Park photographer shares his stories of coyotes, waterfowl and “one turkey” on the dredged island To Cory Byrne, nothing sums up Hart-Miller Island like its foxes. When the seasonal ranger would make his rounds along Hart-Miller Island State Park, he noticed that the foxes would stick around the road, sometimes playing, sometimes snoozing on a Read the Rest…
Additional hunting opportunities available in most counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will open the winter firearm deer hunting season on Jan. 10, 2025 in Deer Management Region B, which includes all of the state except the westernmost counties. Hunters with a valid hunting license may use firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this season. Read the Rest…
Lethargic sea turtles and marine mammals should be reported to 800-628-9944 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources asks those visiting the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic coast to be vigilant of sea turtles who exhibit signs of cold-stunning, a condition that causes animals to become debilitated and experience hypothermia-like symptoms due to prolonged exposure to cold Read the Rest…
Hikers make Maryland public lands part of their New Year’s tradition Maryland residents and visitors are invited to start the new year on the right foot with First Day Hikes, part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks. From December 31, 2024, through January 2, 2025, Marylanders can explore the beauty of their Read the Rest…
Roman Dombrowski reaches the milestone award with a 66-inch bluefin tuna caught off Ocean City Roman Dombrowski, of Baltimore City, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. Dombrowski, 20, is the 17th Master Angler since the program began in 2019. The award recognizes recreational anglers who Read the Rest…
Harvest increased nearly 9% compared to last year’s total Maryland hunters reported harvesting 30,833 deer during the two-week firearm season from Nov. 30 through Dec. 14. The firearms season harvest was almost 9% higher than last year’s official count of 28,312 deer.
This will be the last weekly fishing report of 2024. All of us at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wish you the happiest holidays with family and friends. There is still plenty of fishing to be had during the winter months so please be sure to check what’s in season and enjoy. The Maryland Read the Rest…
Funding approved for DNR’s Program Open Space Local and Rural Legacy programs The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling $2.7 million in grants to local governments to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements. About $2.1 million in Program Open Space – Local was approved for five projects Read the Rest…
Recognition for Conservation, Education, and Sportsmanship The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission are seeking nominations for the annual Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award, a celebration of conservation, education, and sportsmanship. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals who have provided sustained efforts in habitat management, conservation, education, research, or other meaningful contributions Read the Rest…
Facility meets standards to improve local water quality and help restore the Chesapeake Bay The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified Gingerville Marina Center in Anne Arundel County as the newest Maryland Clean Marina. The department awards this designation to marinas that comply with all applicable regulatory requirements and voluntarily adopt a significant portion Read the Rest…
Split season ends Jan. 4, resumes Jan. 15 Maryland’s Atlantic Population Canada goose hunting season opens Friday, Dec. 20. The season contains two segments, Dec. 20 through Jan. 4, 2025, and again from Jan. 15 through Feb. 1, 2025. The daily bag limit is two geese per day in Maryland’s AP Canada Goose Hunting Zone. The Read the Rest…
Although Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic waters are becoming cold, there is still plenty of excellent fishing to be found across Maryland and the ocean waters. Recreational striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay closed on Dec. 10. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASFMC) Striped Bass Management Board will meet in-person and via webinar on Read the Rest…
Marina, boatyard, and yacht club operators are invited to attend a free seminar in January 2025 to learn about best practices to protect our waters and how to earn a Maryland Clean Marina designation. Seminars will also present information on departmental grants and assistance for marinas, a review of the General Permit for Discharges from Read the Rest…
Entries are accepted until March 3, 2025 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Forest Conservancy District Boards invite all Maryland fifth graders in private and public schools to participate in the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest. The theme for 2025 is “Trees Are Terrific…and Forests Are Too!”
The second part of Maryland’s split muzzleloader deer hunting season will open Dec. 21 and run through Jan. 4. The first half of the split season was held in October. Hunters may use muzzleloading firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this time.
