{"id":46717,"date":"2026-02-13T13:26:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T18:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=46717"},"modified":"2026-02-13T13:26:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T18:26:16","slug":"dnr-seeks-public-input-for-upcoming-hunting-seasons-and-bag-limits-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2026\/02\/13\/dnr-seeks-public-input-for-upcoming-hunting-seasons-and-bag-limits-2\/","title":{"rendered":"DNR Seeks Public Input for Upcoming Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Comment period includes migratory game bird season proposal for the coming season<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Dog

Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo<\/p><\/div>\n

The\u00a0Maryland Department of Natural Resources\u00a0is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the\u00a0<\/span>2026-2028 hunting and trapping seasons<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and the proposed\u00a0<\/span>2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The public can view the\u00a0<\/span>proposed regulations and comment\u00a0online<\/span><\/a>, as well as view and comment on the\u00a0<\/span>proposed migratory game bird seasons and bag limits<\/span><\/a>\u00a0now through February 28.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank our many stakeholders who have worked with us on the latest set of regulatory proposals,\u201d said Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer. \u201cPublic input is essential to setting our regulations and we look forward to receiving comments to help us further refine and finalize these actions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some proposals include regulations on the use of drones for recovering injured or deceased game, providing electronic check-in for additional game species, modified requirements for firearms that can be used for deer and bear, and several other changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Commenters are advised not to use names or personally identifiable information in the comments as these comments may b\u200be posted for public view on the DNR website.\u200b\u200b\u200b Hunters are also reminded that Sunday hunting is controlled by legislation and cannot be changed through the regulatory process.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to\u00a0<\/span>online comments<\/span><\/a>, the department is also accepting feedback by phone at 410-260-8540; by fax to 410-260-8596; or in writing to: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, 580 Taylor Avenue, E-1, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryland hunting regulations and licenses generally take effect on August 1 of each year, with new licenses valid from that date through July 31 of the following year. Licenses can be purchased starting July 1. <\/span>Hunter\u2019s education courses<\/span><\/a> take place throughout the year for individuals needing to fulfill requirements or interested in furthering their knowledge and skills<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryland hunting licenses, stamps, and permits can be purchased online through <\/span>the MD Outdoors licensing website<\/span><\/a>, at a <\/span>licensing agent<\/span><\/a>, or by calling <\/span>DNR Licensing and Registration services<\/span><\/a> at 866-344-8889.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hunting license fees go toward recruiting, educating, and certifying new hunters; acquiring and restoring wildlife habitats; maintaining and improving existing Wildlife Management Areas; providing technical assistance to landowners; and helping enforce wildlife laws and regulations for the benefit of all Marylanders.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hunters or interested citizens with any questions may contact the Wildlife and Heritage Service at 410-260-8540.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Comment period includes migratory game bird season proposal for the coming season The\u00a0Maryland Department of Natural Resources\u00a0is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the\u00a02026-2028 hunting and trapping seasons\u00a0and the proposed\u00a02026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits.\u00a0 The public can view the\u00a0proposed regulations and comment\u00a0online, as well as view and comment on the\u00a0proposed migratory  Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,3172],"tags":[4960,5240,5355,5433,5625],"class_list":["post-46717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-hunting","tag-hunting","tag-migratory-bird","tag-public-comment","tag-regulations","tag-seasons"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46717"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46719,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46717\/revisions\/46719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}