ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Maryland's 2026 Junior Deer Hunt will be held Saturday, Nov. 14, on private and designated public land in every county, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday.
The hunt continues Sunday, Nov. 15, on private land in every county except Baltimore, Howard and Prince George's, so private land in Talbot County is open both days. On Nov. 15, junior hunters may use designated public lands only in Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, Somerset, St. Mary's, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Talbot is not on that list.
Hunters 16 or younger need a valid hunting license. Licenses and stamps are sold through DNR's MD Outdoors system, online or in its free app, at licensing agents, or by calling the department's Licensing and Registration Service at 866-344-8889. Young hunters going after sika deer also need a sika stamp.
Each young hunter must be with an adult who is at least 21 and holds a valid Maryland hunting license. Adults may serve only as mentors and cannot carry a hunting device. DNR says everyone hunting on those two days, including archers and other game hunters, must wear blaze orange or pink.
Bag limits for the two days are three white-tailed deer, no more than one antlered, in Region B, which DNR describes as the state's central, southern and eastern regions. In Region A, the limit is one antlered or antlerless whitetail. Young hunters may also take one antlered or one antlerless sika deer. Deer taken on the youth days don't count toward regular archery, firearm or muzzleloader limits, and they're exempt from the antler point restriction.
This is the first season under DNR's new drone rules. Hunters may use a drone to find and recover wounded or dead game, but not to hunt, trap or chase wildlife. They must call Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944 before and after any search.
"With mild weather and peak deer activity around breeding season, these days provide young outdoor enthusiasts an excellent opportunity to harvest a deer, make lifelong memories, and spend time in the great outdoors," said Karina Stonesifer, director of DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Service.
Two days in mid-November, and a grown-up who's there to watch.
Source: Maryland DNR
Also: Maryland DNR (2)
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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