The first segment of Maryland’s muzzleloader deer season will be open Oct. 17-19 statewide. Hunters in Region B — the state’s central, southern, and eastern regions — can also use muzzleloaders from Oct. 21-26 for antlerless deer only.
As temperatures cool, beach towns get less crowded, and classrooms fill with children, the end of the summer season marks the beginning of another–deer hunting season in Maryland. Outdoors enthusiasts and hunters alike set their sights on the first Friday after Labor Day – the official kick-off of deer archery season. With burly whitetails in Read the Rest…
The lush summer greenscape all around us is soon to give way to the glow of autumn. While we know warm weather will be lingering for some time, we can already feel the brisk breezes of fall in the evening air. We are entering a great time to visit the majestic vistas of Maryland, walk Read the Rest…
Bowhunting opportunities continue into February The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will open the archery hunting season for white-tailed and sika deer on Sept. 6. The season runs intermittently through Jan. 31, 2025. Archers may use vertical longbows and vertical recurve bows Feb. 1 and Feb. 3-4, 2025 during the third annual Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has posted permit applications and the 2024-25 schedule for waterfowl hunting at Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Area (WMA) impoundments. The schedule and permits are designed to reduce crowding and maintain the quality of waterfowl hunting opportunities during the regular duck season. At both locations, hunting is allowed Read the Rest…
Licensing process offers chance to secure hunting locations for a season The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is again offering an online process for Maryland hunters to apply for a 2024-2025 waterfowl blind site license. From July 15 through July 29 at 11:59 p.m., hunters and riparian landowners may enter the annual lottery for Read the Rest…
State reports second-highest seasonal harvest on record Maryland hunters harvested 4,959 wild turkeys during the 2024 spring regular and junior turkey seasons. This year’s harvest was 7% lower than the record amount set last spring, but surpassed the harvest totals from previous seasons.
Funds available for processing venison donated to charity The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for partner organizations for the 2024 venison donation grant program. Grant money is available to organizations to assist with the direct costs of butchering and processing deer with the resulting venison being donated to organizations that assist Marylanders in Read the Rest…
Junior Hunt begins April 13; regular season starts April 18 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that the statewide spring wild turkey season will kick off April 13 with Junior Turkey Hunt Day. All hunters can hunt during the regular spring turkey season, which begins April 18 and continues through May 23.
Applications Must Be Postmarked by May 31, 2024 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service is now accepting waterfowl offshore blind and shoreline license applications for waterfront, or riparian, property owners. Landowners, or anyone who has been granted permission from the riparian property owner, may license their shoreline. An offshore blind Read the Rest…
More than 10% were harvested on Sundays The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that deer hunters harvested 72,642 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 8, 2023 through Feb. 3, 2024. The statewide harvest included 30,025 antlered and 38,511 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,912 antlered and 2,194 antlerless sika deer. The harvest Read the Rest…
Comment period includes migratory game bird season proposal for the coming season The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the 2024-2026 hunting and trapping seasons as well as the proposed 2024-2025 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits.
Final Opportunity for Deer Hunters for the 2023-24 Season The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces the state’s Primitive Deer Hunt will be open Feb. 1-3 statewide. Hunters with a valid hunting license, or those exempt from the hunting license requirement, may use primitive bows or muzzleloaders to hunt sika and white-tailed deer during these days. Primitive hunting devices Read the Rest…
Maryland’s youth hunters, veterans, and military personnel can experience the excitement of this season’s second special waterfowl hunting day; Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. A previous hunting day was held in November.
Maryland hunters who did not harvest a turkey during the fall will have another chance to do so during winter season, which runs statewide from Jan. 18-20. Hunting hours are from one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset. The bag limit is one turkey of either sex.
Season open first weekend of 2024 in most counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will open the January firearm deer hunting season on Jan. 5, 2024 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 Read the Rest…
Applications to participate being taken through Jan. 7 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in partnership with the Maryland Sportsmen’s Foundation, is offering a special hunting opportunity for all military veterans and youth hunters aged 11-16. Participants will be able to hunt select properties in three regions of the state under the guidance of Read the Rest…
Hunters take 28,236 deer during two-week season The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters harvested 28,236 deer during the two-week firearm season from Nov. 25 through Dec. 9. The firearms season harvest was 3% lower than last year’s official count of 29,160 deer.
