Canada Goose Hunting Dates Set For Wye Island N.R.M.A.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Canada Goose Hunting Dates Set For Wye Island N.R.M.A.
Annapolis, MD — Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area (N.R.M.A.) will allow waterfowl hunting for migratory AP (Atlantic Population) Canada geese on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from December 15, 2007 through January 26, 2008 (Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007 and Tuesday January 1, 2008 excluded).

Hunting hours at Wye Island N.R.M.A. will be one half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. The check-in station opens at 5:30 a.m. and check-in is required by 6:30 a.m. Goose pits or blinds will be assigned at the check-in station and hunters must only hunt from their assigned location. After 6:30 a.m., pits will be re-assigned by lottery. Hunters must check-out at the check-in station by 2 p.m.

As in the past, all hunts will be by permit only. 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 October 26, 2007. Permits will be selected by random drawing on October 31, 2007, at 2 p.m. Successful applicants will be notified by mail. Results of the drawing will not be given out over the telephone.

Anyone selected and all persons participating in the hunt must possess a DNR Managed Hunt Permit (MHP). A MHP costs $35 and is valid statewide where DNR charges for public hunting access.

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 may also be downloaded from the DNR website at http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/wyenrmapermit.html. Completed applications should be mailed along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above. Only one application per hunter will be processed (multiple and incomplete applications will be disqualified).

All 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 2007-2008 for details. Hunting parties are limited to a maximum of four (4) hunters.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters to drive and park in posted designated areas only. Your hunt permit must be displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard in open view and is valid for one day only. Remember that weather and ground conditions may prohibit vehicular access, so hunters should be prepared to walk and haul all gear to the blind/pit. Hand-drawn carts, wheelbarrows and skid sleds are permissible. Each hunter will be limited to 15 shotgun shells of the non-toxic shot type only. Refer to Guide to Hunting and Trapping in Maryland 2007-2008 for pertinent laws and regulations.

Wye Island NRMA has two disabled accessible waterfowl blinds, donated to DNR through Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout projects. These blinds meet specifications for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will provide service to persons with mobility impairments. To utilize these blinds you must apply for a permit. For more information about hunting opportunities for persons with mobility impairments, see DNR’s website at www.dnr.maryland.gov/accessforall.

For more information about hunting in Maryland, visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/index.asp.

September 10, 2007
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 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 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 12 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