Final weekend of the January firearm deer season, the state’s most popular hunt, season opens Jan. 7 in Deer Management Region B.
Region B includes all of the state except the westernmost counties. Hunters with a valid hunting license may use firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this season.
The season is open Jan. 7-8 in all of Region B. The season is also open through Jan. 9 on private and designated public lands in Cecil and St. Mary’s counties, and on private lands only in Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Washington (Zone 1) and Worcester counties. Shooting hours end at 10:30 a.m. in Kent and Montgomery counties.
“The January firearm season is a good opportunity for hunters to put one last deer in the freezer for the season,” said Paul Peditto, Wildlife and Heritage Service director. “The harvest during this season favors antlerless deer, which helps to manage Maryland’s healthy Region B deer population.”
Hunters are reminded 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. Licensed junior hunters and apprentice license holders, 16 years of age or younger, are exempt from this restriction.
During firearms season, Maryland requires deer hunters and their companions to wear daylight fluorescent orange or daylight fluorescent pink in one of the following manners: a cap of solid fluorescent daylight orange or pink, a vest or jacket containing back and front panels of at least 250 square inches of fluorescent daylight orange or pink, or an outer garment of camouflage daylight fluorescent orange or pink worn above the waist and containing at least 50% daylight fluorescent color.
More information on the firearms season, along with season bag limits and other deer hunting regulations, are available in the 2021-2022 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.