Natural Resources News
Maryland Hunters Harvest 77,000 Deer during 2018-2019 Season
Sunday Hunting Accounts for More than Ten Percent of Total Harvest
Photo by John Gambriel
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported today that deer hunters harvested 77,382 deer during the combined archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 7, 2018, through Jan. 31, 2019.
The statewide harvest included 29,699 antlered and 44,249 antlerless white-tailed deer; and 1,609 antlered and 1,825 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 11 percent lower than the 2017-2018 total of 86,542 deer, as multiple rain and ice events on key Saturdays limited success for hunters this season.
Although the total harvest was down, the number of antlerless deer taken this year represented 60 percent of the overall harvest. Also, the statewide harvest of button bucks was down 25 percent this year, an important outcome for future buck hunting opportunities in Maryland. Read more…
Maryland Anglers Can Qualify for New Awards Program
FishMaryland Offers Recognition for Various Skill Levels
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has launched a new award program to celebrate the state’s anglers and the diverse species of fish they catch.
FishMaryland is a multifaceted award program designed to encourage anglers to take advantage of Maryland’s year-round recreational fishing and enjoy the state’s accessible, affordable and high-quality fishing opportunities. Read more…
Montgomery College to Host Climate Academy Classes
Enrollment Deadline is April 30
Photo by Fran Saunders
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces open enrollment for Maryland Climate Leadership Academy courses at Montgomery College in June and July. This cohort will offer prep courses for a Certified Climate Change Professional credential.
The Montgomery College classes will be held in three sessions: Class 1 on June 3-4; Class 2 on July 22-23; and Class 3 on a yet undetermined date in September.
The Maryland Climate Leadership Academy, which kicked off in fall 2018, is the nation’s first state-sponsored institution providing continuing education and executive training programs specifically designed for state and local government officials, infrastructure executives and business leaders. This will be the fourth cohort in Maryland, following classes in Wye Mills, Hagerstown and Ellicott City. Read more…
Free Tree Seedlings Available for Kent, Queen Anne’s Counties
Orders Due March 21; Workshop Offered April 2
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to help improve water quality in targeted Eastern Shore communities.
Kent and Queen Anne’s County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free tree seedlings through the department’s Backyard Buffer program. Read more…
Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan Open for Comment
Public Input Accepted Until March 8
“Crossing Water” by James Corbett
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on the draft 2019-2023 Land Preservation and Recreation Plan, which identifies essential and contemporary issues impacting outdoor recreation and natural resource protection in the state.
The Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan represents a vision and strategy that has been developed by the department, with state, federal, and local organizations, to provide public outdoor recreation opportunities in Maryland. It incorporates public input that was gathered through surveys and public stakeholder meetings held throughout Maryland in 2018, as well as a thorough analysis of national, state and local issues impacting recreation and natural resource conservation. Read more…
Free Tree Seedlings Available for Frederick County Landowners
Backyard Buffers Help Improve Water Quality
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property through the Backyard Buffers program.
Trees and shrubs planted along waterways help improve water quality by absorbing excess nutrients, lowering peak water temperatures, reducing sediment and stabilizing stream banks. Read more…
North Point State Park Holds Successful Managed Deer Hunt
Department Plans to Continue Managed Hunt Next Season
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the results of its deer management efforts and inaugural managed hunting program at North Point State Park in Baltimore County.
The two-part program, comprising a limited archery hunt in November 2018 and a two-day shotgun hunt in January 2019, helped reduce the deer herd, which in turn will conserve habitat for birds, small mammals and other non-game species on the peninsula.
Department officials report that 20 deer were harvested by archery hunters and an additional 36 deer shotgun hunt. More importantly, no accidents or injuries were reported during the two managed deer hunts. Read more…
Maryland Biological Stream Survey Offers Annual Training
Support the State’s Water Quality Monitoring Effort
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering trainings and certifications in Maryland Biological Stream Survey sampling protocols. Two training opportunities will be held at Howard County Community College, one in February and another in May.
Through a mix of classroom and field experiences, participants will learn and be tested on benthic macroinvertebrate and fish sampling methods, physical habitat assessment, fish taxonomy and how to be a crew leader. Read more…
Winter Turkey Season Results Announced
Season Yields 73 Birds
The King by Andrew Gue
Hunters reported taking 73 wild turkeys during Maryland’s 2019 winter turkey season, which was open Jan. 17-19 statewide.
