Dove Seasons Starts September 1
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is excited to begin another series of hunting seasons across the state today, as several migratory bird seasons traditionally open on the first of September.
“Hunters are reminded to follow the principles taught in their safety classes and courses and abide by all appropriate regulations so they can maintain the safe and ethical reputation earned by Maryland hunters,” said DNR Director of the Wildlife and Heritage Service Paul Peditto. “Get outdoors and into a field this season with friends, family, and maybe even a retriever or two that have spent the summer training for this day and hunting season.”
September 1 marks the start of the season for:
Mourning dove
Early resident Canada goose in the Eastern and Western zones
Clapper and king rails
Sora and virginia rails
Deer Archery Season to Open September 11
Archery hunting for white-tailed deer opens statewide in Maryland on Friday, September 11, 2015 and continues through January 30, 2016.
As a reminder, there is a statewide bag limit for bucks of one per weapon season—bow, muzzleloader and firearm. Hunters in Region B have the option to take one additional bonus buck after purchasing a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp and taking two antlerless deer. The antlerless deer bag limits differ between the two Maryland Deer Management Regions.
An antler point restriction mandates that hunters may not harvest more than two white-tailed deer within the yearly bag limit that have two or fewer points on each antler present. Any additional antlered deer taken within the legal seasons and bag limits must have at least three points on one antler. Junior Hunting License holders are exempt from the antler point restriction. Hunters in Region A may take only two antlerless deer for the license year.
Sika deer archery season is also open from September 11 through January 30 in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties. The sika deer archery season bag limit is three deer with no more than one being antlered. An antlered sika is defined as a deer with at least one antler visible above the hairline.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hunters to check-in deer taken with a long, compound or recurve bow as harvested with a vertical bow. Crossbow hunters should register their deer as taken with a crossbow. This information helps DNR biologists collect information on hunter preferences and follow trends in how deer are harvested.
There are several additional Sundays open to archery hunting in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. Several state forests have been added to the public lands designated for Sunday hunting. These, and other regulations, are included in the 2015-2016 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping. Complete bag limits, season dates, registration procedures and hunting regulations are on the DNR website and in this year’s guide.
Hunters should carefully inspect all tree-stands and always wear a full-body safety harness while climbing in or out and while in the stand. DNR strongly recommends using a sliding knot, commonly known as a prussic knot, attached to a line that is secured above the stand that allows the hunter to be safely tethered to the tree as soon as they leave the ground. For more information on tree-stand safety, click here.
Hunters are encouraged to donate any extra deer they may harvest to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. The program enables hunters to take deer to cooperating butchers and processors where they can donate them free of charge. The deer are processed and the venison is made available to local food banks. Last year, the program provided more than 600,000 venison meals to food banks and other feeding efforts.
Teal Season to Open September 16
The teal hunting season in Maryland will open on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 and continue through Wednesday, September 30, 2015.
Hunters should note several important aspects of the September teal season:
Shooting hours are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset
The daily bag limit is six teal (blue or green-winged)
The possession limit for teal is three times the daily bag limit
September teal seasons are offered to states that derive more than 80 percent of their annual teal harvest from the Prairie Pothole Region of the north central U.S. and southern Canada. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s annual Breeding Waterfowl and Habitat Survey recorded about 8.5 million blue-winged teal and 4.1 million green-winged teal in 2015.
All migratory game bird hunters, including landowners who are license-exempt, must possess a Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp/Harvest Information Program Permit. All waterfowl hunters 16 and older are also required to possess the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (federal duck stamp), which must be signed in ink across the face to be valid. Hunters buying the federal stamp online may use the purchase code or printed receipt to show proof of purchase for 45 days. Hunters will receive their stamp in the mail from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within this time frame.
Licenses, stamps and permits may be purchased online via COMPASS, by phone at 1-855-855-3906, at a DNR Service Center or at any one of the more than 250 Sport License Agents located across the state. For more information, visit dnr.maryland.gov/service.