All of Maryland’s natural beauty springs open for the enjoyment of sportsmen and women with the coming of spring. As the days grow longer and the temperatures warmer, it’s time to grab your fishing gear and head out to take advantage of the abundance of perch and trout stocks throughout the state. Three Fish to Chase this Spring Yellow Perch: Yellow perch are a favorite sportfish in Maryland – especially in the Chesapeake Bay area[...]

When George Washington chose to build Mount Vernon on the banks of the Potomac, he ensured that the waterway would forever be known as the “Nation’s River.” Ever since, this beautiful stretch of water has occupied a special place in our imaginations. The Potomac River originates in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia and carries nutrients into the Chesapeake Bay. It is one of the bay’s largest tributaries—second only to the Susquehanna River. Interestingly, a[...]

Bear activity is increasing throughout western Maryland as the black bear population continues to expand eastward. With its rural landscape and vast forested land, western Maryland holds some prime bear habitat, much of which is found on public lands open for hunting. A Guide to Planning a Black Bear Hunt in Maryland There are a limited number of bear hunting permits available each year in Maryland and they are awarded through a lottery drawing. The[...]

Each year during the first full week in August, all eyes turn to the White Marlin Capital, Ocean City, MD in Worcester County for the biggest fishing tournament in the world. This year, the 45 th White Marlin Open held up to its namesake with record entries and a record tournament payout with the lion's share going to a single fish. Everyone in the tournament has a chance and the excitement is palpable. [gallery link="none"[...]

My name is Vicky Mullaney, and life for me is uncommon. I am the chef and lodge manager at The Lodge at Black Pearl, an 870-acre farm and private hunting preserve in Dorchester County, Maryland. I am the mother of five and grandmother of three. I’ve developed an unconventional skill set over the last 30 years. I am a huntress. I can cast a fly rod and butcher a deer. I grow oysters and help[...]

Fashion news rarely makes it into the hunting scene. However, this year Maryland’s Blaze Pink bill sponsored by Senator Addie Eckart, and created by young huntresses Paige and Brooke Simonsen of Easton, made a huge statement – fashion and otherwise. As a female hunter (one who admittedly has always worn mascara deer hunting, even under my ski mask in case a post-hunting picture with a trophy buck happened to come into play) and, okay, one[...]

Depending on who you talk to, some may say the Waterfowl Festival (November 9 th, 10 th, and 11 th) in Easton, Maryland is for fine art, while others will tell you it’s the best place to learn about traditional Eastern Shore heritage, and a hunting buddy might tell you it’s the place to pick up the latest and greatest hunting gear. It truly does have something for everyone and is a great fall weekend[...]

It’s hard to imagine somewhere more quintessentially Maryland than the lower Eastern Shore. Deeply connected to both its past and a sense of place, it’s the source of most of our iconic blue crabs, the home of our remaining skipjacks and the center of some of the region’s last working maritime communities. It’s also a place where the land and water are so intertwined, it’s hard to know where one starts and the other begins[...]

“Citizen science? Not for me. I just want to go fishing.” That’s an understandable reaction. Sometimes all of us want just to kick back and relax on the water. But most of us anglers also want to learn to “think like a fish,” to hone our skills and catch more, even if we plan on releasing some of that catch. It turns out that the more we learn about ecology in our favorite waters, the[...]