DNR Announces Junior Deer Hunt Day

Annapolis, Md. (November 3, 2010) — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites young hunters across the State to participate in the 16th Annual Maryland Junior Deer Hunt Day on Saturday, November 13.

“The Junior Deer Hunt is a day dedicated to encouraging interest in the tradition of hunting while demonstrating safe and ethical outdoor skills,” said Paul Peditto, Director of DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service. “The hunt also provides an opportunity to engage the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts in an appreciation of our natural resources.”

White-tailed deer and sika deer firearms hunting will be open to hunters 16 years of age and younger when accompanied by an unarmed, licensed (or exempt from the license requirement) adult at least 21 years of age.

All hunters participating in the Junior Deer Hunt must pass a Maryland Hunter Safety Education Course, which includes demonstrating proficiency during a practical test and live firing exercises. The hunter education course includes instruction in hunter responsibility and ethics, safe firearms handling, wildlife management principles and a host of other outdoor fundamentals.

Successful junior deer hunters are encouraged to visit one of Maryland’s junior hunter certificate agents and receive a special certificate for any deer they harvest. This certificate is available to junior hunters during any of the Maryland deer hunting seasons. Participating certificate agents as well as complete bag limits, season dates, deer registration procedures and other deer hunting information can be found on the DNR website at www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide. The Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping 2010-2011 issued with each hunting license contains detailed information about all of Maryland’s hunting seasons.

Hunters are urged to carefully inspect all treestands before using them. A full-body safety harness should be used while climbing into and out of a treestand and while in the stand. DNR strongly recommends using a sliding knot, commonly known as a prussic knot, attached to a line that is secured above the stand that allows the hunter to be safely tethered to the tree as soon as they leave the ground. For more information on treestand safety, go to http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/ts.asp.

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