlife Park's 'most excellent moose' has died February 14, 2019 Bangor Daily News
... For nearly 14 years, George the Moose has fascinated visitors to the Maine Wildlife Park ... found with his sister ... stranded on the banks of the St. John River ... mother nowhere to be found ...
Maryland Hunters Harvest 77,000 Deer during 2018-2019 Season February 15, 2019 Maryland.gov
... The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported today that deer hunters harvested 77,382 deer during the combined archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 7, 2018, through Jan. 31, 2019. The statewide harvest included 29,699 antlered and 44,249 antlerless white-tailed deer; and 1,609 antlered and 1,825 antlerless sika deer...
Maryland legislative season kind to hunters, so far February 11, 2018 DelmarvaNow
... Senate Bill 0390 opening Sunday hunting statewide for all the deer season ... House Bill 0619 would add Sundays for deer muzzleloader season. House Bill 0620 would add the second and third Sundays of firearms deer season to the allotted hunting days...
Public Input Sought on White-tailed Deer Management January 28, 2019 Maryland, DNR News
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on the state’s management of white-tailed deer. The input will be used to help revise the state’s deer management plan for the next 15 years, establishing long-term goals, and identifying specific objectives and strategies for achieving them. Through Feb. 28, the public can provide comments online...
Hunters Harvest 31,000 Deer During Firearms Season December 18, 2018 Maryland, DNR News
... hunters reported taking 31,588 deer during the state’s most popular hunt, the two-week firearms season. The total was eight percent lower than last year’s official harvest of 34,502. Bad weather during the prime Saturday hunt days contributed to the decline in many parts of the state..,
Chronic Wasting Disease, Deer hunting isn’t without risks December 13, 2018 Maryland, SomdNews.com
... In 2011, DNR announced that a deer harvested in 2010 was positive for CWD... CWD is confined, for the time being, to the westernmost part of the state... Last year, 749 deer were tested and 27 were positive..,
Md.'s deer season still popular, although millennial interest fading November 22, 2018 Maryland, The Herald-Mail
.. Washington County has been declining in the last several years... 6,376 deer were killed in the county during archery, muzzleloader and firearms seasons in the 2013-14 year. The number of deer killed in the county has almost steadily declined since then, with 4,593 killed in the three seasons in the 2017-18 year ...
Maryland hopes to recruit new hunters and promote conservation November 21, 2018 Finger Lakes Times
... wildlife officials in Maryland are encouraging hunting of deer, turkeys and other game ... Most importantly, they say, hunting is a key source of revenue for programs to protect fragile lands and wildlife populations...
Maryland’s deer season starts Saturday November 21, 2018 somdnews
... nearly 50,000 hunters will take to the fields ... vehicle collisions with deer — more than 30,000 in Maryland last year ...
Lyme-disease research in Howard County seeks best ways to reduce tick populations October 4, 2018 Maryland, Washington Post
... Contrary to the popular belief that deer are the primary source of the disease spread by ticks, researchers say, it is mice that usually first infect young ticks with the bacteria that causes Lyme... using a device for deer, called a “four poster,” that attracts deer with bait.,, except that it carries a pesticide to kill ticks...
Hunters may claim tax credit for donated processed venison September 5, 2018 Maryland, Times-News.com
... New this year, Maryland hunters may claim a tax credit for donated processed venison. Hunters who legally harvest a deer and pay to have that deer processed and donated to a nonprofit food sharing program ...
Maryland Deer Archery Season Opens Sept. 7 Sept. 7 September 3, 2018 SMNewsNeet
... For the 2018-19 season, the statewide bag limit for white-tailed bucks has been decreased to two deer...The antlerless deer bag limits differ between deer management regions. In Region B the antlerless archery limit has been reduced to 15. An antler-point restriction remains in effect...
Howard County, Public deer hunting in Howard Co. parks starts Sept. 18 August 28, 2018 Maryland, WTOP
... he managed hunting program, in place for 20 years ... hunters are allowed to shoot deer while the parks are closed to the general public...