According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, turkeys were harvested in 22 of the 23 counties, with Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties reporting the highest numbers. Read more…
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Day Feb. 9
Chance for Young Hunters to Hone Skills
Young hunters have one more chance this season to hone their skills with the help of an experienced adult during a Youth Waterfowl Hunt Day Feb. 9, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Youths up to 16 years of age may hunt coots, ducks, geese and mergansers on private and public land, when aided by an unarmed adult at least 21 years of age. All junior hunters, and their adult mentors must possess a Maryland hunting license or be license-exempt. Read more…
State Nursery Has Trees Available for Spring Planting
Time is Now to Think Spring
Orders are still being taken for the spring 2019 planting season for shrubs and trees from the John S. Ayton State Tree Nursery, managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Trees benefit the environment as well as enhance natural habitat for birds, squirrels and other wildlife. Almost all trees and shrubs available for sale are native, and many are also pollinator-friendly. Read more…
Public Input Sought on White-tailed Deer Management
Four Public Comment Meetings Scheduled
“Doe and Fawn” by Christine Boltz
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on the state’s management of white-tailed deer. The input will be used to help revise the state’s deer management plan for the next 15 years, establishing long-term goals, and identifying specific objectives and strategies for achieving them.
Through Feb. 28 March 15, the public can provide comments online. The department is also accepting feedback by phone at 410-260-8540; by fax at 410-260-8596; or in writing to: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, 580 Taylor Avenue, E-1, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401. Read more…
Eastern Shore Angler Catches Record Longnose Gar
David Confair Nets 17.9-Pound Fish
A Dorchester County man set a state record for catching a 17.9-pound longnose gar. Secretary resident David Confair, 44, caught the fish Jan. 23 a few miles above the historic Brookview Bridge along Marshyhope Creek.
An experienced angler, Confair and a friend went fishing there after hearing reports of massive blue catfish. After just a few hours into their trip, Confair felt something unusual tug his line. “Get the net,” Confair yelled to his friend. “This is a big fish.” Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – Jan. 23
John Mullican spent a brisk January day fly fishing on the Savage River, and takes one last look at a beautiful brook trout before releasing it. Photo by John Mullican.
Maryland is home to a relatively small fish that inhabits only streams with the best water quality. It’s a beautifully colored fish called the brook trout, Maryland’s only native trout. He is feisty, guarding his territory during the fall breeding season. Anyone who has caught and handled a brook trout or seen one holding in a stream often feels they have been touched by a wonder of nature. Read more about Maryland’s brook trout program online.
$2.1 Million Approved for Rural Legacy Program
Conservation Easements Protect Farmland and Watersheds
Mid-Maryland Washington Rural Legacy Area
The Board of Public Works today approved Rural Legacy Program grants totaling $2.1 million that will provide dedicated state funding to permanently protect working farms and forests, and provide vegetative stream buffers to improve water quality and bolster climate resilience in designated areas across the state.
Working through local governments and private land trusts, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources acquires conservation easements from willing landowners to preserve large, contiguous tracts of land that contain valuable agricultural and natural resources. Read more…
Public Comment Sought for State Forest Work Plans
Accepting Comments Until Feb. 22
A Sea of Green and Blue in Spring by Jennifer Johnson
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on the proposed fiscal year 2020 work plans for the following state forests: Chesapeake Forest/Pocomoke, Green Ridge, Potomac-Garrett and Savage River. The comment period concludes Feb. 22.
Annual work plans help the department identify priorities within the scope of the forests’ long-range management. They address composition, establishment, growth, health and quality along with construction and maintenance projects.
Public comments can be sent via email to jack.perdue@maryland.gov. Read more…
Governor Larry Hogan Announces Cabinet Appointment
Appoints Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio as Secretary of Natural Resources
Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio
Governor Larry Hogan today announced Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio as the Secretary of Natural Resources. Haddaway-Riccio currently serves as a Deputy Chief of Staff in the governor’s office, where she advises on environmental-related issues.
“Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio has been a strong member of my executive team since day one and has a proven track record of working to protect Maryland’s environment,” said Governor Hogan. “I know that Jeannie will be instrumental in ensuring that we continue to build on our incredible progress in preserving our state’s precious natural resources.” Read more…
Governor Larry Hogan Proposes Major Investments for Maryland Environment, Chesapeake Bay
FY 2020 Budget Includes Record Investment in Bay Restoration
Governor Larry Hogan greets Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton
For the fifth year in a row, Governor Larry Hogan has proposed major funding for restoring the Chesapeake Bay and protecting the environment and well-being of Marylanders.
“Through his funding priorities, Governor Hogan continues to demonstrate unprecedented support for initiatives that protect our lands and waters and prepare our citizens for the future,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. Read more…
Kent County Farm Protected by Maryland Environmental Trust
Easement Near Rock Hall Conserves Fields, Forest and Meadows
The Maryland Environmental Trust helped Expressway Corp. permanently protect its 119-acre farm along the West Fork of Langford Creek in Kent County. Expressway Corp. donated the conservation easement on the property forever protecting this important farm and forest land on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
In the vicinity of more than 2,000 acres of protected lands, the easement is located in an area dominated by farm and forest land. The approximately 39 acres of agricultural land, 60 acres woodlands and 12 acres of meadow of the property are an integral part of the area’s rural setting. Read more…
Public Invited to Open House for Wolf Den Run State Park
Information Meeting Set for Jan. 26
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will hold a second informational open house for Wolf Den Run State Park from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 26 at Greenbrier State Park, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro.
Maryland Park Service staff will provide a brief presentation about the park slated to open this year, plus answer questions and listen to public feedback on topics such as camping, hunting and trails. Read more…
Natural Resources Career Training Program Now Recruiting
Work2Live WELL Seeks Applicants in Baltimore City
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, is now accepting applications for its workforce development, skills and training program, Work2Live WELL. Now in its second year, this program provides entry into the emerging fields of the environment and natural resources.
With funding from the Employment Advancement Right Now Maryland program, this year’s program is recruiting 13 adult applicants in Baltimore City. Participants can gain entry, exposure, opportunity and training in blueprints, conservation, construction, dredging, land management, restoration and tree care. Read more…
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park Events Celebrate Black History Month
Stories of Underground Railroad Heroes Come to Life this February
In celebration of Black History Month, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center invites everyone to free, family-friendly programs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February.
The park, located in Dorchester County, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and houses an exhibit hall, immersive displays, a gift store and an information desk. Throughout the month, the park’s expert staff and special guests will lead special programs to honor the life and legacy of Maryland native Harriet Tubman and the struggle for freedom that she embodied. Read more…
Clean Marina Seminars Scheduled for February
Events Share Best Practices for Boatyard, Marina Operators
“Boats at Rest at Eastport Yacht Club” by Susan Hale
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites marine facility managers to a series of free seminars in February. Staff will introduce the Maryland Clean Marina Initiative to participants, review commonly needed marina permits and provide resources for all operators and owners to improve their boatyards, docks and marinas.
Events are being held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the following dates and locations:
- Feb. 7 at Haven Harbour Marina, Rock Hall;
- Feb. 12 at Southern Maryland Sailing Association, Solomons; and
- Feb. 14 at Eastport Yacht Club, Annapolis.
Space is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Winter Turkey Season Opens Jan. 17
Second Chance for Hunters to Take a Hen or Gobbler
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers hunters who did not bag a turkey in the fall another chance, as the winter turkey season runs statewide Jan. 17-19.
The department established the winter season in 2015 to increase opportunities while minimizing conflicts with other hunting seasons. Read more…
Annual Photo Contest Now Taking Submissions
2019 Contest Runs Through Aug. 31
2018 Photo Contest Grand Prize Winner, “Little Blue Heron Ready to Pounce” by Kevin Moore
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting entries for its annual photo contest. Photographers, novice or professional, can enter for the chance to win cash and other great prizes.
Winning entries will be posted online, featured in an issue of the seasonal Maryland Natural Resource magazine, and placed in the 2020 wall calendar.
