LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County already has more public hunting land than any other Maryland jurisdiction, but officials are now considering whether four county-owned properties should be opened to bow hunters.
The Board of County Commissioners agreed Tuesday, July 21, to have county staff and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources further evaluate the four properties under a bow-hunting-only scenario.
The review began with an agenda request from Commissioner Gilbert “B.J.” Bowling, who asked county staff to examine the possibility and practicality of allowing hunting on county-owned land.
A task force included employees from the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism, the County Attorney’s Office, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and DNR.
“It was a great collaboration and a great learning experience for all of us,” Deputy Recreation, Parks and Tourism Director Sam Drury told commissioners.
Charles County Already Ranks No. 1
Charles County does not currently permit hunting in county-operated parks or on other county properties. The county also does not have a cooperative wildlife management agreement with DNR, although every other Southern Maryland county has such an agreement.
Despite that, Charles County ranks first in Maryland for the amount of land available for public hunting.
The county has 16,741 acres available through DNR’s 2025-2026 Free Public Hunting Permit Program — more than the public hunting acreage in Calvert, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s counties combined. The land is managed by DNR and is separate from the county-owned properties now under consideration.
About 3,300 deer were harvested and tagged in Charles County during the 2024-2025 hunting season. The county also recorded Maryland’s second-highest wild turkey harvest during the most recent spring season, with 452 turkeys, trailing only Garrett County.
Waterfowl hunting is permitted along licensed shorelines but is not allowed inside county parks. Friendship Farm Park, Hatton Creek, Mallows Bay and Marshall Hall offer boat-launch access to nearby waterfowl hunting areas.
Drury said the county has done little to promote the hunting opportunities already available on state-managed land.
“We don’t have the marketing, the outreach — even on our own website, on our parks recreation, we have no hunting,” Drury said.
He said the county could better advertise legal hunting areas to residents and visitors regardless of whether commissioners eventually open county-owned land.
Four County Properties Identified
County staff reviewed government-owned properties to determine whether they could potentially accommodate hunting.
The review considered how each property was purchased, whether the land was reserved for another government project, the amount of forested acreage, nearby development and possible future growth.
Staff also considered existing recreational uses, including playgrounds, buildings and hiking trails, to avoid placing hunters and other park visitors in the same areas.
“We wanted to make sure that we were looking to ensure that all hunters were safe, all neighbors were safe,” Guy said.
Four properties made the cut, all fully forested:
- Gardiner Station in Waldorf — 144 acres
- The Hamacheck property on Port Tobacco Road in Nanjemoy — 108 acres
- Marshall Hall Road — 74.98 acres
- Marshall Corner Road — 201 acres
Because Charles County has no park police force, any hunting program would need DNR to handle enforcement, permitting and site inspections through a cooperative agreement. Adams told commissioners the county wouldn’t need to build anything new to make that happen. “They’re not rebuilding. They’re not recreating the wheel. They’ve got all of this stuff in place,” he said.
Commissioners Debate Need For More Land
Commissioners raised questions about safety, enforcement and whether Charles County needs additional hunting acreage when nearly 17,000 acres are already available through DNR.
Commissioner Thomasina Coates said she did not support opening additional county-owned properties to hunting, citing concerns about gunfire, safety and enforcement near nearby communities. She said any proposal should include extensive public input and close monitoring by DNR.
Bowling said he understood the concerns about firearms and supported limiting the review to bow hunting.
“Not everybody that moves into this county is as fortunate as some of us, including myself, that have access to hunting,” Bowling said.
He said several residents had contacted him about expanding access and argued that bow hunting could also help manage the county’s deer population.
Bowling said the proposal could provide opportunities for residents who do not own land or have permission to hunt on private property.
Another commissioner who described himself as a bow hunter also supported starting with archery rather than firearms.
“I think bow hunting would be a great place to start,” he said.
What Happens Next
Commissioners reached a consensus directing county staff to work with DNR on a more detailed review of all four properties, limited to bow hunting.
DNR is expected to examine how the properties could be managed, how many hunters could safely use them and what enforcement, permitting and monitoring would be required.
The agency would then participate in another presentation to commissioners. County officials also called for community engagement before any properties are approved for hunting.
Even if commissioners later approve a program, staff said it could not be implemented during the current hunting season.
DNR’s licensing year runs from Aug. 1 through July 31. Property inspections, legal review and the development of a cooperative agreement could continue into the next licensing year.
Watch the full July 21, 2026 meeting on CCGTV.
Got a tip or photo? Text us at 888-871-NEWS (6397) or email news@thebaynet.com.
Join The BayNet Membership for exclusive perks and zero ads.
Don’t miss a story—sign up for our newsletter!
