DNR Announces 2009-2010 Canada Goose Hunting Dates At Wye Island NRMA

Queenstown, Md. – The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Maryland Park Service today announced the dates for waterfowl hunting for migratory AP (Atlantic Population) Canada Geese at Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area (NRMA). Dates for migratory AP Canada Goose hunts are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from December 17, 2009 through January 30, 2010. As in the past, all hunts will be by permit only.

All goose hunt permits will be issued through a lottery drawing. Goose hunting applications must be received at Wye Island by 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2009, and permits will be selected by random drawing at 12 p.m. on October 30, 2009. Permit recipients will be notified by mail; 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 NRMA, 632 Wye Island Road, Queenstown, MD 21658. Applications can also be downloaded from the DNR website at www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/wyenrmapermit.html. Only one application allowed per hunter; multiple and incomplete applications will be disqualified. Completed applications should be mailed to Wye Island NRMA along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

All persons participating in the Canada Goose hunt will be required to have a DNR Managed Hunt Permit (MHP), which costs $35 and is valid statewide where DNR charges for public hunting access.

Successful applicants will be assigned a goose pit or blind prior to the date of the hunt, and a map of the site will be mailed along with their confirmation letter. Hunters can only hunt from their assigned location. Hunting hours will be one half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. Hunters should register themselves and their party at the check-in station before 7:30 a.m. After that time the pits will be reassigned by lottery to standby hunters. Hunters must sign out at the check-in station by 2 p.m.

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 2009-2010 for details. Hunting parties are limited to a maximum of four hunters.

DNR reminds hunters to drive and park in posted designated areas only. All hunt permits must be displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard in open view and are valid for one day only. Weather and ground conditions may prohibit vehicular access, so hunters will have to be prepared to walk and haul all gear to the blind/pit. Hand drawn carts, wheelbarrows and skid sleds are permissible. Refer to Guide to Hunting and Trapping in Maryland 2009-2010 for pertinent laws and regulations.

Wye Island NRMA has handicapped-accessible waterfowl blinds that meet the specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and staff are prepared to provide service to persons with mobility impairments. To utilize these blinds, hunters must apply for a Hunt From A Vehicle permit. For more information about hunting opportunities for persons with mobility impairments, visit www.dnr.state.md.us/accessforall.

To learn more about hunting opportunities in Maryland, visit www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/index.asp.

For more information or details, contact Wye Island NRMA at (410) 827-7577.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 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