Deer Hunting in Maryland With one of the highest hunter success rates in the Mid-Atlantic region – and with one of the most generous bag limits in the country – you won’t be going home empty-handed. Home to the largest harvested buck on record for the entire East Coast, Maryland ensures the possibility of bagging a record-setting trophy worth bragging about. Maryland's fertile land and vast agricultural industry results in healthy, strong, large deer, offering[...]

Geese in Maryland Migratory Canada geese winter in Maryland but are part of a population that nests in northern Québec along Ungava Bay, the northeastern shore of the Hudson Bay, and in the interior of the Ungava Peninsula. Migratory Canada geese primarily stay on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where they can be harvested during season. Maryland’s resident Canada geese are distinct from their migratory cousins, and can be found and harvested across the state[...]

Duck Hunting in Maryland No article on the early days of waterfowling is complete without mention of the Chesapeake Bay and places such as the Susquehanna Flats, where the Decoy Capital of the World calls Havre de Grace home in Harford County. Maryland has some of the best duck hunting opportunities on the East Coast: From body booting on the Susquehanna Flats; hunting canvasbacks off shore on the Potomac River and wood ducks in flooded[...]

Turkey Hunting In 2013, a record Spring Gobbler harvest of 3,334 birds was taken and the 2014 harvest yielded only 19 birds less than the record. The 10-year average for Spring Gobbler Season is just under 3,000 birds. Western Maryland counties are the most productive, but counties in Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore all hold healthy stocks of wild birds. Of the five distinct subspecies in North America, only the Eastern wild turkey resides[...]

Maryland Bears Black bear are located primarily in Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick counties. Populations are highest in Garrett and Allegany counties, with numbers continuing to rise throughout the western region of Maryland. Although evidence of a breeding population is confined to the western four counties, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources receives several bear sightings and complaints in central and southern Maryland counties each year. Bears are the largest mammals in Maryland. Adult bears[...]

Seasons vary between mammals and birds. While small game mammal hunting takes place from early September through the end of February, birds seasons can vary. For information on seasons, sizes and limits for small game, click HERE. For information on furbearer seasons, sizes and limits, click HERE.

Fishing for Striped Bass Striped bass are silvery fish that get their name from the seven or eight dark, continuous stripes along the side of their bodies. The body is compressed, and the dorsal fins are well separated. The caudal fin is forked, olive green, blue, or black dorsally. On the Atlantic coast, striped bass range from the St. Lawrence River in Canada all the way to the St. Johns River in Florida - although[...]

Fishing for Largemouth Bass Largemouth bass can be recognized by the lower jaw which extends passed the back edge of the eye. It is dark green on its top quarters, with silvery sides and belly. A dark stripe runs across its body. Originally from the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins, the species is now found throughout North America and the world. They like large, slow moving rivers or streams with soft bottoms, and they[...]

Fishing for Smallmouth Bass In largemouth bass the maxillary always extends past the back edge of the eye. Smallmouth bass are typically brown, bronze, or tan in color. Smallmouth bass also have dark vertical bars which are usually green or gray in color. In the largemouth bass you would see dark lateral band. Smallmouth like cool, clear streams with moderate current, as well as large, clear lakes. Preferred habit has a gravel or rubble substrate[...]