Last chance to comment on hunting regulations June 19, 2018 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... The biggest change in the package is a reduction in some whitetail deer limits for our area, though it’s unlikely most hunters will notice. For example, the whitetail antlerless limit for archery season in our area, Region B, will go from unlimited to 15 for the season, but very few archery hunters take anywhere near that many deer...
Police find baby deer on a leash in Northeast Baltimore June 4, 2018 Maryland, The Baltimore Sun
... a few people living in the woods scooped it up, fed it berries and milk, and for a few days last week — before a neighbor called police — kept the baby deer on a leash... Because they did not know where the fawn was bedded down, they could not return it to where its mother could find it ... [does hide their young fawns to protect them from predators, this fawn was taken to a rehabilitation facility and the doe is left not knowing what happened to her fawn] ...
Sika deer up or down at Blackwater? Depends who you ask April 3, 2018 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... For the state of Maryland as a whole there were roughly 2,000 sika taken last year out of a population recently estimated at 15,000 ... an average of 71 deer per square mile on Blackwater, with the sika portion at 55 per square mile. Results also showed roughly two hinds for every stag and one sika fawn for every two hinds. The FLIR ..,
Maryland embraces seasonal deer hunt to keep disease pressure down February 23, 2018 Frederick News Post
... Maryland’s deer population ... swelled to more than 300,000 deer 15 years ago ... has been cut by a third ... there are an estimated 200,000 to 225,000 deer in Maryland... It has been hard, however, to measure if Maryland’s declining deer populations has correlated with a decrease in Lyme disease infections ..,
Maryland wildlife agency giveth then taketh bonus buck stamp February 21, 2018 Times-News
... The bonus buck tag was eliminated in Region A ... the 75-100 hunters who bagged the trifecta out West were required to have taken at least one buck with three antler points on one side. With the new rule, one of the two bucks taken in Region A would have to meet that requirement...
Maryland hunters exceed last year's deer harvest February 16, 2018 Maryland DNR
... Maryland hunters harvested 86,542 deer during the combined archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons from Sept. 8, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2018 ... 30,247 antlered and 53,135 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,423 antlered and 1,737 antlerless sika deer..,
With Howard County hunts continuing, a 'magic bullet' to control deer remains elusive January 26, 2018 Maryland, Baltimore Sun
... hunters have killed 175 deer through the Department of Recreation and Parks’ deer management program, which uses sharpshooters and managed hunts across 16 locations... began in 1998, allow groups of eight to 50 hunters to participate in bow and shotgun hunting on parkland ...
Legislation affecting Maryland hunters January 19, 2018 delmarvanow.com
... HB007/SB0182. This bill would give hunters a $50 tax credit for each deer donated to the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) ... What this bill truly does is allow farmers to shoot deer, which are a public resource, and get paid for it via unlimited tax credits...
Maryland Firearm Deer Hunting Season Reopens Jan. 5 December 27, 2017 Southern Maryland News Net
... The antler point restriction remains in effect for the coming hunting season. Deer hunters may harvest up to two antlered white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that do not meet the requirement of having at least three points on one antler. Any additional antlered deer taken within the established bag limit must meet the minimum point restriction...
Dismal success rates for Shore gun hunters during deer season December 16, 2017 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... the counties that had major problems from EHD in their whitetails, all showing big declines from the kill in 2016. Somerset County saw a 16.8 percent decrease in buck harvest and an 8.3 percent drop in antlerless take. Dorchester County saw a 31.3 percent decrease in antlered deer kill ..,
Maryland Hunters Harvest 34,000 Deer during Firearm Season December 15, 2017 Southern Maryland News Net
... Maryland hunters reported taking 34,412 deer during the state’s most popular hunt, the two-week firearm season. The total was similar to last year’s official harvest of 35,002..,
Washington County reports 837 deer kills on opening weekend December 4, 2017 Maryland, Herald-Mail Media
... Washington County's harvest was up about 5 percent from last year... Of the [state] total of 13,514 deer harvested, 6,242 were antlered and 7,272 were antlerless... On average, Maryland hunters harvest between 80,000 and 90,000 deer each season...