Cold weather has settled in, and if you dress warmly and keep your feet dry, there is plenty of good fishing to be found throughout Maryland. Coastal anglers are enjoying an epic bluefin tuna bite off Ocean City and tautog at the inlet. Inland, one fish that excites cold weather anglers is the chain pickerel. Read the Rest…
Hunters experienced seasonably cold and windy conditions for much of the weekend Maryland hunters reported harvesting 10,889 deer on the opening weekend of the 2024 firearm season from Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, according to data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The overall deer harvest was nearly identical to last year’s official opening weekend Read the Rest…
Funding approved for DNR’s Program Open Space Local, Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure, and Rural Legacy programs The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling $3.6 million in grants to local governments to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements. More than $2 million in Program Open Space – Read the Rest…
Luca Tucciarella is the third youth angler to reach the milestone award Luca Tucciarella, of Forest Hill, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. Fifteen-year-old Tucciarella is the 16th Master Angler and the third youth angler to reach the milestone award since the program began in Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources wishes everyone peace and renewed family bonds this holiday, as we reflect on all the things we are grateful for and hopefully enjoy a long weekend. Despite the weather getting a little chilly out there, once the sun shines there is a wonderful array of fishing to be had Read the Rest…
Before John Smith arrived and even before the glaciers melted to create the Chesapeake Bay, Indigenous Peoples had called the land that is now Maryland home. Indigenous sites in Maryland have been dated as early as 12,000 years ago by archaeologists. Many Indigenous People lived along the then Susquehanna River, using the resources provided by Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering holiday shoppers a different type of gift this year–one that can be in honor of a loved one, to benefit future generations, and improve the environment. The Gift of Trees is a program where Marylanders purchase native trees — either a single tree or a grove of Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is identifying and controlling toxic algae several ways, from sophisticated imaging to sonic waves Robots in the water at Hunting Creek Lake are making it safe to swim. That’s how Ranger Mark Spurrier said he explains the latest technology at the popular Cunningham State Park swimming hole to even Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is conducting its annual “Boatload of Toys” holiday gift drive at several locations across the state in advance of the 2024 holiday season. NRP officers are collecting donations of new, unopened toys for local children in need. The program is part of the national United States Marine Toys for Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has partnered with the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office to conduct an organizational assessment to evaluate the agency as it seeks review and recommendations in several focus areas. Conducted via voluntary request, the COPS Office assesses police departments around the country through its Collaborative Reform Read the Rest…
Following a review of weather and ground conditions, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has rescinded a statewide ban on open-air burning that was implemented to prevent the spread of wildfires across the state. Extremely dry conditions that had persisted throughout the year led to an above average number of wildfires statewide in October, leading Read the Rest…
There are plenty of good fishing opportunities this week across Maryland and our offshore waters. Anglers are urged to get out and enjoy the action, which may provide wonderful memories to reflect on this winter. Nick Perez of Perryville recently earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Department’s FishMaryland program. He is the 15th Read the Rest…
The Maryland Park Service will host an open house at Savage River Lodge, 1600 Mt. Aetna Road, Frostburg,on Monday, December 16, from 5 -7 p.m., and is accepting public comment on the newly acquired state property. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) acquired this 42-acre property, featuring 18 cabins, 8 yurts, and a multi-purpose Read the Rest…
Monitoring results show near to below average hypoxia through most of summer 2024 Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University show the volume of hypoxia—waters with less than 2 mg/l oxygen—was generally near or below average in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia in 2024. For the Read the Rest…
Nick Perez joins his 12-year-old daughter Lucy on the list of Master Anglers Nick Perez of Perryville has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. Perez is the 15th Master Angler since the program began in 2019. The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten trophy-sized fish Read the Rest…
Popular deer hunting season inspires camaraderie with friends and family Maryland’s two-week firearms hunting season for sika and white-tailed deer opens Saturday, Nov. 30 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 14. The two-week season includes Sunday hunting in all but three counties, affording hunters more weekend opportunities to hunt and contribute to managing Maryland’s deer population.
With DNR support, Etting Street Green Space creates resiliency in underserved area Over the years, a block in the Druid Heights neighborhood in West Baltimore had become a dumping ground for old mattresses, broken appliances, and rubble. But now, the site is transformed. Where heaps of trash had once covered enough surface that they increased Read the Rest…
There are plenty of excellent fishing opportunities this week across Maryland and our offshore waters, don’t miss out on the exciting action. Bundle up and enjoy good fishing before the cold of winter descends upon us, and most importantly take the younger anglers with you. Memories and smiles will last a lifetime.
