Youth Afield is a Wonderful Sight

The picture shown herein says it all: 73 youth took to the woods on the weekend following

Thanksgiving in pursuit of deer with firearms. Many a smile on these young hunters as they

showcased their “trophies” amongst themselves and attending family members.

Sponsored by the National Wildlife Turkey Federation of Southern Maryland, this 2-day deer hunt

proved that today’s youth – especially in Southern Maryland – are not lost to the future of hunting in

Maryland. Quite the contrary. These young hunters – under close/personal supervision afield and

for many their first time afield – demonstrated an interest and skill set which should produce the next

proud generation of safety conscious and conservation-minded hunters in our State.

It was a wonderful sight to behold!

The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC were present as awards were given out on Sunday,

December 1, 2024 at Zekiah Ridge Farms & Flowers

(https://marylandsbest.maryland.gov/item/zekiah-farms-llc/)

Special thanks to HOM Member Joe Beuchert and his lovely wife Diane for taking charge and

planning this great event. And we all thank the 40 plus sponsors who helped underwrite this

landmark event.

Learn more: www.nwtf.org/chapters/southern-maryland-md

Measuring Attitudes Toward Wildlife, Conservation, and Outdoor Recreation

Over the past 35 years, Responsive Management has conducted more than 1,000 research studies on how people relate to the natural world. In recent years we have significantly increased both our capacity and our workload, completing roughly 40 projects annually on a range of topics for state, federal, and NGO clients around the country. Our research continues to be used to guide policy and programmatic efforts, assess public attitudes toward key management issues, resolve conflicts, and inform new communications and outreach initiatives.

As one example, we have just completed the latest iteration of the nation’s longest-running trend study on attitudes toward wildlife and natural resources, Arizona Residents’ Attitudes Toward the Game and Fish Department and Outdoor Recreation. Responsive Management has conducted this biennial survey for the Department since 1992.

We have also been working with a growing number of fish and wildlife agencies on conservation relevancy projects: these studies entail in-depth consulting and new data collection to understand how the work of the agencies can stay top of mind with residents, including those who may not hunt or fish. For these projects, we are proud to partner with two of the most knowledgeable and experienced relevancy experts in the nation, Dr. Dan Decker of Cornell University and Dr. Cynthia Jacobson of Innovative Outcomes.

Relevancy work has become more important in light of the changing demographics of the United States, including an overall increasing population and growing populations of urban residents, older residents, minority residents, and immigrants. Meanwhile, hunting participation is gradually declining, and agency funding from the Pittman-Robertson excise tax is increasingly coming from non-hunting firearm owners and sport shooters. Additionally, people are becoming more protective in their views of wildlife and less utilitarian.

Forward-thinking agencies are keeping up with these changes by working to expand their stakeholder and constituent groups and to keep conservation relevant to all residents. Agencies that remain engaged, well-funded, and highly visible are able to accomplish great things for their state’s fish and wildlife resources.

In this way, relevancy work represents a path for agencies to expand their work, rather than shift away from traditional constituencies.

The same demographic and societal changes noted above have driven agencies and organizations to pursue R3 strategies to recruit, retain, and reactivate hunters, anglers, and sport shooters. The reality, though, is that agency relevancy and R3 are essentially two sides of the same coin: how to ensure the sustainability of the agencies through dedicated funding and public support.

Agency relevancy and R3 are essentially two sides of the same coin, driven by changes in national demographics, wildlife values, the funding base for wildlife conservation, and shifting attitudes toward consumptive wildlife-based outdoor recreation.

Responsive Management has been involved in R3 research before it was even known as “R3” (the concept of recruitment and retention was later expanded to include reactivation). As early as 1993, our firm sought to better understand recruitment and retention issues in a study called Factors Related to Hunting and Fishing Participation.

That study marked the foundation of our ongoing trend surveys to monitor public approval of hunting, fishing, trapping, and sport shooting. Responsive Management has since contracted with the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS) to conduct the trend survey annually over the next five years.

We have also had the privilege of partnering with major NGOs such as Pheasants Forever, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National African American Gun Association, and the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation on nationwide Multistate Conservation Grant studies to develop R3 strategies for specific audiences such as females and Black Americans.

We also continue to conduct hunter harvest and game check compliance surveys for agencies across the United States, as well as wildlife management studies on specific topics such as moose management in Maine and chronic wasting disease in Pennsylvania.

