There are few things that bring me as much joy as a squealing child as he or she hoists a gyrating sunfish up on the bank. The fish is flopping, and the child is giggling as they try to immediately pounce on this incredibly interesting form of life we know as a “fish.” By my own claim, I caught my first fish, a humble bluegill, at the age of five…and I haven’t been the same[...]

Hunting on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is without question one of my favorite outdoor activities, but there’s one hunt I recall a few years ago that was far more memorable than most. One of the hunters in our party was a Marine who had been severely injured while serving in Iraq. I first met Lt. Andrew Kinard while visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. I had no idea how that visit would change[...]

There are over 30 State Parks, State Forests and Wildlife Management Areas in Maryland that offer access to hunters with mobility impairments. Following is information on some of the public lands with accessible hunting areas. Information on additional sites can be found here on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website. Cunningham Swamp WMA features a newly constructed 170-foot wheelchair-accessible boardwalk leading to a covered hunting structure that overlooks a wetland built near a beaver[...]

Imagine a 17th-century Dutch painting, with rolling farms and a gentle gradient river flowing through a picturesque valley, and you’ve just described western Maryland’s Casselman River. Located 15 miles northwest of the Garrett County FLy Fishing Trail Site at Big Run State Park - about a 20 minute drive - the Casselman is one of Maryland’s best kept secrets for fly fishing. It’s springtime and mid-morning on the Casselman and there’s a caddis hatch on[...]

An Interesting Challenge Late season deer are not the kind you’re used to when the season opens. For one, they’ve likely been chased, shot at, and generally pursued for a few months by now. The remaining bucks and does have learned new behaviors and movement patterns to stay alive. That means this is the worst time to slip up by hunting on a wrong wind or making noise on your access trail. Be particularly smart[...]

What is an Invasive Species? An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. Invasive species can harm both the natural resources in an ecosystem as well as threaten human use of these resources. An invasive species can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, intentional and accidental releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens or bait, and[...]

In addition to the reputation for producing really big blue crabs, the tidal waters around Wye Island also host some very productive fish habitats, ideal for fly fishing. Launching from Wye Landing on the Wye East River, you will quickly find yourself at the eastern end of Wye Island adjacent to Skipton Creek. If you circumnavigated the entire island, you would pass by Pickering, Gross and Lloyd creeks, and Shaw Bay on the south side[...]

Turner's Creek Park welcomes you to come out and experience fly fishing on a wonderful upper Eastern Shore tidal river filled with miles and miles of tidal shoreline and tidal creeks leading to even smaller tidal creeks. These waters hold bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, striped bass, white catfish, white perch, yellow perch, chain pickerel, northern snakehead, and blue catfish—clearly something for everyone in your fishing party. You will definitely need a boat—a kayak[...]