DNR Reminds Hunters to Use New License and Game Check-in System

Annapolis, Md. (September 5, 2012) ─  The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hunters to use the new COMPASS system to purchase licenses or stamps and to check-in harvested deer or turkeys. DNR launched COMPASS as a pilot project in March 2012 and has now expanded it to include all hunting licenses, stamps and harvest check-in for deer and turkey. Hunters who take deer under the authority of a Deer Management Permit (crop damage permit) must also register their deer through the COMPASS system.

“Many hunters will find the shift to the COMPASS self service features extremely efficient,” said Len Singel, DNR’s chief information officer.

COMPASS issues all hunters an account with a free DNRid number. Once a hunter obtains their unique number, it can be used to identify that person as a returning customer at DNR Service Centers or Agent locations to speed up service. A hunter can also use his or her email address as a username and login to a personalized COMPASS account. This includes purchasing licenses or stamps and registering deer and turkey.

Hunters who want more information or encounter problems should contact the DNR Licensing and Registration Service at 410-260-3220 during normal business hours or the Call Center at 1-855-855-3906 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Here are some key changes hunters need to keep in mind when making the switch to COMPASS:

• Licenses and stamps may still be purchased at Sport License Agents (such as many sporting goods stores) online at dnr.maryland.gov/service and through the Call Center. Hunters will be issued a DNRid number during their initial transaction and should keep this number handy for future interactions with DNR. Persons wanting to obtain just a DNRid number may do so at Sport License Agents or online at dnr.maryland.gov/service/getDNRidcard.asp.

• Game checking may still be done online gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us and by phone 1-888-800-0121. Instead of entering a license number, hunters will be asked to enter their DNRid number. COMPASS will require online users to log into their DNR account with the login name and password they established earlier. Game checking will be quick and easy once a hunter has logged into his or her DNR account.

• Hunters registering a deer or turkey will still be issued a confirmation number. Those who have done this in the past will notice that a two letter county code has been added to the confirmation number.

• A significant change is that hunters exempt from needing a hunting license must still have a DNRid number to register a deer or turkey. They can no longer use the last four digits of their social security number followed by their zip code. Once license exempt hunters obtain a DNRid number they can get a printed copy of their Maryland Big Game Harvest Record.

• Persons shooting deer under the authority of a Deer Management Permit to reduce crop damage will also need to have a DNRid number to register deer taken via the permit. In the past, the permit number and the shooter’s identification number were used to report deer taken.

Complete bag limits, season dates, game registration procedures and hunting regulations are available at dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide. The 2012-2013 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping issued with each hunting license also contains detailed information about all of Maryland’s hunting seasons.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million 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 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. 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