Small Game Hunting
Sunday Small Game Hunting 2024–2025 |
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The following small game species may be hunted on all Sundays during their open seasons with these restrictions, in these counties and locations. Eastern cottontail rabbits, gray squirrels, eastern fox squirrels, red squirrels, quail (closed in Garrett and Allegany counties), ruffed grouse and pheasants. |
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County |
Location |
Shooting Hours |
Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, St. Mary’s and Washington |
Private and designated public lands* |
Shooting hours are the same as Monday through Saturday |
Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester and Queen Anne’s |
Private lands only |
Legal shooting hours on Sundays are from ½ hour before sunrise until 10:30 am |
Somerset |
Private lands and public land leased to a hunt club only |
Legal shooting hours on Sundays are from ½ hour before sunrise until 10:30 am |
Wicomico and Worcester |
Private and designated public lands* |
Legal shooting hours on Sundays are from ½ hour before sunrise until 10:30 am |
* Designated public lands open to Sunday hunting in Allegany (Billmeyer-Belle Grove WMA, Dan’s Mountain WMA, Green Ridge SF, McCoole FMA, Sideling Hill WMA, Warrior Mountain WMA), Cecil (C&D Canal Lands, Earlville WMA, C&D Canal Lands, Grove Farm WMA, Old Bohemia WMA), Garrett (Cunningham Swamp WMA, Garrett SF, Mt. Nebo WMA, Potomac SF, Savage River SF), St. Mary’s (Salem SF, Saint Inigoes SF), Washington (Indian Springs WMA, Prather’s Neck WMA, Sideling Hill WMA), Wicomico (Ellis Bay WMA, Chesapeake Forest Lands, Johnson WMA, Nanticoke WMA, Wetipquin WMA), and Worcester (Chesapeake Forest Lands, E. A. Vaughn WMA, Hickory Pt. Wildlands, Isle of Wight WMA, Pocomoke SF, Pocomoke River WMA) |
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Small Game Includes: crows, pheasant, quail, rabbits, ruffed grouse and squirrels.
The Delmarva fox squirrel and snowshoe hare may not be hunted in Maryland.
General Small Game Hunting Rules
- Daily small game shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset. See the Sunday hunting chart for Sunday hours within certain counties.
- A hunter must carry personal photo identification (such as a driver’s license) or a secondary form of positive identification while hunting.
- Written permission is required to hunt on private land.
- A hunting license is required to hunt small game (with exceptions). See Hunting Licenses, Stamps and Permits (Hunting Licenses) for Armed Forces information and hunting license costs, exceptions, purchasing, requirements and types.
- Daylight fluorescent color clothing is required to hunt small game except crows (see Fluorescent Color Clothing Requirements and Exceptions, Hunting Licenses).
- The use of decoys, calls and/or recordings may be used for crow hunting.
- It is against the law to hunt any animal other than deer on the first day of Deer Firearms Season, except coyotes.
Small Game Hunting Devices and Regulations
- Firearms, archery equipment and air guns that shoot bullets, arrows or bolts may be used to hunt small game.
- Shotguns cannot hold more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined. Shotguns capable of holding more than three shells must be plugged with a one-piece filler which cannot be removed from the loading end.
- Telescopic and laser sights may be used on all devices legal for hunting small game.
- It is illegal to have a loaded air gun or firearm in, on or leaning against any vehicle. This includes ammunition in the magazine or a muzzleloader ready to fire.
- All crossbows should have a working safety.
- It is unlawful to have a loaded crossbow in, on or leaning against any vehicle. A cocked crossbow without a bolt or arrow in the firing position is considered to be unloaded.
- It is illegal to shoot on, from or across any public road.
- It is unlawful to cast the rays of an artificial light from a vehicle on woods, fields, orchards, livestock, wild mammals or birds, dwellings or buildings (see General Regulations for exceptions, Hunting Licenses).