On a drizzly day in late September, a crew of Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologists cast off from a dock in Denton to survey the Choptank River for juvenile American shad (Alosa sapidissima). The native fish was once a staple of commercial and recreational fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Their population plummeted in Read the Rest…
Dry, windy conditions have increased fire risk across the state and fueled ongoing wildfires UPDATE: Maryland Lifts Statewide Ban on Outdoor Burning, Effective Nov. 21.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is proud to have numerous veterans among its officers and professional staff that courageously served in the United States Armed Forces. Their sacrifice and dedication to their country and fellow citizens can not be understated. On this Veterans Day, NRP recognizes the contributions service members have made to keep Read the Rest…
Nine hunters face fines up to $1,500 for illegally baiting during black bear hunt. Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) took action to stop illegal hunting during the state’s annual black bear hunt, held Oct. 21-26 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. Officers cited several hunters who, although legally permitted to participate in the hunt, Read the Rest…
All of Maryland is now past peak foliage for the year. A drought that has affected Maryland throughout the year continues. As of Nov. 5, more than 53% of the state is experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. More than 83% of Maryland is experiencing moderate drought. These dry conditions have made for Read the Rest…
In October, more than 150 people attended the inaugural Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit. The event, held at Rocky Gap State Park, represents a milestone for the Department of Natural Resources. We welcomed academics, park rangers, business owners, students, nonprofit leaders, and others who are engaged in outdoor recreation activities to the summit to build networks, Read the Rest…
Deer hunters enjoy successful early season with increased harvest compared to 2023 Maryland hunters harvested 20,592 deer during the early portion of the 2024 archery and muzzleloader seasons. The harvest was a 24% increase from last year’s official harvest of 16,631 deer for the same period.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service has awarded Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 55 volunteer fire departments in 18 counties across the state this year. The funding helps volunteer fire companies enhance wildland fire protection in rural communities. In 2024, 64 volunteer fire departments from 18 counties applied for funding assistance to help Read the Rest…
Maryland anglers will be dressing a little warmer this month, but the fishing action is still hot for a variety of species.
Annual hunt is an excellent opportunity for adults to mentor young hunters Maryland’s 2024 Junior Deer Hunt will be open November 16 statewide and in certain counties on Sunday, November 17. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages experienced deer hunters to take advantage of these days to introduce young people to the time-honored tradition Read the Rest…
Maryland Forest Service promotes the many benefits of making space for edible plants Enter the neat rows of the White Marsh Park Edible Trail and pick some persimmons, blueberries, or hazelnuts. If you follow their harvest schedule, you can pick them off the branch and take them home with you, at no charge. The Edible Read the Rest…
Eastern Shore foliage has hit its peak for the season. “We have had a slow start but are now experiencing those vibrant Autumn colors of deep reds, oranges and yellows,” Park Ranger Joanna Trojanowski reports this week. Oak trees are still showing some color throughout the state, with red oaks bringing some of the most Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions continue to be better than average in August Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University show a smaller-than-average volume of hypoxia—waters with less than 2 mg/l oxygen—in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia in early and late August.
A change of seasons is all around us this week, vibrant colors abound, the mornings have a little more chill in them, and anglers are enjoying fishing across Maryland. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced results of this year’s juvenile striped bass survey, which tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish in the Read the Rest…
Funding approved for DNR’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement, Rural Legacy, and Program Open Space Local programs The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling $900,000 in grants to local governments and land trusts to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements. Among the approvals was a $470,000 grant Read the Rest…
Maryland’s youth hunters, veterans, and military personnel are afforded a unique opportunity to experience the tradition of waterfowl hunting on two special hunt days: Nov. 2, 2024 and Feb. 8, 2025.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ John S. Ayton State Tree Nursery is accepting orders for spring planting. The online tree seedling catalog can be found at nursery.dnr.maryland.gov.
