Michael A. Sawyers
From what I know thus far, this could be an exciting regulation year for Maryland hunters, especially turkey hunters.
Let me back up for a second. I like the way the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service goes about changing hunting regulations. I don’t know how they could be any more transparent or open.
Here is a quick description of how it works. The agency people get their scientific minds together and come up with any changes they think would expand hunting opportunities without hurting wildlife populations. They bicker and cypher and crunch without us ever hearing any of their family feuds.
At the end of that step, they come up with what they call concepts. Those concepts are then run by the rest of the agency people and also the Maryland Natural Police. After all, it is the guys with the badges and pepper spray that have to deal with those changes in real time on the side of a hill or deep in the swamp.
Those concepts are then presented to a group of stakeholders. I’m talking about outdoor writers and rod and gun groups, etc. There are plenty of rod and gun groups that represent everything from ducks to deer, from bunnies to bears.
I’m surprised that a state chapter of the Cousins of the Furry Little Woods Pig has not formed to represent groundhogs. But then again, groundhogs are known liars. Examples of those fabrications will be evident Tuesday in places such as Punxsutawney.
After the stakeholders push and pull and grin and groan at the concepts, they are finally made into formal proposals that will be taken before the public during regulation hearings in March. Even then they can change, based upon public reaction.
Anyway, the agency has concepts right now that will allow Maryland turkey hunters to kill a bird of either sex in the autumn hunt and still take two bearded gobblers the following spring. Can I get a BOOOYAH? I’ve been hoping for that one for a long time.
The biologists are not at all concerned about such a rule harming the birds. In fact, they say that even if the fall kill doubles it would have no negative impact.
Informally proposed as well is a change for the spring season, that being the legalization of all-day spring gobbler hunting for the final two weeks of the five-week season. Such a move would allow more young people to hunt after they get out of school.
Realize now that any turkey hunting changes that are approved would not kick in until the fall hunt of 2010 and the spring hunt of 2011.
Also on the table at this point is the changing of the regional deer hunting boundaries.
Region A, now just Garrett and Allegany counties, would expand to include a portion of Washington County. The change would make deer hunting units 250 and 251 (see page 40 of the Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping) a part of Region A, and would include public hunting areas such as Indian Springs, Sideling Hill and Prather’s Neck.
The reasoning, agency officials say, is that the deer herds there have been reduced substantially and should no longer be managed under the liberal bag limits of Region B. Those limits, you may already know, allow hunters there to take two bucks and 10 does in each of the bow, firearms and muzzleloader seasons. Yepper! I’m talking three dozen legal deer.
I haven’t seen anything on crossbows yet. I haven’t seen anything on changes to the deer bag limit in Garrett and Allegany. If I do, I’ll let you know.
Contact Outdoor Editor Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.