Our staff looks forward to opportunities to interface with our fellow community members at national and regional conferences and other engagements. For example, Executive Director Mark Damian Duda recently delivered keynote speeches at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Annual Workshop as well as the 20th Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit coordinated by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. Senior Research Associate Andrea Criscione presented findings at the R3 Symposium coordinated by CAHSS and will soon attend the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Annual Meeting. Additionally, Senior Research Associate Tom Beppler presented research at the most recent Association for Conservation Information Conference and will also be a session speaker at the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ annual conference in October.

Responsive Management has long recognized that high-quality data collection is critical to producing valid and accurate results. Our firm employs all of the major survey data collection methods, including telephone, mail, online, and mixed-mode; we are also dedicated to using probability-based samples and conducting our research according to the highest industry standards for training, administration, and analysis. We consistently apply in our work the lessons and insights gained through 35 years of experience conducting surveys, and we are proud that our research has been upheld in U.S. Courts and used in peer-reviewed journals.

The differences between gold standard data collection methodologies and lesser-quality approaches can be seen in surveys offering competing estimations of the number of target and sport shooters in America. Over the past decade, Responsive Management’s participation trend surveys for the National Shooting Sports Foundation have documented a steady rise in the number of target and sport shooters in the United States, with recent surveys indicating that upwards of 50 million people engage in some type of target or sport shooting activity. Yet other industry surveys have put the number of target/sport shooters much lower (for instance, one study consistently indicated that less than 20 million sport shooters participate from year to year). However, the number of U.S. target shooters documented in the latest National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation is far closer to Responsive Management’s estimates: 46.2 million participants.

As part of our general polling work, Responsive Management works with a major Virginia university to conduct an ongoing Commonwealth poll, which offers a snapshot of Virginia residents’ opinions on key issues, including political races. While our firm remains neutral and unbiased in our survey questions and sampling approaches, we are gratified to have predicted the outcomes of several recent political races within one or two percentage points—a verifiable indicator of the quality of our work.

Over the past 35 years, Responsive Management has conducted research for every federal natural resource agency, every state fish and wildlife agency, every major conservation NGO, numerous major industry groups and manufacturers, and many of the nation’s top universities. Our university clients include Clemson University, Duke University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, Yale University, and dozens of others. The trust universities place in our methods and results is a testament to our ability to conduct survey research the right way.

As another testament to our experience and reputation, Responsive Management was recently awarded a Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Program (ProTech) contract under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service. The new contract will allow us to serve as a prime contractor on new survey research projects for NOAA over the next five years. This award adds to our long-term contracts with agencies in Georgia, Arizona, and Washington State, among others.

Below are some notable examples of our current and recently completed projects:

Conservation Relevancy and Agency Funding

Finding Pathways to Increasing Conservation Relevance: individual studies completed in Connecticut, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Ohio; West Virginia study currently underway (conducted in partnership with Cynthia Jacobson of Innovative Outcomes and Dan Decker of Cornell University)Arizona Residents’ Attitudes Toward the Game and Fish Department and Outdoor Recreation: 2024 Trend UpdateNon-Hunting Sport Shooters’ and Firearm Owners’ Attitudes Toward the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration ProgramMassachusetts Residents’ Attitudes Toward Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife Management

Attitudes Toward Moose Management in MaineDeer Management in Georgia: Survey of Residents, Hunters, and LandownersPennsylvania Residents’ Opinions on and Attitudes Toward Nongame WildlifePennsylvania Residents’ Attitudes Toward Wildlife ManagementPennsylvania Residents’ Attitudes Toward Chronic Wasting DiseaseRhode Island Residents’ Attitudes Toward Wildlife, Interactions with the Agency, and Experience with Human-Wildlife ConflictsRhode Island Hunters’ Attitudes Toward Wildlife and Hunting ManagementMaine Residents’ Attitudes Toward Wildlife Management and Their Participation in Wildlife-Related RecreationTrap Use, Furbearers Trapped, and Trapper Characteristics in the United States: 2024 Trend UpdateWashington Residents’ Attitudes Toward Wildlife ManagementVermont Small Game Hunter Survey: Attitudes, Opinions, Preferences, and EffortVermont Deer Hunter Survey: Attitudes, Opinions, Preferences, and EffortVermont Bear Hunter Survey: Attitudes, Opinions, Preferences, and EffortVermont Residents’ Attitudes Toward Furbearer ManagementOregon Residents’, Hunters’, and Stakeholders’ Attitudes Toward PoachingHunting and Trapping in West VirginiaWest Virginia Residents’ Opinions on Black Bears and Black Bear Management

