Deer browse heavily in fall to prepare for the winter; hunting is an essential part of keeping their population in line with appropriate resources, and protecting forests and farm crops. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
Managing Maryland’s wildlife populations is a year-round, everyday job for the Department of Natural Resources. It’s one that requires specialized training, significant funding, and most importantly, tens of thousands of citizens who contribute to conservation—Maryland’s hunters.
Our migratory bird seasons – starting with mourning dove and early resident Canada goose – kick off the 2026-27 hunting season. Meanwhile, DNR continues its work to assure public access and responsible management of our natural resources.
Every species that is hunted in Maryland is monitored and surveyed to assure we are setting appropriate hunting seasons and bag limits. For some species whose population is threatened, we have found the need to limit harvest to protect the species. For others, like white-tailed deer, we are looking for more people to join the hunt to protect everything else.
Since 2010, the white-tailed deer harvest has declined by more than 20%. Also in the past few years, the number of licensed hunters has declined – slightly, but enough to warrant concern of a trend. A combination of fewer hunters and more deer since the 1980s and 1990s is damaging overall forest health.
In forests with high deer populations, their impact can be plainly seen in the “browse line”—the area of vegetation extending from the ground to about six feet above the forest floor. This is the area where overbrowsing of ground-level vegetation can occur when deer populations are too great in a specific area.
Deer also disrupt agriculture when their browsing damages crops, reducing farmers’ yields.
The department is focused on balancing the needs of farmers and hunters by maintaining a healthy population for recreation while offering farmers tools to respond to deer damage. DNR is working to expand access to permits that allow farmers to remove more deer. For all hunters, we are looking to open up more Sunday hunting opportunities.
Recreational hunting remains the primary driver of both of the ecology and economics of wildlife management. Fortunately in Maryland, our hunting license numbers have not declined as sharply as in other states, and we are seeing enthusiasm from new hunters interested in exploring the outdoors and hunting for their own food.
Every dollar of hunting license money goes directly to supporting the effort. Money from hunting license purchases goes toward recruiting, educating, and certifying new hunters. The revenue is also used for acquiring and restoring wildlife habitats; maintaining and improving existing Wildlife Management Areas; providing technical assistance to landowners; and helping enforce wildlife laws and regulations for the benefit of all Marylanders.
The Department of Natural Resources continues to acquire, conserve, and protect habitat for our wildlife so that generations of Marylanders can enjoy them.
The Wildlife and Heritage Service uses its resources to maintain access to the wide range of hunting experiences available in Maryland. A Maryland hunting license provides opportunities to hunt bear country in the Appalachians, participate in world-class waterfowl hunting in the vast marshland of the Chesapeake, and scout for the only population of sika deer in North America in addition to uplands bird hunting and much more.
Maryland’s 64 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) provide free public access to 130,000 acres in 19 of Maryland’s 23 counties. Other public spaces can also be hunted in our state forests and parks.
DNR is working to make sure accommodations are available on our public lands for destination hunters, or just those who want to stay close to the wilderness. Recently we began the phased opening of Savage Highlands State Park in Garrett County, which amounts to one of the department’s most significant new park openings in decades and will provide rustic campsites, cabins, and yurts for overnight stays once fully built out. The new park is surrounded by parts of the 55,000-acre Savage River State Forest, which is also one of Maryland’s largest tracts of hunting grounds.
Locations like this can be found throughout Maryland, and DNR wishes good hunting to all who go afield this year.
Josh Kurtz is Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
