Maryland · Deer · 2026–27 Edition
Maryland Deer Season 2026–27: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archery - Antlered | Statewide | Sep 11 – Oct 21 |
| Archery - Antlered | Statewide | Oct 25 – Nov 27 |
| Archery - Antlered | Statewide | Dec 14 – Dec 18 |
| Archery - Antlered | Statewide | Jan 3 – Jan 7 |
| Archery - Antlered | Statewide | Jan 11 – Jan 31 |
| Archery - Antlered (Region A extra — fills the Jan 8-10 gap statewide skips) | Region A | Jan 8 – Jan 10 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlered | Statewide | Oct 22 – Oct 24 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlered | Statewide | Dec 19 – Jan 2 |
| Firearms - Antlered | Statewide | Nov 28 – Dec 12 |
| Firearms - Antlered (Region B extra) | Region B | Jan 8 – Jan 10 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region A | Sep 11 – Oct 21 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region A | Oct 25 – Nov 27 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region A | Dec 14 – Dec 18 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region A | Jan 3 – Jan 31 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlerless | Region A | Oct 22 – Oct 24 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlerless | Region A | Dec 26 – Jan 2 |
| Firearms - Antlerless | Region A | Dec 5 – Dec 12 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region B | Sep 11 – Oct 21 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region B | Oct 25 – Nov 27 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region B | Dec 14 – Dec 18 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region B | Jan 3 – Jan 7 |
| Archery - Antlerless | Region B | Jan 11 – Jan 31 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlerless | Region B | Oct 22 – Oct 24 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlerless | Region B | Oct 26 – Oct 31 |
| Muzzleloader - Antlerless | Region B | Dec 19 – Jan 3 |
| Firearms - Antlerless | Region B | Nov 28 – Dec 12 |
| Firearms - Antlerless | Region B | Jan 8 – Jan 10 |
| Junior Deer Hunt Days | Statewide | Nov 14 – Nov 15 |
| Primitive Deer Hunt Days (long bow, recurve, flintlock/sidelock muzzleloader only) | Statewide | Feb 1 – Feb 3 |
02 — Bag limits
| Antlered — statewide | 2 per license year combined across all weapon seasons, no more than 1 in any single weapon season. A statewide antler-point restriction also applies: no more than 2 of those may have 2 points or fewer per antler — any number with 3+ points on at least one antler may be taken within the season limit. A 3rd antlered deer is possible in Region B only, with a separate Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp. |
|---|---|
| Antlerless — Region A | 2 per license year combined across all weapon seasons, only 1 per day. 1 additional antlerless deer allowed during Primitive Deer Hunt Days, outside the standard limit. |
| Antlerless — Region B | 15 during archery season, 10 during muzzleloader season, 10 during firearms season — unlimited in the Suburban Deer Management Zone (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery & Prince George's counties). Antlerless deer taken during Primitive Deer Hunt Days count toward the regular archery or muzzleloader limit. |
| Junior Deer Hunt Days | Counts toward the regular season bag limits above — not a separate allowance |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 11, 2026) 06:15 — 19:51
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for deer, with shortened hours on some Sundays in some counties (per Maryland DNR). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Maryland sun times for any other date.
04 — License
A Maryland hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
Maryland hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in Maryland — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before Maryland's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does deer season start in Maryland?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is September 11, 2026 — Archery - Antlered, statewide. Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in Maryland?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is February 3, 2027. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in Maryland?
Archery - Antlered opens September 11, 2026 (Statewide). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does rifle season start for deer in Maryland?
Firearms - Antlered opens November 28, 2026 (Statewide). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does muzzleloader season start for deer in Maryland?
Muzzleloader - Antlered opens October 22, 2026 (Statewide). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
How many deer can you shoot in Maryland?
2026–27 bag limits: Antlered — statewide — 2 per license year combined across all weapon seasons, no more than 1 in any single weapon season. A statewide antler-point restriction also applies: no more than 2 of those may have 2 points or fewer per antler — any number with 3+ points on at least one antler may be taken within the season limit. A 3rd antlered deer is possible in Region B only, with a separate Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp. Antlerless — Region A — 2 per license year combined across all weapon seasons, only 1 per day. 1 additional antlerless deer allowed during Primitive Deer Hunt Days, outside the standard limit. Antlerless — Region B — 15 during archery season, 10 during muzzleloader season, 10 during firearms season — unlimited in the Suburban Deer Management Zone (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery & Prince George's counties). Antlerless deer taken during Primitive Deer Hunt Days count toward the regular archery or muzzleloader limit. Junior Deer Hunt Days — Counts toward the regular season bag limits above — not a separate allowance. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in Maryland?
On opening day (September 11, 2026) legal light runs 06:15 to 19:51. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for deer, with shortened hours on some Sundays in some counties (per Maryland DNR). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Maryland sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in Maryland without a license?
A Maryland resident landowner — plus their spouse, child, and child's spouse — doesn't need a license on land they hold title to; the same goes for a tenant and their family. Deer and turkey still need a free DNRid and Big Game Harvest Record, and nonresident owners generally don't qualify.
Verified · Maryland Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-12
Publisher's note. Dates read directly off DNR's own 'Maryland Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027' (a visual bar-chart calendar, no text table exists for this data — verified by rendering the page as an image and reading the date bars). Maryland splits deer into two management regions with materially different antlerless seasons — Region A (Allegany, Garrett, and the western tip of Washington County) and Region B (the rest of the state) — and adds two statewide exceptions the calendar flags separately: Region A gets a continuous January archery season where the rest of the state has a Jan 8-10 gap, and Region B gets an extra antlered-firearms window Jan 8-10 that Region A does not. Sika deer (Cervus nippon, found only in six Eastern Shore counties) run on the same calendar but are a biologically different species with an independent bag limit — not included here, since this project's deer data model is built around white-tailed/mule deer; check DNR directly for Sika season dates if hunting the Eastern Shore marshes specifically.