DNR Announces Canada Goose Hunting Dates At Wye Island N.R.M.A.
ANNAPOLIS – Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) State Forest and Park Service today announced the dates for waterfowl hunting for migratory AP (Atlantic Population) Canada Geese at Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area (N.R.M.A.). As in the past, all hunts will be by permit only.
This year’s dates for migratory AP Canada Goose hunts are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Dec.18, 2004, through Jan. 29, 2005. Saturday, Dec. 25, 2004, and Saturday, Jan. 1, 2005, are excluded. All goose hunting permits will be issued through a lottery drawing. Goose hunting applications must be received at Wye Island by the close of business, 4:30 p.m., on Oct. 22, 2004. Permits will be selected by random drawing on Oct. 28, 2004, at 2 p.m. Results of the drawing will not be given out over the telephone.
To receive an application for a permit, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Wye Island N.R.M.A., 632 Wye Island Road, Queenstown, MD 21658. Applications can also be downloaded from the DNR website at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/wyenrmapermit.html. Only one application can be used per hunter.
Once an application is complete, it should be mailed along with a $5.00 (check or money order) non-refundable service charge and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the N.R.M.A. address above. The $5.00 service charge must accompany each goose hunt application.
Hunting hours will be one half-hour before sunrise until 1:00 p.m. with check-in stations opening at 5:30 a.m. Check-in is required by 6:30 a.m. After 6:30 a.m., the pit will be reassigned by lottery. The goose pit will be assigned at the check-in station and hunters must only hunt from their assigned pit. Hunters must check-out at the check-in station by 2:00 p.m.
Canada Geese harvested at Wye Island will be considered part of the daily and season bag limit. Consult the Guide to Hunting and Trapping in Maryland 2004-05 for details. Hunting parties are limited to four (4) hunters maximum.
The State Forest and Park Service reminds hunters to drive and park in designated areas only. These areas will be posted. A permit must be displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard in open view and is valid for one day only. Hand drawn carts, wheelbarrows and skid sleds are permissible. However, weather and ground conditions may dictate that hunters will have to be prepared to walk and haul all gear to the blind/pit. Each hunter will be limited to 15 shotgun shells of the non-toxic shot type only. Refer to Maryland Hunters’ Guide for pertinent laws and regulations.
Recently, a handicapped accessible waterfowl blind was donated to DNR’s Wye Island N.R.M.A. through a Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout project. The new blind meets specifications for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will expand services offered to persons with mobility impairments. To utilize the blind for the 2004 Canada Goose Season, a waterfowl hunter with a mobility impairment may call Wye Island NRMA at (410) 827-7577 and make a reservation. For more information about hunting opportunities for persons with mobility impairments see DNR’s website at www.dnr.state.md.us/accessforall.
For more information about hunting in Maryland, visit DNR Online at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/index.asp.