ANNAPOLIS — Maryland’s young hunters get their own days in the woods this month. The state’s 2026 Junior Deer Hunt opens Saturday, Nov. 14, statewide, with Sunday, Nov. 15, open in most areas, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced.
The hunt is for licensed hunters 16 and younger, who must be accompanied by a licensed adult mentor.
Where and when
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Open on private land and designated public land in every county.
- Sunday, Nov. 15, private land: Open in every county except Baltimore, Howard and Prince George’s. That includes Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s.
- Sunday, Nov. 15, public land: Open to junior hunters only on designated public lands in Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester counties.
Rules for juniors and mentors
Each junior hunter needs a valid Maryland hunting license, and youths after sika deer also need a sika stamp. Licenses and stamps are sold through the MD Outdoors system online or in its free app, at licensing agents, or by phone at 866-344-8889.
Every junior must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old with a valid Maryland hunting license. Mentors are there to teach, not hunt: they may not carry a hunting device while accompanying a junior. Adults who are not mentoring may hunt in any other open season those days.
All hunters in the field on Nov. 14 and 15, including archers and people hunting other game, must wear blaze orange or pink.
Bag limits
- Region A (western Maryland): One antlered or antlerless white-tailed deer.
- Region B (the rest of the state, including Southern Maryland): Three white-tailed deer, no more than one antlered.
- Sika deer: One antlered or antlerless. An antlered sika has at least one antler visible above the hairline.
Deer taken by juniors on these days do not count toward their regular archery, firearm or muzzleloader limits and are exempt from the antler point restriction.
Why the state sets aside the days
DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer said junior hunt days “play a vital role in introducing youth to hunting” at a time when hunter numbers are falling, and give young hunters a chance to harvest a deer and make lifelong memories with a mentor.
Safety and drones
DNR urges hunters to inspect tree stands before use and wear a full-body safety harness in the stand and while climbing. The agency strongly recommends a sliding knot, such as a prusik knot, tied to a line above the stand so hunters stay tethered from the moment they leave the ground.
New this year, hunters may use drones to find or recover wounded or dead game but not to hunt, trap or pursue wildlife, a change the Chronicle reported when archery season opened. Hunters must call Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944 before and after searching for a downed animal.
DNR also encourages hunters to donate deer to food banks, which can qualify for a state tax credit.
The junior days fall between the state’s early muzzleloader season and the opening of the two-week firearms season later in November.
