The 2025 Northeast Deer Season Forecast
Posted 2025-08-20 by
The Northeast is a diverse region, with some areas being known for high deer numbers, while others are sleepers for big bucks. Here's what hunters can expect this season
In general, you should expect good to great deer hunting across the Northeast this season. Image by Tony Campbell
Whether you’re part of a classic big-woods deer camp or prefer to track big bucks on your own in freshly fallen snow, the Northeast offers a diverse spread of opportunities. You can even find some phenomenal hunting in residential neighborhoods and urban woodlots behind department stores or fast-food restaurants. Habitats range from the Atlantic Coast to 6,286-foot Mount Washington in New Hampshire and everything in between. No matter what you like in your cup of tea, if you’re a deer hunter, you can find something to love about this region.
Some locations here are practically overrun with deer, such as east-central New York, while others have extremely low densities, such as northern New Hampshire. Records-book bucks are like ghosts in states like Rhode Island and Vermont, but taking one in Maine, New York, or West Virginia wouldn’t be unusual.
Check Out Our Latest Camo Pattern: Realtree APX
Regardless, if you’re thinking about trying your luck in this region, here’s the skinny on deer hunting in all 12 states that make up the Northeast.
Connecticut
If you’re looking for a giant buck, your odds are slim in the Constitution State. Only 21 whitetail entries from here are listed in the Boone and Crockett records book. Success rates are also low, with a five-year average of 23.2 percent. However, Andrew LaBonte, wildlife biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, explained that some higher-odds opportunities occur in urban areas of management zones 11 and 12, which have “liberal seasons with replacement antlerless and earn-a-buck tags available, and the use of bait,” he said. “These same urban areas can also harbor some trophy bucks since many of these areas provide refuge from hunters who may not feel comfortable hunting in close proximity to residential areas and the limited hunting access.”
Delaware
Harvest is on the rise in the Blue Hen State. In fact, Delaware hunters posted a record deer harvest in 2024, taking 18,823 animals. Here, archery hunters have a shot at taking a velvet buck with a September 1 opener. The state also has one of the nation's longest deer seasons. Like Connecticut, some of the primo buck hunting occurs in urban areas, but don’t overlook the public wildlife areas. “Do not underestimate the wildlife areas’ productivity of big bucks,” Samuel C. Millman, wildlife biologist with the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, said. “I would encourage hunters to dig deep into the forested wildlife areas, as these bucks will keep to the forests for cover. When you think you’ve hiked deep into the forest, go a little deeper.”
Maine
While most northeastern states are weak in the Boone and Crockett department, Maine holds its own, ranking above even New York and Pennsylvania. The neat thing about Maine is that you can hunt on land that isn’t posted, although it’s advisable to talk to the landowner first. Buck harvest is always strong in Maine, but the National Deer Association’s 2025 Annual Report shows that Maine ranks second in the nation for the highest percentage of yearling bucks in the harvest. Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington counties typically produce large-antlered deer.
Maryland
Given its size, Maryland teems with whitetails; more than 230,000 of them. With OTC tags and plenty of public land, opportunity abounds for Free State deer hunters. There is a great deal of habitat diversity here, ranging from coastal pine barrens to rugged mountains. There are also big deer in urban settings, though finding ways to hunt them can be challenging. Brian Eyler, deer project leader with the Maryland DNR, said, “Our largest deer come from the Eastern Shore and from our urban / suburban counties, where deer tend to get older.” Herds are rebounding from a 2022 EHD outbreak, and hunters should expect a productive deer season this fall.
Massachussetts
Despite limited public access and a high human population, the Bay State’s upside is the excellent age structure of its bucks. While the state only has 29 Boone and Crockett whitetails in the records book, 23 of them were taken in the last 25 years, including Andrew Healy’s 2018 Hampshire County monster, which scored 218 5/8 inches. Booming deer populations can be found along Interstate 495 from Billerica to Hopkinton and then to Bellingham. Densities are generally 12-18 deer per square mile in areas with sufficient hunting access, but some locales boast as many as 50 or more deer per square mile. Be sure to obtain a Firearms License, which is now required to carry or possess a firearm in Massachusetts.
New Hampshire
Deer season 2025 should be similar to 2024 in New Hampshire, as the state’s buck harvest has remained virtually level for the past few seasons. Deer densities are low compared to some states, which means that scouting will be critical to success. Southern counties are typically best for trophy bucks. There are ample public hunting opportunities on more than 750,000 acres. New this year, crossbows are now legal during the archery season in some WMUs (check the regulations for more info).
New York
New York hunters are generally reporting healthy deer populations. Trophy potential is also improving, as more than 30 percent of the state’s Boone and Crockett whitetail entries into the records book were added within the last decade or so. Brendan Quirion, wildlife biologist with the Department of Environmental Conservation, said that yearling bucks made up 70 percent of the buck harvest a little over a decade ago, but that more than 60 percent of the bucks harvested are now 2 1/2 years old or older. That's a welcome shift. With gobs of public land and varied habitats ranging from suburbs to rolling farmlands to mountainous regions, New York deer hunters enjoy varied opportunities. The state issues Deer Take Summaries, which detail how many whitetails were taken in each WMU, along with harvest trends over time, progress in meeting management objectives, sex and age distribution of the harvest, and more — all good info for planning your hunt.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania and hunting pressure generally fall in the same sentence, and that’s because it is second only to Texas in the number of licensed deer hunters that annually head afield. That makes for a high harvest, usually behind only Texas and Michigan. There are millions of public-land acres open to sportsmen, and Sunday hunting is now open. Jeannine Fleegle, wildlife biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, suggested that hunters hoping to see substantial deer numbers try WMUs 5C, 2A, 2D, 1A, and 1B. The state’s buck harvest has been on the rise for the last few seasons, according to the National Deer Association’s Annual Report, and 2025 is on track to be another great season for Keystone State deer hunters.
Rhode Island
Small and densely populated, Rhode Island is a challenging place to hunt deer due to limited access. But the tags are cheap and sold over the counter. Further, deer densities are so strong in some areas that many towns offer a bounty on deer taken by hunters. While there are some public lands, Dylan Ferreira of the Division of Fish and Wildlife said you shouldn’t be afraid to ask private landowners for hunting permission. Another plus is that the muzzleloader season coincides with the rut, giving smokepole hunters a realistic chance at catching mature bucks cruising in the daylight.
Vermont
Ready to stretch your legs? Try the nearly 400,000 contiguous acres that make up the Green Mountain National Forest, where you can experience a classic big-woods deer hunt. Vermont has a pretty low annual buck harvest compared to some of the Northeast’s other states, but harvest numbers have remained level for the last few seasons, per the National Deer Association’s Annual Report. Less than 30 percent of the annual buck harvest consists of bucks that are 3 1/2 years old or older. Even though it’s not exactly a big-buck hotbed, some monsters have come from here, and tags are inexpensive. Nick Fortin of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said, “Now is a good time to hunt Vermont.”
West Virginia
Impressive amounts of public land and big bucks make West Virginia a great place to try your luck this fall. Six of the state’s deer-management areas have a one-buck limit and a spread limit designed to increase buck age class. Boone, Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming counties are good for trophy bucks, and some of them have been archery-only for many years, so lots of bucks give bowhunters the slip and reach the older age class. Along with the big-buck potential, you can expect challenging terrain.