Cooler weather prevails in opening weekend of two-week hunt Hunters reported harvesting 10,864 deer on the opening weekend of the 2023 Maryland firearm season from Nov. 25-26, according to data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The overall deer harvest was 7% higher than last year’s official opening weekend harvest of 10,159 deer. The Read the Rest…
Towson Artist Wins 50th and Final Design Contest The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is pleased to announce that Jim Taylor of Towson won the 50th Annual Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest. Taylor is now one of two six-time winners.
Deer hunting opportunities still abound for the rest of the year The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that hunters harvested 16,607 deer during the early portion of the 2023 archery and muzzleloader seasons. The harvest was an 18% decrease from last year’s official harvest of 20,267 deer for the same period. The annual deer harvest fluctuates Read the Rest…
Warm weather prevailed for most of the hunt, but harvest remains steady The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that hunters harvested 103 black bears during the state’s 20th annual black bear hunt held Oct. 23-28 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The harvest consisted of 40 male and 63 female bears. An additional nine Read the Rest…
The top predator, once abundant and later endangered in the state, is now at a healthy level Black bear populations have risen in Maryland in recent decades and are now at a level that state biologists consider healthy. To maintain a large enough black bear population that enables bears to sustainably reproduce while mitigating potential Read the Rest…
Hunt offers prime time for adult hunters to pass on traditions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages experienced deer hunters to take advantage of the upcoming Junior Deer Hunting Days to introduce young people to this time-honored cultural and sporting tradition. The Junior Deer Hunt is open on private and designated public land in all counties on November Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that squirrel, rabbit, fall turkey, and other small game seasons are either underway or set to open in the coming weeks. Some of these species offer generous seasons and bag limits and are abundant throughout Maryland.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites all junior license holders, apprentice license holders, and lapsed hunters to apply to participate in this year’s stocked pheasant hunt. The stocked pheasant hunts are do-it-yourself hunts that will take place on state-owned land throughout the state on November 18 and 19. All applicants must have a DNR ID Read the Rest…
Mourning dove, early resident Canada Goose seasons begin Sept. 1 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the state’s 2023-2024 migratory game bird hunting seasons, the first of which begin Sept. 1. Bag limits, season dates, and shooting hours can be found in the 2023-2024 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.
‘First Shot’ program is designed for first-time adult hunters The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering novice adult hunters an opportunity to hunt for deer at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas in Dorchester County this October. The First Shot Mentored Deer Hunt introduces first time adult hunters (18 and older) that do Read the Rest…
Deadline for hunt clubs to enter the lottery is August 23 Hunt clubs interested in obtaining a hunting lease agreement on Chesapeake Forest Lands can enter a lottery for available tracts in Wicomico and Worcester Counties. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will accept online entries until August 23. Winning clubs will have the right to obtain a ten-year lease agreement, at the Read the Rest…
Applications are due August 31; drawing held Sept. 6 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for the 2023 black bear hunt lottery. Successful applicants will receive a permit valid for the 6-day hunting season open October 23-28 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The annual bear hunt, now in its 20th year, is an Read the Rest…
Online lottery, virtual appointments available to secure hunting locations The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering an online process for Maryland hunters to apply for a 2023-2024 waterfowl blind site license, which reserves a location for a landowner or authorized individual to place a hunting blind. From July 12 through July 25 at 11:59 p.m., hunters may Read the Rest…
Proficiency Tests Necessary to Participate in Managed Deer Hunts The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has released the 2023 Shooter Qualification Schedule for managed hunts, which includes more than 20 sessions at 11 locations across the state. The events allow hunters to take the necessary proficiency test required to obtain a Shooter Qualification Card to participate in the state’s managed deer Read the Rest…
New Changes Include the Creation of a Sika Deer Hunting Stamp The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that legislation passed during the 2023 General Assembly will increase the price of hunting licenses and some associated stamps beginning with the 2023-24 hunting season. The existing structure and fees had been in place since 2002, and the Read the Rest…
Harvest Increases Reported in Every County Maryland hunters harvested 5,356 wild turkeys during the 2023 spring regular and junior turkey seasons, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported. This year’s harvest was 27% higher than the 2022 harvest and surpassed the previous record harvest of 4,303, set in 2020.