More than 4,300 photos were submitted by more than 800 photographers in the 2018 contest, shattering last year’s record of 1,500 photos. Read more…
First Day Hikers Log 8,000 Miles on New Year’s Day
Participation Triples Thanks to Warm Weather
First Day Hikers at Gunpowder Falls State Park
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources welcomed approximately 3,700 hikers on 36 hikes at 32 state parks this New Year’s Day as part of the annual First Day Hikes initiative. Hikers trekked about 8,500 miles on trails in every corner of Maryland.
Maryland Park Service rangers, staff and volunteers guided hikers of all experience levels joining the ever-growing ranks of hikers ringing in the new year on the trail. Among them was Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, who hiked with Natural Resources Deputy Secretary Joanne Throwe at Patapsco Valley State Park. Read more…
Loving Birds to Death and the Importance of Cleaning Feeders
Goldfinch with eye disease by Bill Beil
In 1994, a group of Project FeederWatchers in Washington, D.C. noticed house finches showing up to their feeders with red, swollen, crusty eyes. The ailments were soon found to be linked to house finch eye disease, or mycoplasmal conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis is caused by a bacteria, and different species of bacteria affect different organisms. The bacterium known to infect local house finches has also been documented impacting species such as American goldfinches, evening grosbeaks and purple finches.
Native Animal Profile: Evening Grosbeak
Male Evening Grosbeak by Rich Hoeg, Flickr CC by NC ND 2.
Multiple species of finches make their home in Maryland. Some are year-round residents while others, like the evening grosbeak, are part-time visitors.
Evening grosbeaks are chunky finches. Males have striking yellow and black plumage with prominent white and black wings. Females are mostly gray and also possess white and black wings. Both sexes have thick, conical shaped bills with adult males having ivory colored bills and females and immature birds having greenish-tinged bills.
Native Birds Need Native Plants
Carolina Chickadee by Lee Jaffe, Flickr CC by NC SA 2.0
Here at Wild Acres, we like to promote using native plants in backyards to attract local wildlife species.
Over the years, Doug Tallamy’s research has shown a clear relationship between native plants and birds, linking the importance of native plants for supporting insects like caterpillars. Tallamy’s research has revealed that native oaks can support more than 530 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars while an invasive butterfly bush supports only one species. Read more…
Native Plant Profile: Silky Dogwood
Silky dogwood produces white clusters of flowers in June by Dan Mullen Flickr CC by NC ND 2.0
Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) is a medium-sized, native in the dogwood family (Cornaceae), and its blue berries are savored by many songbirds. More than 45 types of songbirds and game birds have been documented consuming the fatty berries in the fall. Read more…
Secretary’s Message: January 2019
Cheers to a Half-Century of Conservation Management and Stewardship
Secretary Mark Belton during a trip to Calvert Cliffs State Park
Happy New Year!
We welcome 2019 as a milestone in our mission as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will celebrate its semicentennial anniversary July 1.
Under the leadership of then-Gov. Marvin Mandel, the department was formed in 1969 as a merger of five existing state agencies, the departments of Chesapeake Bay Affairs, Game and Inland Fish, Water Resources, Forest and Parks and Maryland Geological Survey. The department assumed most operations of the previously existing Board of Natural Resources, which itself was a descendent of the state Conservation Commission. Read more…
Stamp Design Contests Now Open
Submit Original Work by March 8, 2019
Artists are invited to submit their original works for the 23rd Annual Maryland Black Bear Conservation Stamp and 45th Annual Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp design contests. These popular contests are open until March 8, 2019.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will judge the entries March 16, 2019, in conjunction with the annual Eagle Festival at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge.
Firearms Season for Deer Reopens Jan. 4
Hunters in Region B Have Another Opportunity for Deer
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the winter portion of the firearm deer hunting season opens Jan. 4, 2019, 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.
The season is open Jan. 4 and 5, 2019 in all Region B counties and Jan. 6, 2019 – on private lands only – in Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Washington (Zone 1), and Worcester counties. On Jan. 6, 2019, shooting hours end at 10:30 a.m. in Kent and Montgomery counties. Read more…
Maryland Joins Fight to Stop Seismic Testing in the Atlantic
Hogan Administration Takes Legal Actions Against Federal Government
Secretary Mark Belton speaking at press conference.
Governor Larry Hogan today authorized the State of Maryland to file a lawsuit against the federal government aimed at preventing seismic testing for offshore oil exploration off Maryland’s Atlantic coast.