Md. reports opening weekend deer harvest December 1, 2017 Maryland, Cumberland Times News Homepage
... Hunters reported harvesting 13,514 deer on the opening weekend of the 2017 Maryland firearm season ... includes 6,242 antlered and 7,272 antlerless deer, with sika deer accounting for 201 of the antlered and 188 of the antlerless totals...
22,000 Deer Harvested during Early Season November 9, 2017 Maryland, Southern Maryland News Net
... the early portion of the archery and muzzleloader seasons by harvesting an estimated 22,199 deer in September and October, an 11 percent increase from last year’s official harvest of 19,923...
Appellate Court Finds Bow Hunting in Montgomery County Parks Isn't Animal Cruelty November 1, 2017 Maryland, BethesdaMagazine.com
... A three-judge panel noted in an opinion written by Judge Donald Beachley that bow hunting is legal in Maryland and found that the park system’s pilot program is also permissible, as long as hunters follow all relevant laws and regulations...
Deer self-eradicate ticks with new feeders in county parks October 20, 2017 Maryland, Baltimore Sun
... deer feeders will begin treating white-tailed deer for ticks in four Howard County parks as part of a five-year study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and University of Maryland ... called 4-poster feeders ...
Howard County Deer Do Their Part to Control Ticks October 16, 2017 Maryland, USDA
... partners will place 4-Poster feeders/self-treatment devices in four Howard County parks with dense deer populations... "We know from past studies that the 4-Posters have effectively reduced the number of deer ticks. However, prior studies did not achieve consistent levels of tick control," ..,
Appeals Court Hears Case Accusing Officials of Animal Cruelty for Bow-Hunting Program October 5, 2017 Maryland, BethesdaMagazine.com
... she doesn’t believe the archery program counts as “hunting,” in the legal sense ... MNCPPC established the archery program to help control the deer population ... Cohhn filed her lawsuit about two years ago in Montgomery County Circuit Court... appealed her case to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals ...
EHD, DNR warns of possible EHD in deer on Eastern Shore, asks hunters to report deaths September 16, 2017 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... Maryland DNR has announced that it is tracking possible cases of EHD in the state, primarily on the Eastern Shore, and are asking hunters and the public to report any sick, dying or dead deer ...
Montgomery Parks Schedules Closures for Deer Hunts September 8, 2017 Maryland, BethesdaMagazine.com
... sharpshooters and archers ... annual deer management program ... More than 17,000 deer have been killed since the program began 21 years ago ...
Crash danger: How we're luring deer closer to highways June 9, 2017 Maryland,
Delmarva Daily Times
... If you could design the perfect natural feeding area for deer it would be long and narrow, to maximize the edges... the very design of a road creates borders full of food for deer and at certain times of the year draws them right next to traffic...
Research reveals globe-trotting history of sika deer May 9, 2017 Maryland, Phys.Org
... sika deer were introduced to Maryland in the early 1900s when Clement Henry released five or six deer on James Island... the deer originated in Japan ... an estimated 12,000 today ... sika deer are mostly digestive, as sika are more grazers—able to eat a wider array of food than the white-tailed deer ...
Police rescue 2 deer trapped up to their necks in Maryland mud pit May 8, 2017 Maryland, WJLA
... the animals were exhausted and scared and sinking further into the bog ...
Hunters oppose Md. and W.Va. parks' deer-control plan May 2, 2017 Maryland, heraldmailmedia.com
... hunters attending the meeting said they don't think there are as many deer as the park service believes... "We're seeing fewer (deer) all the time," ... Where they once filled feeders every week, now they fill them every month, they said...
NPS proposes plan to control deer population with sharpshooting, euthanasia April 17, 2017 Maryland and West Virginia, WJLA
... to reduce the population of deer that threatens Harpers Ferry and Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal national historical parks... details of the plan ... comment until May 16, 2017 ...
Three western Maryland National Parks finish operations to reduce the deer populations March 28, 2017 Your 4 State
... Officials with the Monocacy National Battlefield said they were able to "cull" 265 white-tailed deer...