Fisheries Management

Maine Anglers’ Participation in and Opinions on Freshwater Fishing: 2024 Trend UpdateTrout Fishing in PennsylvaniaThe Expenditures of Pennsylvania Trout AnglersSummer and Winter Crab Catch in Washington StateParticipation and Preferences of Washington Anglers

Hunter Harvest

Florida Hunters’ Harvest of Turkey in the 2024 Spring SeasonAlabama Hunter Harvest 2023-2024Georgia Spring Turkey Harvest 2024Harvest of Wildlife in Georgia During the 2023-2024 SeasonMississippi Hunter Harvest Survey 2023-2024

R3 Strategies for Hunting, Fishing, and Sport Shooting

Developing Firearm Ownership and Sport Shooting R3 Communications for Black AmericansOne but Not Done: Providing the Next Steps to Female Hunters, Shooters, and ArchersProliferation of Hunting With AR-Platform / Modern Sporting RiflesHow to Reactivate Non-Participating Firearm OwnersDevelopment of a Hunter Avidity Model to Assess and Improve R3 ParticipationHunting and Recreational Shooting Among Active Military PersonnelReview of Research on Fishing and Boating RetentionFirearm Ownership and Sport Shooting ParticipationHow to Talk About Hunting: Research-Based Communications StrategiesAssessing the Quality and Availability of Hunting and Shooting Access in the United StatesAn Assessment of the Outdoor Adventures Education ProgramOutdoor Education in Nevada

Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, and Sport Shooting

Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting and Sport Shooting: National Trend StudyWhy Is Cultural Support for Hunting and Sport Shooting Declining? Understanding the Factors Driving the Recent Declines in Approval (in partnership with the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation)Michigan Residents’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Conservation

Climate and the Environment

Delaware Residents’ Opinions on Climate Change and Sea Level Rise: 2024 Trend UpdateEnvironmental Justice Needs Assessment for the Long Island Sound WatershedMaryland Coastal Training and Climate Change Education Market Analysis and Needs AssessmentUnderstanding How the Public Receives, Interprets, and Responds to Fire Risk Communications

Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor Recreation in Delaware: Survey Research in Support of the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP): 2024 UpdateOpinions of Electric Bicycle Use on Florida's Wildlife Management Area SystemNew Jersey Residents’ Participation in and Attitudes Toward Outdoor RecreationIowa Residents’ Participation in and Attitudes Toward Outdoor RecreationParticipation in and Expenditures on Outdoor Recreation in Florida

2024 SUMMER UPDATE

Herein is a brief update concerning the efforts of the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC  thus far during the summer of 2024…cooler air and hunting season cannot come fast enough.

MARYLAND HOSTS THE 2024 NASC EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MID-YEAR MEETING IN ST. MARY’S COUNTY (July 16-18):  The NASC Executive Council mid-year meeting provides a venue for focused discussion between the NASC Executive Council and staff from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation – staff arm of NASC – to develop strategies to strengthen the NASC network by:  (1) coordinating efforts across state lines; (2) reviewing programmatic growth of the NASC; (3) forming and strengthening NASC member caucuses; (4) developing ISSUE BRIEFS on topics of national/state interest; (5) providing a state voice on federal policy initiatives; and (6) coordinating support for state-specific, regional, and national events, including the Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit.

The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC helped financially support this event and actively participated.  Pictured are Charles “The Rabbit Man” Rodney; Bill and Lisa Miles; Senator Katie Hester and Steve and Sunny Keithley.

Only State lawmakers can be Members of the NASC Executive Council.  Pictured herein to the left is Senator Jack Bailey (Senate Chair of the bi-partisan Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus), Senator Katie Hester (Senate Vice-Chair of the Caucus) and Delegate Kevin Hornberger (House Vice-Chair of the Caucus). 

Details shown in the link below.

https://congressionalsportsmen.org/news/nasc-executive-council-holds-successful-mid-year-meeting-in-maryland/

Pictured above is Senator Bailey and Senator Hester.

WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY THE NORTH AMERICAN NON-LEAD PARTNERSHIP:  The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC will be attending this Workshop on August 17 entitled, “Modern Hunting Ammunition – Opportunities for Hunters and Wildlife Conservation” at the Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge in Laurel…event explanation shown in link below.

file:///C:/Users/billm/Downloads/MD%20DNR%20Stakeholder%20Day%20Workshop%20Flyer%20(1).pdf

Legislation was considered by the 2024 General Assembly to ban the use of lead ammunition for hunting in Maryland shown in link below.

