ANNAPOLIS — Southern Maryland hunters head into this year’s deer firearms season coming off one of the steepest harvest declines in the state, and with a new rule on drones to learn before they go.
Maryland’s two-week firearms season for white-tailed and sika deer opens Saturday, Nov. 28, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 12, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday. Hunting is allowed on certain Sundays in all but three counties, DNR said. Bag limits, antlerless dates and Sunday schedules by county are in the 2026-2027 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.
A lower harvest last season
Hunters took 71,649 deer statewide across all seasons in 2025-26, down 14.9% from 84,201 the year before, according to DNR. The drop was sharper across Southern Maryland, as the Chronicle reported in February.
| County | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles | 3,368 | 2,095 | -37.8% |
| Anne Arundel | 2,269 | 1,422 | -37.3% |
| Calvert | 1,720 | 1,224 | -28.8% |
| St. Mary’s | 2,473 | 1,933 | -21.8% |
Last year’s firearms season alone accounted for 27,620 deer statewide, the Chronicle reported. In the fall of 2025, the Chronicle also reported that disease and a heavy acorn crop were weighing on early-season numbers in the region.
New this year: drones
DNR has adopted regulations on drones for the first time. Hunters may use a drone to locate and recover wounded or dead game, but using one to hunt, trap or pursue wildlife is illegal. Hunters must call Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944 before and after any drone search.
Rules to know before opening day
- Licenses: available through the MD Outdoors system or app, licensing agents, or 866-344-8889. Sika hunters need a sika stamp.
- Antler points: one antlered white-tailed deer per year may have fewer than three points on one antler; any others must meet the minimum. Junior and apprentice hunters 16 and younger are exempt.
- Blaze orange or pink: hunters and companions must wear a solid fluorescent cap, a vest or jacket with at least 250 square inches front and back, or a camouflage outer garment at least 50% fluorescent.
- Tree stands: inspect stands and wear a full-body harness; DNR recommends a prusik knot on a line secured above the stand.
Southern Maryland is outside the state’s Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area, which covers seven counties in central and western Maryland. Hunters traveling there should know that whole carcasses and certain parts cannot be moved out of that area except under limited exceptions.
Hunters who donate venison to food banks can claim a state tax credit for processing costs. DNR said processors can point hunters to local donation programs.
