DNR Announces Deer Season Harvest For 2010-11

Annapolis, Md. (February 14, 2011) — Maryland deer hunters harvested a total of 98,663 deer during the 2010-2011 bow, muzzleloader and firearm seasons combined. This figure is down just 2 percent from last year’s record harvest of 100,663 deer. The antlered harvest declined 1 percent to 33,341 deer this year, while the antlerless harvest decreased 2 percent to 65,322 deer. The harvest totals include 2,780 sika deer; a 17 percent increase over last year’s total for this species.

“Deer hunting was more challenging this year but success rates were high in most areas by the end of the season,” said DNR’s Deer Project Leader Brian Eyler. “The strong winds and very cold weather that plagued hunters during many of the most popular hunting days initially kept harvest down. We also had an abundant acorn crop that changed deer movements and had many hunters wondering where the deer were. Despite these challenges, hunters adapted and finished with a strong antlerless deer harvest — something we consider essential to managing the State’s deer population.”

A regulation change enacted in 2010 moved the western half of Washington County into Deer Management Region A, which includes Allegany and Garrett counties. The regulation change was instituted to reduce the deer harvest in that portion of Washington County. As a result of the boundary change, deer harvest numbers for the region are not directly comparable to previous years. A total of 9,324 deer (5,412 antlered, 3,912 antlerless) were harvested in Region A during the 2010-2011 season. The Garrett County harvest remained stable while the harvest in Allegany and Washington counties dropped approximately 30 percent. The decline in Washington County was an expected outcome of the change in the Region A boundary. While the decline in Allegany County was partly due to a decrease in the overall deer herd, the boundary change further reduced harvest by putting several popular public hunting areas in the same Management Region, removing the option to take deer under two separate bag limits.

The reported deer harvest in the remainder of the state (Deer Management Region B) was similar to the previous year. Hunters in Region B reported taking 89,339 deer for the year; down 2 percent from last year. The antlered harvest of 27,929 deer was 3 percent lower than last year, while the antlerless total decreased 2 percent to 61,410 deer. Frederick County led the state this year with 7,942 deer, followed by Baltimore County with 6,919 and Washington County with 6,035 deer.

View the deer harvest results by county.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov