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Welcome to another season of hunting and trapping in Maryland!

Hunting is a valued part of our state’s culture and heritage. The sport provides enjoyable outdoor recreation for participants and creates economic benefits throughout Maryland. Our Office of Outdoor Recreation at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is working with hunters, hikers, and outdoor sporting goods stores throughout Maryland to expand the overall hunting economy.

The Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife and Heritage Service uses sound science to ensure an appropriate balance of wildlife population to enable sustainable hunting harvests. We rely on our partnership with Maryland’s sportsmen and sportswomen, who play an essential role in our efforts to protect wildlife and their habitats. The hunting and trapping information in this guide is based on regulations and laws developed with your input.

Maryland is a great destination for hunting thanks to protected forests, fields, and shorelines that provide the habitat for wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of acres are provided by our wildlife management areas, state parks, and state forests. The Department of Natural Resources will continue to acquire, conserve, and protect lands so that generations of Marylanders can enjoy them.

This coming season, look for the rollout of our new online licensing system, MD Outdoors. To develop this long-awaited new system, the Department of Natural Resources contracted the premier developer of outdoors-oriented online licensing systems. Look for announcements this year about the rollout of this system that will make it easier to manage your hunting, fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities online.

Please be safe and enjoy your time afield this season and consider introducing someone new to this wonderful conservation-minded sport so we can keep Maryland’s hunting heritage alive for years to come.

Welcome to another exciting year of hunting and trapping in Maryland.

For the first time in 23 years, you will notice a new face in the director’s chair. My name is Karina Stonesifer and while I am the new director, I have had the great privilege of spending my career with the Wildlife and Heritage Service. I live in far western Maryland with my family and we enjoy all things outdoors and I have always considered it a privilege to be part of the DNR team.

I would like to recognize and thank our former Director and now Assistant Secretary for Land Resources, Paul Peditto. Paul led this unit for many years and it was under his leadership that many of our modern day hunting seasons and wildlife successes were accomplished. Paul’s legacy with the Wildlife and Heritage Service will be evident for generations to come and we would not be where we are now if it was not for his leadership.

I assure you we will continue to manage wildlife including hunting and trapping seasons in a manner that is transparent, science-based and sustainable for future generations. One of my first tasks is going to be implementing a new Outreach and Community Engagement Team. This will include our long-standing efforts of fostering partnerships aimed at hunter recruitment, retention and reactivation. Included in this effort will be a renewed focus on reaching previously untapped audiences and ensuring all Marylanders have equal access to Maryland’s wildlife resources.

I wish everyone a safe and exciting hunting season!