Maryland offers excellent opportunities in the East.

Season Dates: Archery season is Sept. 7 to Jan. 31 with closed periods for muzzleloader and gun seasons. Muzzleloader season runs through Oct. 18-20 to Dec. 15-29. Firearms season runs from Nov. 24 to Dec. 8 and Jan. 4-5.

The Grade: B

Maryland is a pretty good place to hunt deer, when you get down to brass tacks. There are plenty of whitetails here (around a quarter million or so), and annual harvests hover around 100,000 animals. That's a lot of deer. And there are some big bucks too. But can you get at them? Yes. Just take a look at http://www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting/public-hunting-lands/ to get an idea of the wide variety of public hunting opportunities here. There are much more than you would think for an Eastern state. Tags are ample and over the counter.

Antler Nation Knowledge: Maryland can produce some good bucks, with 55 typical and 29 non-typical Boone and Crockett entries – very respectable for a small Eastern state. Charles and Dorchester counties are prime for big bucks, but bruisers can come from anywhere in the state. You can hunt along the Chesapeake shore, or in the Appalachians.