DNR Releases Opening Weekend Firearm Preliminary Deer Harvest Data

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ANNAPOLIS — Maryland deer hunters reported harvesting 17,151 deer on the opening weekend of Maryland’s Deer Firearm Season. Hunters took advantage of liberal antlerless bag limits and prime deer hunting weather to harvest 9,195 antlerless deer (164 sika deer) along with 7,956 antlered deer (133 sika deer).

Overall, weekend harvest numbers were down slightly from last year. The slight decline of 793 deer from last year’s opening weekend is likely a result of a reduced deer population in some parts of the state and anticipated minor differences in reporting rates and data acquisition between the new telephone and Internet check-in system and the traditional check station system it replaced. Harvest numbers will remain preliminary until the data can be thoroughly analyzed.

The 2005-06 hunting season marks the first year that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has used a telephone and Internet reporting system. Maryland hunters are credited with adapting to the new system and complying with its requirements.

“The Saturday deer firearm opener was the first significant test of the new check-in system and all indications show that is was a great success,” said Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul A. Peditto. “Telephone and Internet check-in is more convenient for most hunters, allows faster retrieval of accurate harvest data, and can be operated at a reduced cost.”

Washington County led the weekend harvest with 2,183 deer reported taken. Sunday hunters on private lands in Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot and Washington Counties contributed 2,462 of the 17,000+ deer reported harvested for the weekend.

Table of Antlered and Antlerless Harvest by County

Maryland Unofficial Opening Weekend Firearm Deer Harvest Numbers, 11/26 - 11/27/2005.
	Saturday 11/26/2005				Sunday 11/27/2005
County	Antlered	Antlerless	Total		Antlered	Antlerless	Total		Grand Total
Anne Arundel	137	215	352		*	*	*		352
Allegany	674	0	674		111	0	111		785
Baltimore	250	413	663		*	*	*		663
Calvert	96	151	247		35	80	115		362
Cecil	195	326	521		65	116	181		702
Charles	277	309	586		106	134	240		826
Carroll	403	546	949		*	*	*		949
Caroline
whitetail	159	229	388		61	113	174		562
sika	0	1	1		0	0	0		1
Dorchester
whitetail	168	237	405		70	159	229		634
sika	73	96	169		44	54	98		267
Frederick	646	762	1408		*	*	*		1408
Garrett	719	0	719		135	0	135		854
Harford	198	283	481		*	*	*		481
Howard	100	171	271		*	*	*		271
Kent	281	472	753		79	134	213		966
Montgomery	232	355	587		*	*	*		587
Prince George's	156	200	356		*	*	*		356
Queen Anne's	238	400	638		81	155	236		874
St. Mary's	148	216	364		67	111	178		542
Somerset	162	286	448		*	*	*		448
Talbot	183	259	442		75	124	199		641
Washington	841	989	1830		149	204	353		2183
Wicomico
whitetail	208	322	530		*	*	*		530
sika	7	1	8		*	*	*		8
Worcester
whitetail	318	560	878		*	*	*		878
sika	9	12	21		*	*	*		21
Total	6878	7811	14689		1078	1384	2462		17151
*Sunday hunting not permitted.

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November 29, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov