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Firearm White-Tailed Deer Hunting Season Reopens January 4 & 5 In 21 Maryland Counties
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland’s Firearm Deer Season reopens for white-tailed deer only on January 4 and 5 in Deer Management Region B. The two-day deer season provides additional opportunities for landowners to manage deer numbers while offering hunters a late season recreational opportunity. The firearm season is closed in Deer Management Region A (Allegany and Garrett counties). The sika deer firearm season also remains closed.
The bag limit for the two-day hunt is a continuation of the Region B firearm season bag limit for white-tailed deer. A total of two antlered deer and 10 antlerless deer may be taken during the entire Region B firearm season , which includes Youth Day, the two-week season, and the upcoming two-day January season. Two antlerless deer must be taken and hunters must possess a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp before pursuing a second antlered deer.
During the 2007 two-day firearm season, 2,623 deer were taken in 21 Maryland counties. Antlerless deer comprised 78 percent of the two-day hunt harvest.
According to Wildlife & Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto, “Regulated deer hunting is an essential population management tool widely accepted by the citizens of Maryland. A 2007 survey conducted by Responsive Management of Harrisonburg, Virginia found that 78 percent of Marylanders approve of hunting and 85 percent agree that hunting and fishing are a key component of scientific management and maintenance of healthy wildlife and fish populations.”
For more information about Maryland’s deer hunting regulations, consult the Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping 2007-2008 or visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide.
December 20, 20077 Contact: Olivia Campbell
410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell
ocampbell@dnr.state.md.usMaryland 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