ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that archery hunting for deer opens September 15, 2006 and ends on January 31, 2007.
The white-tailed deer archery bag limit for Deer Management Region A (Garrett and Allegany) is 2 deer (1 antlered and 1 antlerless). In Deer Management Region B (remaining 21 counties), archers may take 2 antlered white-tailed deer. However, as in the past, 2 antlerless deer must be taken before attempting to hunt a second antlered deer. The bag limit for antlerless deer in Region B is 10 antlerless deer, except that archers in the Suburban Deer Archery Zone (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s) may take an unlimited number of antlerless deer.
Sika deer hunting is expanded into Caroline and Talbot counties. Sika deer archery season is open from September 15, 2006 through January 31, 2007 in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties. The sika deer bag limit is 1 antlered and 1 antlerless sika deer. An antlered sika deer is a deer with at least one antler visible above the hairline.
Successful Maryland deer hunters register their deer by calling 1-888-800-0121 or through the internet at http://www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us. Hunters must immediately place a “Field Tag” on the deer’s head and complete the Maryland Big Game Harvest Record. When registering each deer, hunters will receive a confirmation number that must be recorded on the hunter’s Big Game Harvest Record. All documents must be recorded in ink. Complete instructions for this process are located on pages 28 – 29 of the “2006-2007 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland.”
New and improved “Field Tags” and “Butcher/Taxidermy Tags” are located between pages 28 and 29 of the 2006-2007 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland. This season’s tags provide an improved writing surface material and a more tear resistant hole. DNR made these changes in response to suggestions from the Maryland hunting public. Unused “Field Tags” and “Butcher/Taxidermy Tags” from the past hunting season are still valid for tagging deer and turkey during the coming hunting seasons.
Successful Junior Deer Hunters (age 16 and under) are eligible to receive a “Junior Hunter Game Certificate” from designated Junior Hunter Certificate Agents. Participating businesses are listed on page 52 of the “2006-2007 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland.” Visit the local agent and receive an attractive certificate commemorating the bagging of deer or turkey.
One Sunday, November 5, 2006, is open for bow hunting on private land only within the following 13 counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Garrett, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot and Washington. Bow hunters may hunt deer on private land only in Dorchester County on the following Sundays: October 15, October 22, October 29, November 5, and November 12.
Crossbow deer hunting will be permitted on September 30 – October 14, 2006 and January 15 – 31, 2007. Crossbows are also legal for all hunters during the firearm and muzzleloader seasons. Any deer taken with a crossbow will count toward the hunter’s appropriate Regional Bow Bag Limit.
Crossbow hunters and vertical bow (straight limb, recurve, compound) hunters must possess a Bow Stamp with a valid hunting license in order to hunt deer during Maryland’s Bow Season. All bow hunters must purchase a Muzzleloader Stamp in order to hunt with a bow (vertical or crossbow) during the Muzzleloader Deer Season.
Deer taken with a straight limb bow, recurve bow or compound bow will be registered as taken with a vertical bow. Deer taken with a crossbow will be recorded as taken with a crossbow. This will allow DNR biologists to accurately determine the influence of crossbows on Maryland’s deer management.
Last season a total of 21,382 deer (8,429 antlered bucks, 11,009 does, 1,944 button bucks) were taken with all archery equipment. Vertical bow hunters bagged 18,208 deer. Crossbow hunters harvested 916 deer during the 2005-06 4-week crossbow season. Total crossbow deer harvest (disabled hunters, firearm season, muzzleloader season, 4-week crossbow season) tallied 3,174 (1,134 antlered, 2,040 antlerless).
The top ten Maryland counties for 2005-06 total bow harvest were as follows: Baltimore (2,608); Montgomery (1,714); Harford (1,580); Washington (1,552); Frederick (1,349); Carroll (1,161); Howard (1,002); Charles (979); Garrett (932); Allegany (897).
Maryland’s Archery Deer Hunting Season is one component of Maryland’s DNR deer management activities. Archery hunting, combined with firearm and muzzleloader deer hunting, provides outdoor recreation for over 74,000 Maryland residents while managing white-tailed deer and sika deer populations. Each year deer hunting contributes over $150 million to Maryland’s economy.
Complete bag limits, season dates, deer registration procedures and bow hunting regulations can be found at the DNR website, www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide. The “2006-2007 Guide to Hunting & Trapping In Maryland,” issued with each hunting license, also contains detailed information about all of Maryland’s hunting seasons.