Metro / Park Hunting
11-15-2004, 01:25 PM
#11
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Posts: 312
RE: Metro / Park Hunting
Maryland has 4 state parks where they hold "managed hunts".
They are pretty good for filling the freezer.
You pay $5 to apply for a lottery in each park. The money is returned if you don't get picked. If you are picked, you pay an additional $15. We have to take a proficiency test, but it's just getting 3 shots out of 5 in a paper plate at 40 yards.
DNR establishes stand sites in each park. Tree stands are not allowed, but you don't need one. Each hunter is taken out to the stand where he has to stay and he has to shoot only in certain directions. It's a little restrictive, but necessary since the parks are near residential areas and the stands are pretty close to each other. Also, only slug guns are permitted.
The DNR and park personel walk the parks and stir up the deer and when you shoot one they track it, drag it and dress it. I felt like some rich big shot.
Anterless only have been permitted in the past, but I understand that there will be a second lottery for a buck with visible antlers this year.
I've been on two of these hunts. I was amazed at the number of deer that come out of these parks. On the first day of a 2 day hunt, at least 150 to 200 deer are taken from each park. I've never been out on a second day, but I've been told that it is only a few less.
These managed hunts have been held for about 12 years. One park has heavily traveled roads on two sides. Deer / Car collisions dropped from 110 reported in the year prior to the first hunt to 11 in the 10th year. Even so the yearly harvest in the park has not declined.
Maryland DNR does a great job on these hunts. They really treat the hunters great. We have been encouraging them to expand these hunts to other areas. It's a far more cost effective than paying snipers and makes better use of the resource.
It's deer shooting not deer hunting, but it got me back into real deer hunting after a couple of decades away from it. I've met hunters from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware, so out of state hunters are welcome.
For park areas near dense human populations that need the deer controlled, I think that Maryland DNR does it right. You might suggest that your state contact them for how to run these.
Good luck,
Allen
They are pretty good for filling the freezer.
You pay $5 to apply for a lottery in each park. The money is returned if you don't get picked. If you are picked, you pay an additional $15. We have to take a proficiency test, but it's just getting 3 shots out of 5 in a paper plate at 40 yards.
DNR establishes stand sites in each park. Tree stands are not allowed, but you don't need one. Each hunter is taken out to the stand where he has to stay and he has to shoot only in certain directions. It's a little restrictive, but necessary since the parks are near residential areas and the stands are pretty close to each other. Also, only slug guns are permitted.
The DNR and park personel walk the parks and stir up the deer and when you shoot one they track it, drag it and dress it. I felt like some rich big shot.
Anterless only have been permitted in the past, but I understand that there will be a second lottery for a buck with visible antlers this year.
I've been on two of these hunts. I was amazed at the number of deer that come out of these parks. On the first day of a 2 day hunt, at least 150 to 200 deer are taken from each park. I've never been out on a second day, but I've been told that it is only a few less.
These managed hunts have been held for about 12 years. One park has heavily traveled roads on two sides. Deer / Car collisions dropped from 110 reported in the year prior to the first hunt to 11 in the 10th year. Even so the yearly harvest in the park has not declined.
Maryland DNR does a great job on these hunts. They really treat the hunters great. We have been encouraging them to expand these hunts to other areas. It's a far more cost effective than paying snipers and makes better use of the resource.
It's deer shooting not deer hunting, but it got me back into real deer hunting after a couple of decades away from it. I've met hunters from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware, so out of state hunters are welcome.
For park areas near dense human populations that need the deer controlled, I think that Maryland DNR does it right. You might suggest that your state contact them for how to run these.
Good luck,
Allen
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