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/sb/sb0983F.pdf

For the record, the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC played a key role in the legislation’s defeat.  It’d be a safe bet to expect a re-introduction of this proposed ban during the 2025 Session of the Maryland General Assembly.  And we will be there to prevent it passage once again for all reasons self-evident.

MERKLE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY:  The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC remain concerned that Maryland’s only wildlife sanctuary is not being managed as envisioned by its benefactor…1981 gracious donation of this sanctuary by Edgar Merkle.  In short, the donation was made contingent upon this sanctuary being State managed to attract migratory AP geese (“Atlantic Population”) to the Western Shore.  We continue to confer with all parties involved in related management decisions.

DEER MANAGEMENT:  Last Fall, the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture asked the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC to help coordinate an initiative to match hunters and farmers so more deer could be harvested.  On February 7, a PRESS RELEASE was issued stating same…

https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-release/2024/02/07/maryland-department-of-agriculture-announces-deer-management-initiative/

IN CLOSING, it’s important to remember the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC continue to work year ‘round on issues of concern to Maryland’s hunting community.  Less than 10 State lawmakers actually hunt to our knowledge; meaning, absent our role, the urban-mindset is most capable of pursing statutory, regulatory and budgetary policies intended to compromise the legacy and tradtion of hunting in Maryland as evidenced, among other things, the 2024 proposed lead ammo ban for hunting…we cannot and will not let this happen on our watch.

2024 MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADJOURNS April 8, 2024

The 2024 General Assembly adjourned on Monday, April 8, 2024, without

having adopted any policies deemed detrimental to Maryland’s hunting

community…attributable to the continued due diligence of the HUNTERS

OF MARYLAND, LLC. Identified herein are those hunting-policy-related

issues addressed during the 90-day Session.

The most controversial issues facing Maryland’s hunting community during the

2024 Session were as follows:

HUNTING - LEAD AND LEAD-BASED AMMUNITION - PHASE-OUT: The most

controversial hunting bill of the 2024 Session was to ban lead ammo effective in two

years. The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC played a strategic role in defeating it.

FIREARMS - LIABILITY INSURANCE - PUBLIC WEARING AND CARRYING: This

legislation – it was defeated – would have required gun owners to purchase a $300,000

liability insurance protection policy as explained via link to the bill below.

INCOME TAX CREDIT – VENISON DONATION: Effective until June 30, 2029, one is

eligible for a cumulative tax credit up to $300 in any taxable year for having donated a

processed deer to a food bank. The bill passed.

NATURAL RESOURCES - ANTLERLESS DEER HUNTING PROGRAMS –

AUTHORIZATION: For years there has been a doe harvest contest on the Lower

Shore intended to help control the deer population in particular while encouraging

hunting in general. DNR has ruled this contest illegal as explained in the fiscal note link

below. However, the stars aligned this Session and the bill passed both Chambers and

is currently awaiting signature into law by the Governor.

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0481T.pdf

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/fnotes/bil_0001/hb0481.pdf

NATURAL RESOURCES – HUNTING – TUNDRA SWANS: During both the 2023 and

2024 Session legislation to allow a Tundra Swan hunt in Maryland failed. Though

Maryland has federal authority to enable an annual Tundra Swan hunt, DNR will not

allow absent statutory authorization in view of the perceived negative pushback by the

non-hunting community. The bill failed.

HUNTING - NONRESIDENT SIKA DEER STAMP - FEE ALTERATION: State

lawmakers passed an increase in the nonresident sika deer stamp from $25 to $200

effective July 1, 2024. Revenues to be generated are explained in the second link

below. Advocates argued the increase mirrors comparable costs to hunt deer, elk and

antelope in other states by non-residents, not to mention the significant special fund

revenue increases for WHS to be realized.

DORCHESTER COUNTY – SUNDAY HUNTING – REPEAL OF TIME

RESTRICTIONS: This bill would have repealed the nonsensical 10:30 am stoppage of

Sunday deer hunting on private lands in Dorchester County…a policy adopted in

Annapolis courtesy of the equine community. The bill failed. However, future efforts will

be made to repeal this nationwide one-of-a-kind punitive law, especially when viewed as

an effective deer management tool.

