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Archery hunting for deer opens September 15, 2007 and continues through January 31, 2008.
The white-tailed deer archery bag limit for Deer Management Region A (Garrett and Allegany) is 2 deer, 1 antlered and 1 antlerless. In Deer Management Region B (remaining 21 counties), archers may take 2 antlered white-tailed deer. However, as in the past, 2 antlerless deer must be taken before attempting to hunt a second antlered deer. The bag limit for antlerless deer in Region B is 10 antlerless deer, except that archers in the Suburban Deer Archery Zone (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's) may take an unlimited number of antlerless deer.
Sika deer archery season is open from September 15, 2007 through January 31, 2008 in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties. The sika deer bag limit is 1 antlered and 1 antlerless sika deer. An antlered sika deer is a deer with at least one antler visible above the hairline.
Successful Maryland deer hunters should register their deer by calling 1-888-800-0121 or online at www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us Hunters must immediately place a "Field Tag" on the deer's head and complete the Maryland Big Game Harvest Record. When registering each deer, hunters will receive a confirmation number that must be recorded on the hunter's Big Game Harvest Record. All documents must be recorded in ink. Complete instructions for this process are located on pages 32 – 33 of the "2007-2008 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland".
One Sunday, November 4, 2007, is open for bow hunting on private land only within the following 12 counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Garrett, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne's, Talbot and Washington. Bow hunters may hunt deer on private land in Dorchester, St. Mary's, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties on the following five Sundays: October 14, October 21, October 28, November 4, November 11.
Crossbow deer hunting will be permitted on October 1 – October 15, 2007 and January 15 – 31, 2008. Crossbows are also legal for all hunters during the firearm and muzzleloader seasons. Any deer taken with a crossbow will count toward the hunter's appropriate Regional Bow Bag Limit.
Crossbow hunters and vertical bow (straight limb, recurve, compound) hunters must possess a Bow Stamp with a valid hunting license in order to hunt deer during Maryland's Bow Season. All bow hunters must purchase a Muzzleloader Stamp in order to hunt with a bow (vertical or crossbow) during the Muzzleloader Deer Season.
Deer taken with a straight limb bow, recurve bow or compound bow will be registered as taken with a vertical bow. Deer taken with a crossbow must be recorded as taken with a crossbow.
Complete bag limits, season dates, deer registration procedures and bow hunting regulations can be found at the DNR website, www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/.
Maryland's Archery Deer Hunting Season is one component of Maryland's DNR deer management activities. In 2006, license sales indicated that about 50,600 residents and 7,100 non-residents purchased bow stamps that are required to bow hunt for deer. Archery hunting combined with firearm and muzzleloader deer hunting, provides outdoor recreation while managing white-tailed deer and sika deer populations. Each year deer hunting contributes over $150 million to Maryland's economy.
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