Published: March 31, 2008 02:48 pm         

Md. hunt rules set for two years

ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife and Heritage Service has finalized the hunting and trapping season and bag limit regulations for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons.

* Mourning Doves - Increase the daily bag limit from 12 to 15 birds per day when the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service federal framework includes this option with a 70 day season.

* Wild Turkeys - Allow crossbows to be used to hunt turkeys in the spring and fall seasons.

* Eastern Cottontail Rabbits - Extend the statewide hunting season by two weeks.

* Fishers - Increase the season bag limit and possession limit from one to two.

DEER

* Establish a separate bag limit for the Junior Hunt Day in Regions A and B.

* Increase the length of the antlered or antlerless segment of the Region A Firearms Season to two days on private land only.

* Allow crossbows to be used during the entire bow season in the Suburban Deer Archery Zone (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties).

* Reduce the combined bag limit on antlerless deer on public lands in Region A to two for the entire year.

BLACK BEAR

* Modify the existing regulation on feeding bears to address situations where bears are becoming habituated to people or human activities and cause a threat to human safety. Under the proposed regulation, citizens will be given the opportunity to remove attractants and cease feeding activities before they are charged.

* Allow DNR flexibility to reach a desired harvest level by setting a targeted harvest level and ending the hunt when it is reached (as it has in the past) or by establishing a set number of days for the hunt.

* Hunter Safety Issue - Require certain hunters using an enclosed blind to display at least 250 square inches of solid fluorescent orange on or near the outside of any blind not elevated at least 10 feet from the ground. This will only apply when the person(s) using the blind would otherwise be required to display solid fluorescent orange while hunting or aiding with a hunting activity.