Maryland Opens Junior Deer Hunt on November 14 and Sunday, November 15

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources said in an October 27 release that its 2026 Junior Deer Hunt is open November 14 statewide and on Sunday, November 15 in most counties.

The hunt is a two-day deer season for young hunters. Participants must be 16 years or younger and hold a valid hunting license. On November 14 the season is open on private and designated public land in all counties.

On November 15 it is open on private land in all counties except Baltimore, Howard and Prince George’s. Junior hunters may also use designated public lands that day in these counties.

• Allegany
• Cecil
• Garrett
• Somerset
• St. Mary’s
• Washington
• Wicomico
• Worcester

Licenses and stamps are sold through the department’s MD Outdoors licensing system, online or in its free mobile app, at a licensing agent, or by calling the Licensing and Registration Service at 866-344-8889. Youth hunting sika deer also need a sika hunting stamp. An antlered sika has at least one antler visible above the hairline.

Each youth hunter must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old who holds a valid Maryland hunting license. The adult may serve as a mentor only and cannot possess a hunting device. Mentors not guiding a junior hunter may take part in other open seasons. All hunters, including archery and other game hunters, must wear blaze orange or pink on the youth hunt dates.

The bag limits differ by region and species.

• Region A, white-tailed deer, one, antlered or antlerless
• Region B, white-tailed deer, three, no more than one antlered
• Sika deer, one, antlered or antlerless

Deer a youth hunter takes over the two days are not charged against the regular archery, firearm or muzzleloader limits, and they skip the antler point restriction. The Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping carries season dates, regulations and registration procedures.

New this year are department regulations on drones. Using a drone to locate and recover wounded or expired game is legal, but using one to hunt, trap or pursue any wildlife is illegal. Hunters must contact Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944 before and after searching for a wounded or expired animal.

“Junior Deer Hunt Days play a vital role in introducing youth to hunting and sustaining the tradition for future generations,” said Karina Stonesifer, director of the department’s Wildlife and Heritage Service.

The department recommends a full-body safety harness in the stand and while climbing in or out. It also recommends a prusik knot, a sliding knot on a line secured above the stand, so the hunter is tethered as soon as they leave the ground. Hunters can donate deer to food banks, and a state tax credit applies to donated deer.