Friday, December 18, 2009
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ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - Maryland hunters finished the 2009-10 two-week deer firearm season with a harvest of 44,804 deer. The preliminary figures include 15,447 antlered deer (522 sika deer) and 29,357 antlerless deer (618 sika deer). This year's total is nearly identical to the 2008-09 tally of 44,837 deer. The antlered harvest declined approximately 2 percent compared to last year while the antlerless total increased by about 1 percent.
"Deer hunting is a win-win situation," said DNR's Deer Project Leader Brian Eyler. "Hunters can enjoy a recreational opportunity with friends and family while hopefully putting healthy and sustainable venison in the freezer. At the same time, the citizens of the state benefit from the effective deer population management that hunting contributes."
Region A hunters (Garrett and Allegany counties) reported 4,809 deer for the two-week season, nearly identical to the 4,817 deer registered last year. The antlered harvest decreased an estimated 3 percent from 2,692 deer last year to 2,620 deer this year, while the antlerless total increased 3 percent from 2,125 deer to 2,189 deer.
In Region B, the two-week firearm harvest decreased slightly from 40,020 deer last year to 39,995 deer this year. The antlered harvest decreased an estimated 1 percent from 12,996 deer last year to 12,827 this year, while the antlerless tally increased an exstimated 1 percent from 27,024 to 27,168 deer this year.
Unlike last year, this year young hunters enjoyed good weather during the Junior Firearm Deer Hunt. The mentored junior deer hunters bagged 1,961 deer, a 28 percent increase over a harvest of 1,527 deer last year. Junior hunters are reminded they can obtain an official DNR Junior Hunter Certificate for deer they harvest this year. The certificates are available from participating retail agents; click here for a complete list: http://dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/pdfs/Jr_Hunter_Cert.pdf. Junior hunters can also have their pictures posted on the DNR website by visiting www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/Junior_Hunters/md_jr_hunter.asp.
Maryland's two-week late muzzleloader season opens Saturday, December 19 and closes January 2, 2010.
Junior Hunt and Two-Week Firearm Preliminary Deer Harvest Numbers
Junior Hunt
Two-Week Firearm
County
Antlered
Antlerless
Total
Antlered
Antlerless
Total
Allegany
83
58
141
1,254
1,043
2,297
Anne Arundel
11
11
22
333
712
1,045
Baltimore
24
26
50
574
1,251
1,825
Calvert
27
7
34
302
649
951
Caroline
whitetail
25
23
48
383
849
1,232
sika
0
0
0
1
1
2
Carroll
83
44
127
795
1,577
2,372
Cecil
35
20
55
507
990
1,497
Charles
36
31
67
733
1,368
2,101
Dorchester
whitetail
53
39
92
561
1,251
1,812
sika
10
8
18
494
564
1,058
Frederick
115
55
170
1,356
2,694
4,050
Garrett
143
75
218
1,366
1,146
2,512
Harford
18
16
34
391
865
1,256
Howard
16
16
32
219
507
726
Kent
45
46
91
527
1,267
1,794
Montgomery
37
36
73
483
1,167
1,650
Prince George's
11
5
16
341
636
977
Queen Anne's
46
36
82
577
1,478
2,055
Somerset
55
37
92
456
1,034
1,490
St. Mary's
29
18
47
556
1,149
1,705
Talbot
30
17
47
414
1,206
1,620
Washington
109
83
192
1,515
2,731
4,246
Wicomico
whitetail
55
36
91
574
1,272
1,846
sika
0
0
0
12
16
28
Worcester
whitetail
77
44
121
708
1,897
2,605
sika
0
1
1
15
37
52
Total
1,173
788
1,961
15,447
29,357
44,804
###
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 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 12 million visitors annually.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
"Deer hunting is a win-win situation," said DNR's Deer Project Leader Brian Eyler. "Hunters can enjoy a recreational opportunity with friends and family while hopefully putting healthy and sustainable venison in the freezer. At the same time, the citizens of the state benefit from the effective deer population management that hunting contributes."
Region A hunters (Garrett and Allegany counties) reported 4,809 deer for the two-week season, nearly identical to the 4,817 deer registered last year. The antlered harvest decreased an estimated 3 percent from 2,692 deer last year to 2,620 deer this year, while the antlerless total increased 3 percent from 2,125 deer to 2,189 deer.
In Region B, the two-week firearm harvest decreased slightly from 40,020 deer last year to 39,995 deer this year. The antlered harvest decreased an estimated 1 percent from 12,996 deer last year to 12,827 this year, while the antlerless tally increased an exstimated 1 percent from 27,024 to 27,168 deer this year.
Unlike last year, this year young hunters enjoyed good weather during the Junior Firearm Deer Hunt. The mentored junior deer hunters bagged 1,961 deer, a 28 percent increase over a harvest of 1,527 deer last year. Junior hunters are reminded they can obtain an official DNR Junior Hunter Certificate for deer they harvest this year. The certificates are available from participating retail agents; click here for a complete list: http://dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/pdfs/Jr_Hunter_Cert.pdf. Junior hunters can also have their pictures posted on the DNR website by visiting www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/Junior_Hunters/md_jr_hunter.asp.
Maryland's two-week late muzzleloader season opens Saturday, December 19 and closes January 2, 2010.
Junior Hunt and Two-Week Firearm Preliminary Deer Harvest Numbers
Junior Hunt
Two-Week Firearm
County
Antlered
Antlerless
Total
Antlered
Antlerless
Total
Allegany
83
58
141
1,254
1,043
2,297
Anne Arundel
11
11
22
333
712
1,045
Baltimore
24
26
50
574
1,251
1,825
Calvert
27
7
34
302
649
951
Caroline
whitetail
25
23
48
383
849
1,232
sika
0
0
0
1
1
2
Carroll
83
44
127
795
1,577
2,372
Cecil
35
20
55
507
990
1,497
Charles
36
31
67
733
1,368
2,101
Dorchester
whitetail
53
39
92
561
1,251
1,812
sika
10
8
18
494
564
1,058
Frederick
115
55
170
1,356
2,694
4,050
Garrett
143
75
218
1,366
1,146
2,512
Harford
18
16
34
391
865
1,256
Howard
16
16
32
219
507
726
Kent
45
46
91
527
1,267
1,794
Montgomery
37
36
73
483
1,167
1,650
Prince George's
11
5
16
341
636
977
Queen Anne's
46
36
82
577
1,478
2,055
Somerset
55
37
92
456
1,034
1,490
St. Mary's
29
18
47
556
1,149
1,705
Talbot
30
17
47
414
1,206
1,620
Washington
109
83
192
1,515
2,731
4,246
Wicomico
whitetail
55
36
91
574
1,272
1,846
sika
0
0
0
12
16
28
Worcester
whitetail
77
44
121
708
1,897
2,605
sika
0
1
1
15
37
52
Total
1,173
788
1,961
15,447
29,357
44,804
###
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 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 12 million visitors annually.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
Contact:
Josh Davidsburg (410) 260-8002 or jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.us
Josh Davidsburg (410) 260-8002 or jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.us
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