Hunting Lottery Open for Chesapeake Forest Lands

Deadline for Hunt Clubs to Enter Lottery is Aug. 25

Hunt clubs interested in obtaining a hunting lease agreement on Chesapeake Forest Lands can now enter a lottery for individual, non-leased tracts in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will accept online entries until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2020.

“Hunting is a traditional recreational use and a valuable part of our land management activities on Chesapeake Forest Lands,” Acting Maryland Forest Service Director Kenneth Jolly said. “We look forward to another successful year, offering this lottery opportunity to the hunting community in Maryland.”

The department advises entrants to visit the Chesapeake Forest tracts before making a selection, as some have limited access. Hunt clubs are expected to help maintain access roads, gates, and signs along the leased property, as is defined in the Maintenance and Services Section of the Hunting Lease Agreement.

Rules and guidelines for the lottery are as follows:

• Only hunt club members at least 18 years of age can participate in the lottery.
• A hunt club must have at least two members licensed to hunt in the state of Maryland, with one person designated as the club president.
• Each member may fill out a lottery form. Only one submittal per person will be placed in the lottery.

Each entrant can choose up to four tracts for the hunting lottery. The drawing will occur at 2 p.m. Aug. 26. Winning entries will be awarded the first available tract they choose.

The Chesapeake Forest Lands include 187 management units totaling more than 75,376 acres in six lower Eastern Shore counties. The state purchased the lands to manage and protect them, and to expand opportunities for public access to outdoor recreational opportunities such as canoeing, birding, fishing, and hunting.