Post by hunter on Feb 25, 2010 8:24:53 GMT -5
I am asking for and need the help of all the site members to voice their comments to the recent DNR Proposals to make changes to the current hunting regulations here in Maryland. In addition to being a member on this site I am the Vice President of the Maryland Crossbow Federation and I'm proud to say we fight for all hunters rights not just crossbow hunters and due to our efforts and the hard work by our membership we had a full crossbow season added to the DNR Proposals at the recent DNR stakeholders meeting. I'm equally proud to say we helped to have included in the proposals a change to the opening day of deer season to 5 Sept 2010 and adding the last two weeks of spring turkey season as a full day of hunting, sunrise to sunset. I'm asking for every member here to please open the attached link and post your comments to these changes. It takes only a few minutes to give your comments and it means so much to every hunter that you do. Positive or negative about the proposals your voice needs to be heard if we our going to make changes to our hunting regulations in Maryland and keep our sport growing in a positive manner and the right to hunt from going away. I'm proud to be a hunter and gun owner and yes I hunt with a crossbow (proud of that fact) compound bow, muzzle loader, rifle, hell I would use a spear if I could because I love to hunt. I'm asking you all to please help crossbow hunters in Maryland to get a full season, equal to our vertical bow hunting brothers so that we can enjoy our weapon of choice with a full season. Crossbows are a proven effective management tool for harvesting deer and controlling deer populations, they introduce many hunters to include women and children into the sport of hunting, they generate through license/equipment sales money for the DNR and businesses and I know for a fact they are just plain fun to hunt with. I equally love to hunt with my other weapons but if anyone says hunting with a crossbow is easy they are absolutely wrong and we all know nothing is easy in hunting and harvesting any animal is tough, requires hard work/dedication and even a bit of luck. Changing the regulations to allow crossbow hunting with a full season is a win for all hunters in Maryland and I wouldn't say if it wasn't 100% true. Many members on this site have hunted with me and know me personally and I tell it like it is and these changes are great for hunters and hunting. The Maryland Crossbow Federation is also working towards including Sunday Hunting, in all counties, during all seasons with the DNR, Maryland Legislature, and Governor. In closing I ask that the members when posting their comments to all the Proposals state facts not opinions in their comments, like crossbow hunting helps introduce new hunters into the sport of hunting, having the deer season open on 5 Sept will increase license sales, allowing a full day of hunting the last two weeks of spring turkey season will increase hunter participation in the field. These are the type of comments that will ensure these proposals are accepted and added to the hunting regulations. Once again Thanks!! to all the members that have commented already and those that will.
Hunter
dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/comments/Comment_Online.asp
PROPOSED CHANGES FOR DEER
General Deer Changes
1. Allow the use of a crossbow whenever the use of vertical bows is permitted. This would include allowing crossbows to be used for forest game, upland game, certain furbearers and certain migratory birds. It would allow the use of crossbows for white-tailed and sika deer during the entire bow season.
Rationale/Goal: To provide additional hunting opportunity and enhance the ability to control deer populations.
Comments: Crossbows will not be permitted for hunting waterfowl to remain consistent with State law. Not all furbearers may be taken with a vertical bow, so could not be taken with a crossbow.
2. Extend the bow season for white-tailed and sika deer to open on September 5 (or the Monday thereafter when the 5th is a Sunday).
Rationale/Goal: To continue using biologically and culturally sound opportunities to harvest more deer of both species. Opening on the 5th will avoid conflicts with the traditional opening of dove season. The season ending date will remain January 31.
White-tailed Deer
1. Move the Region A boundary east into Washington County to include the portion of the county west of Clear Spring and Big Spring in Region A.
Rationale/Goal: This is the same location used to separate the Deer Management Regions prior to 2004 and is just east of Clear Spring. The western portion of Washington County would then be under the Region A seasons and bag limits. Deer populations in western Washington County have been appropriately reduced since the inception of the liberal antlerless bag limits. We recognize the need to work with farmers in the area who experience crop damage issues and have a well established Deer Management Permit (DMP) system to address this. A recent survey of DMP holders showed the vast majority of permit holders were satisfied with the program.
NOTE: DNR has supported legislation to expand Sunday hunting for deer. However, current Maryland law prohibits DNR from amending Sunday hunting restrictions through the regulatory process without prior approval from the Maryland Legislature.
Region A: Proposed Deer Seasons & Bag Limits
PROPOSED CHANGES FOR FOREST GAME (except deer)
Wild Turkey
1. Extend hunting hours until sunset for the last two weeks of the spring turkey season and on the Junior Hunt Day.
Rationale/Goal: As turkey populations have increased, requests to allow all-day hunting have also increased. A concern often cited is the lack of time youth hunters have to hunt spring turkeys since the current shooting hours end at noon. This change will provide more opportunity for hunters limited by the current shooting hours while minimizing any population impacts that may occur if the entire season was open to all-day hunting.
Comments: Spring turkey season hunting hours have ended before or at noon since the season’s inception in 1970. Reasons for the restriction included reducing nesting hen disturbance, avoiding roost disruption and protecting hens from illegal kill. A survey of Maryland spring turkey hunters in 2007 showed that 56% supported all-day hunting, 38% disapproved and 6% had no opinion. However, 65% stated that they would hunt in the afternoon if given the chance. Any potential negative effects will be minimized if all-day hunting is limited to the last two weeks of the season and on the Junior Hunt Day.
