Wildlife management area · Washington County

Sideling Hill Wildlife Management Area

Live · updated Sep 26, 8:27 PM ET

Inside a CWD Disease Surveillance Area. CWD was first detected in a wild Maryland deer in Allegany County in November 2010. Maryland’s CWD Management Area covers 7 western/central counties: Allegany, Washington, Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Montgomery and Howard. In the Management Area, whole carcasses may not leave except to an approved processor/taxidermist — only deboned meat, quarters with no spine/head, cleaned hide/skull cap, antlers with no tissue, and finished mounts may be moved out. Importing whole carcasses/high-risk parts from another state’s CWD area is prohibited. Confirm the current rules with MD DNR.

Whitetail Deer

Legal light: 6:35 AM – 7:33 PM ET · 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset

2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

61/100

Workable day for Whitetail Deer.

FAIR conditions

55°F Right in the comfortable activity band
Rising barometer (1015.9 mb) Cold, clear high pressure behind a front; often still good
17 mph wind Gusty; deer seek sheltered cover and movement thins
Wind out of the NW Pick a stand that keeps your scent off the bedding and approach
35% rain A light drizzle barely slows deer and quiets your entry
Bright moon Heavy nighttime feeding under a full moon can slow midday movement
Ground Mixed Forest · 575 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)

Wild Turkey

Legal light: 6:35 AM – 7:03 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to noon (Apr 18–May 9), then to sunset (May 10–23)

2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

62/100

Wild Turkey season is closed at this spot today.

FAIR conditions

55°F Right in the comfortable activity band
High pressure building (1015.9 mb) Stable, rising pressure; calm clear mornings and hard-gobbling toms
17 mph wind Breezy; gobbles are hard to hear, so hunt tighter to the roost
Wind out of the NW Set up so a called bird approaches without the wind in your face
Scattered showers Birds still gobble between cells; hunt the fields once it clears
Full moon Birds feed at night and fly down late; mornings can start slow
Ground Mixed Forest · 575 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)

Squirrel

Legal light: 6:35 AM – 7:03 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset

2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

71/100

Good day to hunt Squirrel.

GOOD conditions

Mast dropping Squirrels are cutting nuts hard; the best weeks, and you can hear them working
55°F Right in the comfortable activity band
17 mph wind Breezy; squirrels quiet down and stay in the dreys
Ground Mixed Forest · 575 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)

Conditions at the pin

Dawn/dusk low

55°F

the cool hunt window the score uses

Daytime high

67°F

today

Wind

17 mph NW

plan your scent

Barometer

1015.9 mb

rising · 1 hPa/3h

Moon

100%

full

Mostly Cloudy then Chance Light Rain

The ground

County herd density

9.96 deer/sq mi

Washington County took 4,560 deer last season

Habitat

Deciduous Forest

food + cover edge across the tract

Elevation

575 ft

USGS surface elevation

Access: Ridge forest on the Allegany/Washington line (Region A/B); public deer & turkey.

Where it is

Scout a different spot → All Maryland land How this score works

Public-land data: Maryland DNR — FY25 Lands Acreage Report (verified 2026-07-27). Conditions from the NWS, USGS and NLCD, recomputed each rebuild.