SUNDAY WATERFOWL HUNTING: A proposal in 2024 to enact statewide Sunday

hunting of waterfowl failed (see link below to the bill plus the accompanying fiscal note).

A similar fate was realized in 2023. Why? Until there is unanimity within the hunting

community, a reversal of the 1723 statutory prohibition will continue to elude enactment.

In short, national groups – DU, Delta Waterfowl, National Shooting Sports Foundation,

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation – have tagged team with DNR and the

HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC to pursue enactment. Sportsmen from the Shore,

however, remain vehemently opposed and have coalesced around the rallying

cry…rightly or wrongly, “enactment would impose undue pressure on an already overly

stressed resource leading to another [AP Canada goose] moratorium” which, to date,

has carried the day in Annapolis.

BUDGET LANGUAGE REJECTED: The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC pursued

two non-legislative issues in 2024: (1) budget language directing DNR to pursue

management strategies at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary in Prince George’s County

consistent with and responsive to the wishes of Edgar Merkle who, in 1981, donated the

400 acres encompassing the sanctuary, aka manage for attracting/retaining AP

migratory Canada geese; and (2) encouraging DNR and MDA to suggest access to

hunting – via DNR’s Hunter Mentored Program – when negotiating with landowners

interested in selling a conservation easement on their land under Maryland’s Program

Open Space, Rural Legacy and Agricultural Land Preservation Program.

The Senate adopted the language, but the House did not. In the budget conference

committee – to our surprise – the House position prevailed. No sure thing in Annapolis!

DEER MANAGEMENT: Not legislation per se, but worth mentioning herein. The

increased hunting license fee legislation enacted in 2023 directed, among other things,

that DNR and MDA pursue the following:

(a) On or before December 1, 2023, the Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with

the Department of Agriculture, shall develop a plan to address the overpopulation of deer in the

State.

(b) The plan shall include: (1) the feasibility of implementing a rotational closure hunting

strategy on State land, including State park system lands and hunting on State land on Sundays;

(2) any legislative, budgetary, or regulatory changes needed to implement a rotational closure

hunting strategy on State–owned land; (3) subject to subsection (c) of this section, the feasibility

of implementing a rotational closure hunting strategy on locally owned land; (4) proposals the

Department of Natural Resources determines are viable for addressing the overpopulation of

deer in the State; and (5) suitable uses for any increased federal funding to the State Wildlife

Management and Protection Fund.

(c) The Department of Natural Resources shall consult with local governments regarding the

feasibility of a rotational closure hunting strategy under subsection (b)(3) of this section.

The Report, issued on time, recommends the following (link provided):

1. Identify a funding source and PINs to hire department staff dedicated to supporting a Deer

Management Assistance Program directed towards mitigating deer damage suffered by

landowners. This program should have the authority to issue deer management harvest tags

outside of the current agricultural/forest damage requirements.

2. Address legislation that prohibits or restricts Sunday deer hunting in order to provide more

deer hunting opportunities. This should be addressed at the private and public land level,

including state parks.

3. Work with local and county governments to develop county-specific deer management plans.

4. Expand cooperation between agencies, including MDA and UMD Extension.

5. Identify funding to support additional research and management concerning deer damage

mitigation.

https://dlslibrary.state.md.us/publications/Exec/DNR/SB327Ch543HB983Ch544(2)(

2023).pdf

The proposed Deer Management Assistance Program did not see liftoff in 2024. Why?

State lawmakers are facing a structural fiscal deficit whereby projected State revenues

fall short of anticipated State expenditures in conflict with Maryland’s Constitutional

requirement for an annual balanced budget. According to the General Assembly’s staff

agency, the Department of Legislative Services:

The State’s roughly $63 billion operating budget is projected to have a

$761 million structural deficit in fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024, through

June 30, 2025), up from a previous estimate of $320 million. The shortfall

is projected to hit $2.7 billion by fiscal year 2029, up from a previous

estimate of $2.1 billion. The long-term spending gap is attributed, in large

part, to the State’s roughly $40 billion plan to reform public education

systems.

As of this writing, the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC are working with MDA and DNR

to identify farmers willing to allow hunters to help control their deer herd.

MARYLAND’S DUCK STAMP PROGRAM: On the eve of the November 2023 Easton

Waterfowl Festival, DNR announced the end of Maryland’s 50-year Duck Stamp

Program. Reports from across Maryland’s hunting community indicate that DNR did not

talk to them about this impending decision…they learned after the fact and have

appealed to us for keeping this Program alive and well. The HUNTERS OF

MARYLAND, LLC anticipate its continuation…to be, ideally, announced soon.

