Crop damage sharpshooting programs
When deer are eating soybeans, corn, vegetables or orchard stock faster than regular hunting seasons can keep up, a crop damage program puts trained shooters on the fields when the deer are actually there, often at night and outside the regular seasons.
Is sharpshooting deer for crop damage legal?
Yes, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, under the landowner’s permit. The rules on who may shoot differ by state:
Pennsylvania
Agricultural Damage Depredation Permit. Up to two named subpermittees, Pennsylvania residents with resident licenses, day or night while deer are causing damage.
New Jersey
Farm depredation permit. Either-sex deer day or night with lights. Shooters need a New Jersey firearm license and Firearms Purchaser ID card.
Delaware
Deer Damage Assistance Program. Level 3 farms may have hunters year-round; straight-wall rifles and Sunday shooting are allowed under the program.
Maryland
Deer Management Permit with Director-approved agents, or a licensed Deer Cooperator operation with certified shooters.
How does a crop damage program work?
- Damage check. We walk the fields and document the losses the state will want to see.
- Permit. We prepare the application in your name and list our qualified shooters.
- Plan. Safety zones, buildings and roads mapped, shooting positions set, neighbors considered.
- The work. Shooters work the fields when deer are feeding, keep daily logs and report every deer as the state requires.
- The venison. Deer are handled and donated as the permit directs, usually to food banks.
- Report. A season report for you and the state.
Who are our shooters?
Experienced, licensed hunters who meet each state’s residency, license and clean-record rules, pass our accuracy standards, and work under a written code of conduct. Where a state requires a qualification course or shooting test, our people pass it before they work.
How does sharpshooting compare with other tools?
- Regular hunting and Ag Tags work well where damage is moderate and seasons line up with the damage.
- Sharpshooting under a depredation permit targets the deer doing the damage, when they are doing it, including at night.
- Fertility control can slowly shrink small, closed herds but does not stop crop damage this season.
- Fencing protects small, high-value plots but is costly over large acreage.
Last updated October 18, 2026. Reviewed by DelChester Wildlife Conservation Group.
Frequently asked questions
Can a farmer hire someone to shoot deer causing crop damage?
Yes, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, but only under a permit issued to the farmer. The shooters must be named on or approved under that permit and meet the state’s license rules.
Can crop damage shooting happen at night?
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey the farm depredation permits allow shooting day or night under their conditions. In Maryland, night work under a Deer Cooperator plan needs a letter from the county office of law.
Do the shooters keep the deer?
Usually not. Pennsylvania subpermittees must surrender every deer, and most programs send venison to food banks.
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