Talking deer season numbers March 2, 2017 Maryland, So Md News
...Once again, the availability of Sunday hunting in some counties helped to increase the total number of deer taken. Almost 10 percent of all deer were harvested on a Sunday... the first case of CWD was detected in Maryland in a deer taken by a hunter in November 2010, which was announced in 2011 ...
More Allegany County deer have chronic wasting disease March 1, 2017 Maryland, Cumberland Times News
... Six of 200 deer tested in the county were positive for the always fatal deer disease ... The number of deer confirmed with CWD since 2011 now totals 17, all from Allegany County...
Maryland Deer Season 2017 Results February 20, 2019 Delmarva Daily Times
... a take of 85,193 deer. Within that total hunters killed 29,042 antlered and 53,318 antlerless white-tailed deer, along with 1,284 antlered and 1,549 antlerless sika deer. The total also included 7,684 deer taken on the limited Sundays open for hunting across the state...
Maryland, 85,193 Deer Harvested During 2016-2017 Hunting Season February 16, 2017 Maryland.gov
... Maryland hunters harvested 85,193 deer during the combined archery, muzzleloader and firearm seasons (Sept. 9, 2016-Jan. 31, 2017), according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The harvest exceeded the 2015-2016 total by more than 1,000 deer...
A win for hunters as bad deer regulation proposals axed February 13, 2017 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... several lawmakers were advancing the Farm Bureau's deer eradication agenda. SB953 ... and HB1111 ... called for greatly extended firearm deer seasons that would have included the present two week season, two new weeks in early November and all of January....
4 men charged with deer poaching in Maryland February 1, 2017 Maryland, ABC2 News... Public tips and posts on Snapchat led officers to arrest two men Friday with killing five deer in one night in Frederick County...
Lawmaker, backed by Farm Bureau, pushes unwise deer regs January 30, 2017 Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times
... Maryland Rep. Johnny Mautz ... increased rifle use for crop damage permits and an extreme lengthening of the deer season... the deer population peaked way back in 2002, that the population is declining and the annual kill is also declining, due in large part to increased bag limits and increased antlerless deer harvests ..,
'Jughead' the deer played hard to get. But it's finally freed from plastic prison. January 30, 2017 Maryland, Washington Post
... “successfully freed the deer from the container” and “monitored him for more than an hour until he recovered,” ...
Md. community takes to Facebook to save 'Jughead' deer January 26, 2017 Maryland, WTOP
... a deer with a plastic snack container on its head... can’t eat, it can’t drink, and now going over a week since he was first spotted ...
Fort Meade adds additional deer cull to stem population January 28, 2017 Maryland, CapitalGazette.com
... in response to a population measure of 32 deer per square mile ...The base said the "target goal for a herd is approximately 12 to 18 ... Two USDA marksmen ... will conduct the cull ...
Delegate seeks input on deer management issues along Eastern shore January 19, 2017 Maryland, My Eastern Shore
... first proposal originated from the farm bureau ... would allow the holder of a crop damage permit who has received a shooter proficiency card from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to harvest deer with a rifle on their property... expand the hunting firearm season two weeks ...
Antietam, State OKs deer reduction plan for Antietam battlefield January 12, 2017 Maryland, Washington Post
... sharpshooters from the Agriculture Department’s Wildlife Services unit to kill 243 deer ...
Firefighters Shot Deer on Montgomery College Campus January 5, 2016 Maryland, CBS Baltimore
... Two Montgomery County firefighters have been accused of illegally shooting deer with a crossbow on the Germantown campus of Montgomery College ...
Feeding deer corn in the winter December 24, 2016 Maryland, Carroll County Times
... studies have shown that it takes two to four weeks of feeding on a new food source for deer to establish the microorganisms necessary to obtain nutrients from that food. The time and energy it takes to convert to new microorganisms uses precious fat reserves that could have been spared if the deer had fed continually on natural winter browse...
Deer reduction underway at Monocacy Civil War battlefield in Md. December 23, 2016 Maryland, Delaware 105.9
... federal sharpshooters have begun killing white-tailed deer ...
DNR Releases Maryland Deer Stats December 18, 2016 Maryland, WCBC
... Maryland hunters reported taking 35,078 deer during the state’s most popular hunt, the two-week firearm season. The total was 12 percent greater than last year’s harvest of 31,304 ...