We are reminded of what we hear all the time; that is, hunting in Maryland

is only one generation away from ending as we know it. And who can

argue if you’re familiar with Annapolis? The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND,

LLC will continue to fall on its sword on behalf of Maryland’s hunting

community.

YOUTH SPRING TURKEY HUNT Southern Maryland April 13, 2024

The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC recognize that today’s generation of hunters are helping inspire tomorrow’s generation of hunters as evidenced by three recent youth hunts in Southern Maryland funded solely by dedicated sportsmen/women, not taxpayers: (1) youth deer hunt on November 12, 2023; (2) youth waterfowl hunt on February 3, 2024; and, a youth turkey hunt on April 13, 2024.

All 3 of these youth hunts encompassed farms throughout Southern Maryland with the same central meeting place: Zekiah Farms3, LLC on Bryantown, Road in Waldorf, Maryland. Special recognition is hereby afforded HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC Member, Joe Beuchert, who coordinates these youth hunting events every year.

We stated the following on February 6, 2024 -- on this website -- after the first of the above-mentioned youth hunts:

“So, what does the participation in these two Southern Maryland youth hunts tell us? It tells us the future of hunting in Maryland looks promising. Our first-hand observation of the espirit de corps amongst the youth – inclusive of their family members and friends -- was heartening. The look of pride and sense of achievement on everyone’s faces tells us that – if supporting family members and groups akin to those who supported both the Charles County and St. Mary’s County hunts, respectively, stay the course – tomorrow’s youth will safeguard the tradition and legacy of hunting in Maryland.”

And we can proudly say the April 13, 2024, youth turkey hunt was more of the beautiful same….the smiles of achievement on the youths’ faces coupled with smiling faces of adoring parents constitute tell-tale signs for a promising future.

Notably, this rewarding realization – coupled with our pursuit of enacting pro hunting policies and stopping anti-hunting policies emanating from Annapolis – is the foundation upon which the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC has been built. The torch must be passed onto the next generation like it was onto us. It’s youth hunts like those referenced herein that will help keep that torch lit.

Maryland Department of Agriculture Announces Deer Management Initiative

Click here to be directed to the DNR article

.

TOMORROW’S HUNTERS EXPERIENCE HUNTING TODAY

Two recent events are giving hope to the future of hunting in Maryland; that is, in the eyes of the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC.

On November 12, 2023, we attended a youth deer hunt in Charles County… as previously noted on this website (huntersofmaryland.com). On February 3, 2024, we attended a youth waterfowl hunt in St. Mary’s County. Group pics from both outings are shown herein.

So, what does the participation in these two Southern Maryland youth hunts tell us? It tells us the future of hunting in Maryland looks promising. Our first-hand observation of the espirit de corps amongst the youth – inclusive of their family members and friends -- was heartening. The look of pride and sense of achievement on everyone’s faces tells us that – if supporting family members and groups akin to those who supported both the Charles County and St. Mary’s County hunts, respectively, stay the course – tomorrow’s youth will safeguard the tradition and legacy of hunting in Maryland.

This rewarding realization – coupled with our pursuit of enacting pro hunting policies and stopping anti-hunting policies emanating from Annapolis – is the foundation upon which the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC has been built. We must be vigilant on safeguarding the tradition and legacy of hunting in Maryland. The torch must be passed onto the next generation like it was passed onto us. The

HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC will do its part and challenge everyone in Maryland’s hunting community to join us in this noble endeavor.

NOTE: To learn more about youth hunting in Maryland, visit

https://dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/Pages/JrHunters.aspx

2024 GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENES

 JANUARY 10, 2024, MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE 446TH SESSION OF THE 90-DAY MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

With the 90-day annual legislative Session upon us, the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC stand steadfast in support of Maryland’s hunting community as State lawmakers debate hunting-related policies of a statutory, budgetary, and regulatory origin.  Still too early to know which proposals will be forthcoming; but we do know some of them which will be identified herein.  Moreover, the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC host a legislative luncheon at the start of each Session intended to enhance our standing with decision-makers before the long hours of policy debate begin.

LEGISLATIVE LUNCHEON:  On January 18, 2024, the Hunters of Maryland, LLC, and the Association of Forest Industries hosted a legislative luncheon in Annapolis.  This legislative luncheon has become a much anticipated and must attend hallmark event.  Pictured herein are several State lawmakers, Administration officials and hunters.

