Online lottery, virtual appointments available to secure waterfowl hunting locations
ANNAPOLIS – The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering an online process for Maryland hunters to apply for a 2026-2027 waterfowl offshore blind site license. Hunters and riparian landowners may enter the annual lottery for the opening days of waterfowl blind site licensing from July 15 through July 28 using the Department’s online licensing portal, MD Outdoors.
There is no charge to enter the lottery. Applicants must be a Maryland resident and may only enter the lottery a single time. Lottery winners will be selected randomly via an electronic process and notified via email by July 31. The email will contain the appointment date and time as well as a virtual meeting link (Microsoft Teams) for the blind site selection process.
Virtual blind site selection meetings will begin on August 4 and continue over several business days until the process is complete. Lottery winners may permit others to assist them with blind site selection, but the lottery winner must participate (be present) in the virtual meeting or forfeit their opportunity to select a blind site.
Lottery winners must have purchased either a 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 Maryland hunting license prior to their appointment to license offshore waterfowl hunting blind sites. Landowners are exempt from the hunting license requirement but will need to provide proof of property ownership.
In addition to notification by email, the DNR ID of lottery winners will be posted on the department’s website by July 31, 2026. Additional information and important instructions related to this process are available on the department’s website.
After the lottery is concluded, licensing of remaining blind sites can still be done by appointment throughout the hunting season. Customers can begin making appointments online on August 13 for virtual meetings that will begin August 19. Customers who schedule an appointment will receive an email that includes a virtual meeting link to communicate with DNR staff who will conduct the licensing process on the scheduled date and time.