Money Available to Cover Processing Fees for Venison Donated to Charitable Causes The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the creation of a venison donation grant program. Money is available to county governments, municipal corporations, and 501(c)(3)tax exempt organizations to assist with the direct costs of butchering and processing deer for venison to be donated to programs Read the Rest…
Junior Hunt begins April 15; regular season starts April 18 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that the statewide spring wild turkey season will kick off April 15 with Junior Turkey Hunt Day. All hunters can try to bag a bird during the regular spring turkey season, April 18 through May 23.
Applications Must Be Postmarked by May 31, 2023 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced that waterfront, or riparian, property owners can now apply for offshore blind and shoreline licenses to establish sites for hunting waterfowl or prevent others from licensing their property. After a stretch of shoreline is licensed, no other person may Read the Rest…
Statewide Harvest Increased 8% from Previous Year The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that deer hunters harvested 76,687 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 9, 2022 through Feb. 3, 2023. The statewide harvest included 29,682 antlered and 42,872 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,908 antlered and 2,225 antlerless sika deer. The Read the Rest…
Public Can View and Comment Online Through March 1 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has posted the proposed 2023-2024 Migratory Game Bird Seasons for public review. As in years past, DNR is providing an online forum to collect public comment on these proposals now through March 1. The DNR website also includes a Read the Rest…
January Season Yield Spiked in Several Counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that hunters took 84 wild turkeys during the 2023 winter turkey season, which was open statewide Jan. 19-21. This year’s harvest was 25% above the 2022 total of 67 turkeys. Allegany, Frederick, Washington, Anne Arundel, and Charles counties reported the highest harvests. Read the Rest…
Three-Day Hunting Opportunity Statewide The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces the opening of the winter turkey season, which runs statewide from Jan. 19-21 for hunters who did not harvest a turkey during the 2022 fall season. Hunting hours are from one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset. The bag limit is one turkey of Read the Rest…
Weekend Hunt Provides Additional Opportunity The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced the January firearm deer hunting season opens Jan. 6, 2023, 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 Read the Rest…
Hunters Take 29,124 Deer During Two-Week Season The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters harvested 29,124 deer during the two-week firearms season from Nov. 26 through Dec. 10. The firearms season harvest was 10% higher than last year’s official count of 26,584.
Marylanders Encouraged to Submit Holiday Recipes Featuring Foods Fished, Foraged, and Hunted The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is once again putting out a call to all wildlife and cooking enthusiasts to submit their favorite recipes for its Wild Maryland online cookbook, this time for the holiday season. The department encourages Maryland’s hunters, anglers, Read the Rest…
Numerous Opportunities to Hunt Statewide The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that squirrel, rabbit, fall turkey, and other seasons are either underway or set to open in the coming weeks. Hunters are also reminded that changes have been made to ruffed grouse and bobwhite quail seasons.
First Segment of Season Starts October 20 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that the first segment of Maryland’s muzzleloader deer season runs from Oct. 20-22 statewide. Hunters in Region B — the state’s central, southern, and eastern regions — can also use muzzleloaders from Oct. 24-29 for antlerless deer only. The popular season typically coincides Read the Rest…
Step Up to Serve, Engage in Maryland Traditions Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed Sept. 11 a day of service and remembrance across the state of Maryland in memory of those lost in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The proclamation is part of an initiative that Governor Hogan, the Governor’s Office of Service and Volunteerism, and Read the Rest…
Artists Can Submit Original Work by November 3, 2022 Artists are invited to submit their original works for Maryland’s annual Migratory Game Bird Stamp contest, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This popular competition combining artistic skill with knowledge of Maryland’s wildlife is open until November 3, 2022.
Mourning Dove, Early Canada Goose Seasons Now Open The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the state’s 2022-2023 migratory game bird hunting seasons. Bag limits, season dates, and shooting hours can be found in the Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.
Permit Applications for Somerset County Wildlife Management Areas Now Available The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the annual schedule and process for waterfowl hunting at the Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Area impoundments. The current program is being managed to reduce crowding and maintain the quality of waterfowl hunting opportunities during Read the Rest…