DEER MANAGEMENT:  The increased hunting license fee legislation enacted in 2023 directed (Chapters 543/544, Acts of 2023), among other things, that DNR and MDA pursue the following:

(a) On or before December 1, 2023, the Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, shall develop a plan to address the overpopulation of deer in the State.

(b) The plan shall include: (1) the feasibility of implementing a rotational closure hunting strategy on State land, including State park system lands and hunting on State land on Sundays; (2) any legislative, budgetary, or regulatory changes needed to implement a rotational closure hunting strategy on State–owned land; (3) subject to subsection (c) of this section, the feasibility of implementing a rotational closure hunting strategy on locally owned land; (4) proposals the Department of Natural Resources determines are viable for addressing the overpopulation of deer in the State; and (5) suitable uses for any increased federal funding to the State Wildlife Management and Protection Fund.

(c) The Department of Natural Resources shall consult with local governments regarding the feasibility of a rotational closure hunting strategy under subsection (b)(3) of this section.

The Report, issued on time, recommends the following (link provided):

1. Identify a funding source and PINs to hire department staff dedicated to supporting a Deer Management Assistance Program directed towards mitigating deer damage suffered by landowners. This program should have the authority to issue deer management harvest tags outside of the current agricultural/forest damage requirements.

2. Address legislation that prohibits or restricts Sunday deer hunting in order to provide more deer hunting opportunities. This should be addressed at the private and public land level, including state parks.

3. Work with local and county governments to develop county-specific deer management plans.

4. Expand cooperation between agencies, including MDA and UMD Extension.

5. Identify funding to support additional research and management concerning deer damage mitigation.

https://dlslibrary.state.md.us/publications/Exec/DNR/SB327Ch543HB983Ch544(2)(2023).pdf

The fate of the proposed Deer Management Assistance Program in 2024 is uncertain. Why?  State lawmakers are facing a structural fiscal deficit whereby projected State revenues are falling short of anticipated State expenditures. Maryland’s Constitution requires adoption of an annual State budget that is balanced, aka revenues match expenditures.  According to the General Assembly’s staff agency:

The State’s roughly $63 billion operating budget is projected to have a $761 million structural deficit in fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025), up from a previous estimate of $320 million.  The shortfall is projected to hit $2.7 billion by fiscal year 2029, up from a previous estimate of $2.1 billion.  The long-term spending gap is attributed, in large part, to the State’s roughly $40 billion plan to reform public education systems.

Currently being discussed – separate and distinct from the recommendations in the December 1 Report – is for MDA to designate a handful of farmers in certain counties willing to let certain DNR-selected hunters help reduce the deer population on those farms.  Details are being worked out as of this writing.  Moreover, one can clearly anticipate the introduction of expanded Sunday deer hunting proposals on private and public lands during the 2024 Session. 

MARYLAND’S DUCK STAMP PROGRAM:  On the eve of the November 2023 Easton Waterfowl Festival, DNR announced the end of Maryland’s 50-year Duck Stamp Program.  Concerned individuals, groups and organizations appealed to the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC, to keep this Program alive…we anticipate announcement of a favorable outcome within weeks.

SUNDAY WATERFOWL HUNTING:  A proposal in 2023 to enact statewide Sunday hunting of waterfowl failed.  Whether a similar proposal will be pursued during the 2024 Session is unclear at this time.  

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, It is important for Maryland’s hunting community to know the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC, remain the last line of defense in the Halls of Annapolis against those whose questionable well-intentions run contrary to the tradition and legacy of hunting in this great State of ours. 

Maryland's State Senator Jack Bailey Receives National Recognition

Maryland's State Senator Jack Bailey -- who, among other things, currently serves as the Senate Co-Chair of the bi-partisan Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus -- was awarded the prestigious NASC Heritage Award for the Northeast Region at the 20th Annual National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC)Sportsman-Legislator Summit on December 8, 2023 in Dewey Beach, Delaware.

https://congressionalsportsmen.org/news/maryland-senator-and-nasc-executive-council-member-presented-with-the-nasc-heritage-award-for-the-northeast-region/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=8235dae4-4fa1-4f60-86b0-958cdbeea0d0

Senator Bailey's prestigious NASC recognition puts him in line with other past Members of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus whose contributions to the sportsmen's agenda in the Halls of Annapolis have been duly recognized by the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses.