2. Eliminate the “hunter’s choice” bag limit structure for turkey hunting. The new bag limit would be one either-sex bird in the fall season and two bearded birds in the spring.
Rationale/Goal: Currently, turkey hunters that harvest a turkey in the fall season can only harvest one turkey in the spring season. This regulation change would create independent season bag limits and allow hunters to take one either-sex turkey in the fall and two bearded turkeys in the spring. The change will simplify regulations for hunters and law enforcement personnel and help maintain the tradition of fall turkey hunting in Western Maryland.
Comments: Increases in spring and/or fall turkey harvests will likely be small and inconsequential to turkey populations in the counties open to fall hunting. Interest in fall turkey hunting is declining. Hunter Mail Survey data show that less than 2,000 hunters now hunt turkeys in the fall, representing an 80% decline since the late 1980’s. Since 2000, the conservative one week fall season harvest has typically been less than 300 birds. Fall harvest rates are very low and are estimated to be 1-2% of the population. Even if this regulation attracts more participation in the fall season, harvest rates of 5-10% in the fall will not limit population growth.
Hunter
dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/comments/Comment_Online.asp
PROPOSED CHANGES FOR DEER
General Deer Changes
1. Allow the use of a crossbow whenever the use of vertical bows is permitted. This would include allowing crossbows to be used for forest game, upland game, certain furbearers and certain migratory birds. It would allow the use of crossbows for white-tailed and sika deer during the entire bow season.
Rationale/Goal: To provide additional hunting opportunity and enhance the ability to control deer populations.
Comments: Crossbows will not be permitted for hunting waterfowl to remain consistent with State law. Not all furbearers may be taken with a vertical bow, so could not be taken with a crossbow.
2. Extend the bow season for white-tailed and sika deer to open on September 5 (or the Monday thereafter when the 5th is a Sunday).
Rationale/Goal: To continue using biologically and culturally sound opportunities to harvest more deer of both species. Opening on the 5th will avoid conflicts with the traditional opening of dove season. The season ending date will remain January 31.
White-tailed Deer
1. Move the Region A boundary east into Washington County to include the portion of the county west of Clear Spring and Big Spring in Region A.
Rationale/Goal: This is the same location used to separate the Deer Management Regions prior to 2004 and is just east of Clear Spring. The western portion of Washington County would then be under the Region A seasons and bag limits. Deer populations in western Washington County have been appropriately reduced since the inception of the liberal antlerless bag limits. We recognize the need to work with farmers in the area who experience crop damage issues and have a well established Deer Management Permit (DMP) system to address this. A recent survey of DMP holders showed the vast majority of permit holders were satisfied with the program.
NOTE: DNR has supported legislation to expand Sunday hunting for deer. However, current Maryland law prohibits DNR from amending Sunday hunting restrictions through the regulatory process without prior approval from the Maryland Legislature.
Region A: Proposed Deer Seasons & Bag Limits
PROPOSED CHANGES FOR FOREST GAME (except deer)
Wild Turkey
1. Extend hunting hours until sunset for the last two weeks of the spring turkey season and on the Junior Hunt Day.
Rationale/Goal: As turkey populations have increased, requests to allow all-day hunting have also increased. A concern often cited is the lack of time youth hunters have to hunt spring turkeys since the current shooting hours end at noon. This change will provide more opportunity for hunters limited by the current shooting hours while minimizing any population impacts that may occur if the entire season was open to all-day hunting.
Comments: Spring turkey season hunting hours have ended before or at noon since the season’s inception in 1970. Reasons for the restriction included reducing nesting hen disturbance, avoiding roost disruption and protecting hens from illegal kill. A survey of Maryland spring turkey hunters in 2007 showed that 56% supported all-day hunting, 38% disapproved and 6% had no opinion. However, 65% stated that they would hunt in the afternoon if given the chance. Any potential negative effects will be minimized if all-day hunting is limited to the last two weeks of the season and on the Junior Hunt Day.
2. Eliminate the “hunter’s choice” bag limit structure for turkey hunting. The new bag limit would be one either-sex bird in the fall season and two bearded birds in the spring.
Rationale/Goal: Currently, turkey hunters that harvest a turkey in the fall season can only harvest one turkey in the spring season. This regulation change would create independent season bag limits and allow hunters to take one either-sex turkey in the fall and two bearded turkeys in the spring. The change will simplify regulations for hunters and law enforcement personnel and help maintain the tradition of fall turkey hunting in Western Maryland.
Comments: Increases in spring and/or fall turkey harvests will likely be small and inconsequential to turkey populations in the counties open to fall hunting. Interest in fall turkey hunting is declining. Hunter Mail Survey data show that less than 2,000 hunters now hunt turkeys in the fall, representing an 80% decline since the late 1980’s. Since 2000, the conservative one week fall season harvest has typically been less than 300 birds. Fall harvest rates are very low and are estimated to be 1-2% of the population. Even if this regulation attracts more participation in the fall season, harvest rates of 5-10% in the fall will not limit population growth.
hope some of these proposals come through. 