“As governor, I take my role as a steward of our environment extremely seriously. We have made incredible progress in improving our air and water quality standards, and we are not going to let misguided policies from the federal government jeopardize our hard work,” said Governor Hogan. “Maryland will continue to fight against this sort of federal government overreach that threatens our natural resources and coastal communities.” Read more…
Aboveboard: Winter 2019
A new year is the ideal time to reflect on the past, take a look around the present and plan for the future. During the winter we can take our cue from nature, as the fresh, brisk air both invigorates us and slows down the pace of life so we can take this pause to reflect.
Begin with a hike in a park, forest or other trail. A great way to start every year is on a First Day Hike, hosted in sites all across Maryland every New Year’s Day. If you can’t make a First Day Hike, any time of year is great to explore these lands.
Ask an Expert: Winter 2019
Get some winter fishing tips and learn about hibernation.
A River Unbound: Bloede Dam removal nears completion
Construction site; by Jim Thompson
It was a hot, humid afternoon in June 1981, and Patapsco Valley State Park Ranger Paul J. Travers was on duty. On days like that, the heavily wooded park filled with high schoolers from the suburbs between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Ignoring the “no swimming” signs, they would splash into the cool Patapsco River and lounge on its huge boulders. Dozens of kids were swimming that day, sliding down the old, defunct Bloede Dam into the deep pool below. Suddenly, one of the kids disappeared underwater. His friends waited for him to surface, but he never came back up. Travers was there when rescuers pulled the teenager’s lifeless body from the water.
The boy was one of at least nine people to lose their lives at Bloede over the past four decades. Read more…
Quail Find Safe Harbor on the Eastern Shore: Partnership restores habitat for northern bobwhite
Quail; courtesy of Washington College
The Sassafras Natural Resource Management Area in Kent County has a brand new home for northern bobwhite thanks to a partnership between the Washington College Center for Environment and Society and the Maryland Park Service.
Through the college’s Natural Lands Project, this past year 83 acres of row crops at the management area were converted to 80 acres of upland meadow, two acres of walking trails and an acre of hedgerows. The effort is to find the right balance of varied habitat types that quail need throughout the year, says Dan Small, a field ecologist with the center and coordinator of the Natural Lands Project. Read more…
From the Field: Captain Eddie Somers
J. Millard Tawes; by Jay Fleming
When Eddie Somers was about seven years old, he saw a large boat approaching his native Smith Island. It was the U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender Barberry, there to remove a navigational beacon.
“Boy, that thing looked big to me then,” Somers says. He spent his life surrounded by watercraft and knew he’d work the water one day, but he was fascinated by the imposing 100-foot vessel.
What he didn’t know was that a few years later, the Barberry would be purchased by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and renamed the J. Millard Tawes. Or that a few decades later, he would begin a quarter century service as its captain. Read more…
Mountain Club of Maryland: Working hard at having fun!
Today’s members; courtesy of the Mountain Club of Maryland
On Oct. 20, 1934 a group of 27 energetic men and women, led by Orville W. Crowder hiked along the Appalachian Trail from Crampton Gap to Weaverton, Pennsylvania. It was the first hike by the Mountain Club of Maryland.
The oldest hiking club in Maryland and the premier hiking group in the state is a Baltimore-based volunteer organization. Club members support Leave No Trace principles and work on local, state and national trails. They organize and lead over 300 events a year including hikes, camping, seasonal river tubing and canoe trips and backpacking weekends. Read more…
Natural History: Centuries of Maryland conservation laws in one document
Albert Powell Hatchery; by Jim Thompson
In 1967, a retired Maryland fisheries manager felt compelled to tell the full history of fishing regulation in the Old Line State. Albert Powell wrote a 369-page report with the weighty title and subtitle, “Historical information of Maryland Commission of Fisheries, with some notes on game: Based on Annual Reports, legislative enactments and personal observations; also the compiled laws of the Game and Inland Fish Commission, 1654-1965.” Read more…
2018 Photo Contest: Winners
Grand prize winner; by Kevin Moore
Please enjoy the top picks from our annual contest! This year we received over 4,300 photos from 819 participants. Read more…
Board of Public Works Approves $3 Million for Oyster Recovery
Funding for Large-Scale Restoration, Marylanders Grow Oysters and State Sanctuaries
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been approved to invest more than $3 million in oyster recovery and restoration activities in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, following unanimous support from the Board of Public Works.