On the Horizon

Autum winds bring whistling wings and whispers of what’s waiting for us in Annapolis come January 2024. Know this to be true Maryland’s hunting community: the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC are ever-present in Annapolis and ready to safeguard our iconic legacy against those who’d just as soon see it end…a legacy underscored by the historic enactment of the RIGHT TO HUNT & FISH ACT OF 2022.

BANNING LEAD AMMO: There are not- so- subtle talks in Annapolis about banning lead ammo for hunting purposes. No need to point fingers; but the talk is serious. When asked our opinion by the lawmakers involved in these talks, we make our opposition crystal clear. To strengthen our case and resolve, we turned to our friends at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation for advice. Here is what they said and what we conveyed:

1. Any ban on the use of lead ammunition will likely have a significant negative economic impact on DNR’s revenue, and the state’s economy.

2. Nontraditional ammunition is also significantly more expensive than lead shot and is not as readily available for purchase as traditional ammunition and is not readily available in all hunting calibers. This bill would serve to reduce hunting participation, which would thus threaten the conservation funding system that supports the DNR.

3. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study of hunters and others that have consumed game, allegedly containing lead shot fragments, to determine whether they have an elevated level of lead in the blood that can be attributed to the ammunition used to harvest the game. Indications of the CDC study released by the North Dakota Department of Health (DOH), show none of those tested had unsafe blood lead levels. The readings were far below the level considered elevated for a child (10 micrograms er deciliter); let alone the level for an adult (25 micrograms per deciliter). North Dakota Lead Exposure Study

4. Fish and wildlife agencies in Arizona, Oregon, and Utah have adopted voluntary programs which provide hunters with incentives to utilize non-lead ammunition or carry entrails from harvested animals out of the field in certain areas. These programs have proven to successfully meet management objectives and reduce the amount of lead exposure to specific species. With the success of these voluntary programs being well-documented, a statutory ban is not necessary to achieve desired outcomes.  

5. We encourage legislators to work with their respective fish and wildlife agencies to address any lead-related concerns through incentive-based programs that encourage the transition to non-lead products if valid scientific justification is found. Furthermore, any regulatory language should clearly specify that if it is scientifically determined that lead-based ammunition is having a negative population level impact on species, either locally or regionally, only reasonable regulations to that area, or for that species will be implemented.

The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC will work to prevent the introduction of a lead ammo ban during the 2024 Session of the Maryland General Assembly. If introduced, we will lead efforts to defeat it.

END OF THE MARYLAND DUCK STAMP PROGRAM: Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced the end of the State’s 50-Year Duck Stamp Contest.

https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2023/11/14/maryland-dnr-announces-2024-2025-migratory-game-

bird-stamp-design-contest-winner/

Not so fast DNR, says the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC…let’s talk this through to see if there’s an alternative way to keep this half-century Program alive. Maryland’s waterfowl community, et al, are denouncing this decision by DNR.

MANAGING MARYLAND’S DEER POPULATION: Legislation enacted by the 2023 Maryland General Assembly – Chapter 544 of the Acts of 2023 – requires, among other things, DNR to work with the Maryland Department of Agriculture “to develop a plan to address the overpopulation of deer in the State…on or before December 1, 2023.”

The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC has been asked to help in view of the clear nexus between the farming and hunting community. Wading into these turbulent waters is not for the faint of heart, but the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC deal with such issues all the time. Of course, we agreed.

Subsequently, we submitted a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION so we’d have the FACTS at hand when meeting with members of both communities. We are not in agreement Maryland has an overpopulation of deer; but there are certain pockets within the State where the existing deer population is reducing crop yields to the economic detriment of farmers. Is there a middle ground, one that can be amicably and mutually agreed upon by the farming and hunting community?

We shall see.

YOUTH DEER HUNT IN CHARLES COUNTY: The weekend of November 11-12, 2023, witnessed one of the largest participatory junior hunts we have ever witnessed…as evidenced by the group picture herein. Each youngster was accompanied by a supervisory adult guide. Many deer were taken that weekend. Just ask 11-year-old Owen Holcomb and his older 16-year-old sister Megan Holcomb about their top tier trophies!

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, we want to reassure Maryland’s hunting community the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, LLC will continue to do its best in defending the hunting legacy in ways consistent with and responsive to THE RIGHT TO FISH AND HUNT ACT OF 2022.

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/chapters_noln/Ch_295_hb1134T.pdf