BERLIN- Despite challenging weather conditions, Maryland hunters took over 34,000 deer during the popular two-week firearm season that closed last week with hunters in Worcester County taking the fourth highest total in the state.

The total harvest was down about seven percent compared to last year’s two-week total of 36,572 total deer harvested, a decline blamed largely on significant rain and wind on several key hunting days. Deer hunters reported taking over 22,000 antlerless white-tailed deer during the two-week season across the state, which was more than double the number of antlered deer taken during the season. Focusing harvest efforts on antlerless deer remains a fundamental component in the effort to manage the deer population in Maryland.

The highest total harvest numbers came from three western Maryland counties with 3,104 taken in Frederick, 2,352 taken in Carroll and 2,268 taken in Washington. Worcester was fourth in the state with 2,125 total deer taken along with 22 sika deer. Wicomico hunters took 1,554, while hunters in Somerset took 1,273.