Maryland firearm deer hunt tally up 12 percent from 2015 December 15, 2016 WMDT
... Experts attribute the increase to better weather and the opportunity to hunt on Sundays....
Md. deer harvest jumps over last year December 2, 2016 Maryland, Herald-Mail Media
... 13,488 deer on Saturday and Sunday — a 24 percent increase over last year's estimate of 10,859. DNR officials said the nice weather likely contributed to the high number ...
Deer Poacher Pleads Guilty November 25, 2016 Maryland, Southern Maryland News Net
... sentenced to two days in jail, two years of supervised probation and a two-year suspension of his hunting privileges for trespassing on private property... fined $1,500 for hunting at night ...
Deer hunting season opens Saturday November 23, 2016 Maryland, Baltimore Sun
... The statewide bag limit per hunter is one antlered white-tailed deer and three sika deer, of which no more than one may be antlered...
With deer kills down, some possible causes & solutions November 11, 2016 Maryland, Delmarva Now
... another report of the kill decreasing again this year... There are certainly isolated places where the deer numbers are still too high, but statewide, particularly on highly pressured public land, it may be time to start scaling back the deer kill and rebuilding our herds...
Lake Linganore considering bow hunt to control deer population October 29, 2016 Maryland, Frederick News Post
... Lake Linganore’s homeowners association is considering a management plan that would let 20 bow hunters kill deer in designated areas away from homes... A deer could be struck during the hunt and run several hundred feet before going down ...
Howard County, Additions to 2016-2017 Deer Management Program Announced October 17, 2016 Maryland, Patch.com
... Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks has announced its fall/winter schedule for managing deer through sharpshooting... noise-suppressed rifles ...
Two Men Charged For Illegal Deer Hunting October 9, 2016 Maryland, CBS Baltimore
... allegedly killing nearly a dozen deer in the middle of the night and dumping the carcasses. The two suspects face 73 counts of illegal deer hunting ... could result in fines of more than $50,000 along with jail time...
Federal government sharpshooters will shoot deer at 2 Civil War battlefields October 4, 2016 Maryland, Richmond.com
... The Agriculture Department sharpshooters plan to kill 243 deer at Antietam National Battlefield and 278 at Monocacy National Battlefield from December through March under a program the park service approved in 2014 ... the first of a multi-year deer reduction plan ...
Maryland moves to ban spear hunting, restrict air guns September 26, 2016 Washington Times
... banning spear-hunting for big game... limit deer hunting with air guns to the modern firearm season ...
Maryland Deer Archery Season Opens September 9 September 8, 2016 Southern Maryland News Net
... The antler point restriction remains in effect for the coming hunting season. Deer hunters may harvest up to two antlered white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that do not meet the requirement of having at least three points on one antler. Any additional antlered deer taken within the established bag limit must meet the minimum point restriction...
Maryland Deer Archive: Population and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban Management, Transportation
Maryland data: A 2022 estimate in the press of 220,000 deer. The 8% increase in the 2022 deer kill was attributed to more participation by hunters and favorable weather. A 2020 estimate of 232,000 deer, trending lower in 2021 based on hunting data. A state estimate of 207,000 in 2018. The decline in the early 2020 deer harvest was partly attributed to weather and an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in some counties, but good weather during the firearms season increased the deer kill. About 214,000 deer in 2016, pre-hunt and and in huntable areas. The 2017 population is about the same based on harvest data. The 2018 harvest shows an 11 percent decline, blamed in part on weather. About 15,000 sika deer in 2017. An outbreak of EHD reduced populations in some areas in 2017.
Most of the population estimates in the graph below, 1988 to 2018, come from a digitized chart in the Maryland 2022 to 2035 deer plan. A few come from public sources linked on this page. Hunting data was used for the years 2019 and 2021.
An estimated 220,000 deer in 2014. Poor acorn availability in 2015 increased hunter success, but biologists also attribute the hunt decline to fewer deer in some rural areas. An estimated 227,000 deer prior to the 2014 hunting season. The 8 percent decline in the 2014-15 season reflected lower populations in the south as a result of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), predation from the growing coyote population in the western mountains, and a good acorn crop which resulted in deer moving around less looking for food. The modern low point for the deer population was at 199,000 in 2014.