The board, consisting of Governor Larry Hogan, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp, approved three contracts to the Oyster Recovery Partnership aimed at collecting oyster shell, constructing oyster reefs and planting hatchery-reared oysters. Read more…
$3 Million Approved for Rural Legacy Program
Conservation Easements Protect Farmland, Forests and Waterways
Upper Patapsco Rural Legacy Area
The Board of Public Works today approved Rural Legacy Program grants totaling $3 million that will provide dedicated state funding to permanently protect working farms and forests, and provide vegetative stream buffers to improve water quality in designated areas across the state.
Working through local governments and private land trusts, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources acquires conservation easements from willing landowners to preserve large, contiguous tracts of land that contain valuable agricultural and natural resources. Read more…
Hunters Harvest 31,000 Deer During Firearms Season
Harvest Numbers Strong Despite Poor Weather
Photo by Steve Edwards
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters reported taking 31,588 deer during the state’s most popular hunt, the two-week firearms season. The total was eight percent lower than last year’s official harvest of 34,502. Bad weather during the prime Saturday hunt days contributed to the decline in many parts of the state.
More than 4,400 deer were taken on the two Sundays during the season, representing 14 percent of the total harvest. Sunday hunting is currently permitted on select Sundays in 20 of 23 counties. Read more…
Preseason Trout Stocking Begins
Winter Fishing Tradition in Maryland
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering anglers an early start to the spring trout season before winter even begins.
Starting the week of Dec. 17, 2018, the department will conduct preseason trout stocking at several popular fishing locations. Early trout stocking will include several impoundments that will receive their annual allotments in a single stocking. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report: Dec. 12
This will be our last fishing report for 2018, but we will return in mid-January with a report on winter fishing activities and some news about upcoming outdoor shows.
The 2018 striped bass season closes Dec. 15. The season ends a few days earlier than last year, as part of the conservation-minded regulations that included reducing the minimum length for Chesapeake Bay rockfish to 19 inches. The Potomac River below the Woodrow Wilson Bridge will be open to striped bass fishing until Dec. 31. Our readers should also keep in mind that there are other species that will still be in season for die hard cold-weather anglers.
Happy holidays from everyone at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources!
Step into 2019 with a First Day Hike
Popular New Year’s Tradition Returns Across Maryland
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center will host a First Day Hike on New New Year’s Day.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites everyone to kick off the New Year with one of Maryland’s fastest-growing traditions – a First Day Hike.
On Jan. 1, 2019, the Maryland Park Service will offer more than three dozen hikes on more than 30 state lands and parks, as part of a nationwide event sponsored by America’s State Parks.
These hikes will provide a wide array of outdoor adventures and experiences for every level of hiker and walker, providing unique access to Maryland’s cultural, historical and natural resources and treasures, along with opportunities for education and stewardship. Many hikes are even pet-friendly.
Survey Shows Marylanders Support Deer Hunting
Public Input Helps Inform Deer Management Plan
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the results of a public opinion survey, done in cooperation with the University of Delaware and Responsive Management on white-tailed deer. The telephone survey covered a range of topics and will be used to support revision of the department’s deer management plan.
The survey, taken by more than 2,200 individuals representing the general population, landowners and hunters, found that a majority like deer, but a significant proportion of the population are concerned with the negative impacts deer cause.
More than 70 percent of those surveyed think that deer should be hunted to help manage for a healthy population and over half of those surveyed think the department does a good job conserving and managing the deer population. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report: Dec. 5
Daniel Irons tried his hand at recreational oystering, hand-tonging a nice pile of large oysters that may wind up stewed or fried. Photo by Mike Irons
We are approaching the end of the 2018 striped bass season, which closes Dec. 15. The season ends a few days earlier than last year, as part of the conservation-minded regulations that included reducing the minimum length for Chesapeake Bay rockfish to 19 inches. Of course there are other species that will still be in season for cold-weather anglers.
Expanding your outdoor experiences is a new, learning adventure. It may involve trying a new sport such as bow hunting for a traditional firearm hunter or perhaps fly fishing when you’ve always used spinning gear. There is always something new to explore.
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