Maryland’s deer population prior to the 2011-2012 hunting season was estimated at 233,000 deer, similar to the 2010-2011 estimate of 235,000. A population estimate of 234,000 in 2009. Maryland's deer population prior to the 2007-2008 hunting season was estimated at 228,000 deer, a slight decline of about 2.5% over the 2006-2007 estimates of 234,000. The deer population peaked at about 295,000 in 2002. Deer population down about 60 percent in Allegany County since 2001.
Antler restrictions limit hunter to no more than two white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that have two or fewer points on each antler. In order to keep the population down, hunters took about twice as many does as bucks in 2014. Peak of the rut is November 1 to November 14. Baiting deer for hunting is widespread.
A proposed Antler Point Restriction on killing bucks was abandoned in 2013 in Garrett County because of low fawn survival. Increased hunter participation and a poor acorn crop that had deer searching for food likely accounted for an increase in the 2013 harvest after a decline in 2012 related to the good acorn crop so deer searched for food less.
Private land in Maryland typically has less hunting pressure than public land. Antler restrictions were added in 2014 limiting the number of deer with two or fewer points that a hunter can take. To manage the herd, the "general rule is to harvest 30-35 percent of the female population to stabilize the herd, and over 40 percent to reduce it..."
About 20 to 30 deer per square mile in the state's deer habitat. During the 2014 firearms season, more than twice as many antlerless deer were killed than antlered (22,422 vs 10,518), a policy designed to reduce the deer population. Maryland's deer population prior to the 2009-10 hunting season was estimated at [PDF] 231,000 deer, close to the 2008-09 estimate of 229,000.
Prior to the 2003-2004 deer hunting season, Maryland’s deer population was estimated at [PDF] 264,000. In 2014 hunters took 86,883 deer, 27,053 antlered and 56,802 antlerless white-tailed deer; and 1,228 antlered and 1,800 antlerless sika deer. The deer population was estimated at 140,426 in 1989 and 180,000 in 1990.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) The first case of CWD was a buck taken in eastern Allegany County in 2010, announced in 2011. In 2017 of 749 deer tested, 27 were positive. In 2018 of 561 samples, 25 tested positive. In 2022, the annual sample turned up 53 deer, by November the total positives were 133 out of 11,592 deer tested since 1999.
History White-tailed deer were abundant in Maryland prior to European settlement. Unregulated market hunting dramatically reduced the population during the 1700's and through the 1800's when wolf and mountain lions were exterminated from the state.
"Maryland’s state law books record the first deer season in 1730, stating: 'For the preservation for the breed of deer, no person within the province (friendly Indians exempted) shall kill any deer between the first day of January and the last day of July. Penalty, 400 pounds of tobacco—one-half to be paid to county schools and one-half to the informer.' It became necessary to restrict the killing of deer for three years, beginning 1775, and the season was September and October" Source
By the 1900's deer were found only in a few western areas. As part of conservation efforts to restore the herd, some of these deer were trapped and relocated to other parts of the state. This practice ended in the 1960's when it was thought the herds had become self sustainable.
State Population Estimates (p. 18) "The population increased from an estimated 246,000 deer in 1998 to a high of nearly 300,000 individuals in 2002 before declining to an estimated low of 199,000 in 2014. The population was estimated at 207,000 individuals in 2018."
Graph: 1988 to 2018 State Population Estimate (p. 19) Maryland DNR
Sika Deer About 10,000 in 2016 found along the coast. A few Sika deer, originally from Japan, were released on James Island and on Assateague Island in 1909 and since have spread to lower Dorchester County and the Lower Shore. They live longer than white-tails and are found mostly in different habitat: forested wetlands and marshes.
Other useful links:
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Wildlife Rescue: Follow the the progress of Maryland's first deer sterilization program
- DeerSolutionsMD Solving deer conflicts with education
- Save Wheaton Regional/Montgomery County Park Deer Facebook Page