HB 615
Department of Legislative Services
Maryland General Assembly
2021 Session
FISCAL AND POLICY NOTE
Third Reader - Revised
House Bill 615 (Prince George's County Delegation)
Environment and Transportation Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Natural Resources - Sunday Deer Hunting and Archery Hunting Safety Zones -
Prince George's County
PG 402-21
This bill authorizes the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to allow, in
Prince George’s County, a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons
from the first Sunday in October through the second Sunday in January, inclusive. The bill
also decreases the archery hunting “safety zone” in Prince George’s County from 150 yards
to 50 yards from a dwelling house, residence, church, or any other building or camp
occupied by human beings. The bill takes effect July 1, 2021.
Fiscal Summary
State Effect: The bill is not expected to materially affect State operations or finances.
Local Effect: The bill is not expected to materially affect local operations or finances.
Small Business Effect: Minimal overall, but potential meaningful impact for certain
businesses in Prince George’s County, as discussed below.
Analysis
Current Law:
Deer Hunting Seasons in General
In general, DNR establishes the open season to hunt forest and upland game birds and
mammals by regulation each year. DNR may adopt regulations to enlarge, extend, restrict,
or prohibit hunting wildlife. There are three primary seasons to hunt deer in Maryland:
deer bow hunting season; deer firearms season; and deer muzzleloader season. Deer
hunting with archery equipment extends from early September through the end of January.
Firearms season is two weeks in November and December starting the Saturday after
Thanksgiving. There is also a two-day firearms season in January. There are
two muzzleloader seasons: one in mid-October and a second in late December. New for
the 2020-2021 season, there was also a three-day primitive deer hunt in early February.
For an overview of Sunday hunting laws in the State, as well as background information
on Sunday deer hunting in Maryland, please see the Appendix – Sunday Hunting in
Maryland.
Archery Hunting “Safety Zones”
Generally, a person, other than the owner or occupant, may not shoot or discharge any
firearm or other deadly weapon within a specified area within 150 yards, known as the
“safety zone,” of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied
by human beings without the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant. Also,
a person, other than the owner or occupant, may not shoot at any animal while it is within
the safety zone without the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant.
For archery hunters in Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Montgomery, St. Mary’s,
and Washington counties, the safety zone extends for 50 yards from a dwelling house,
residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by human beings. For archery
hunters in Anne Arundel County, the safety zone extends for 100 yards from a dwelling
house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by human beings. An archery
hunter in Harford County must use a tree stand when hunting within 50 to 100 yards of a
dwelling house, residence, church, or any other building or camp occupied by human
beings. An archery hunter in Montgomery and Washington counties must be in an elevated
position that allows the hunter to shoot in a downward trajectory when hunting within
50 to 100 yards of a dwelling house, residence, church, school, or other building or camp
occupied by human beings.
A person, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal, may not shoot or discharge any
firearm within 300 yards of a school during school hours or when a school-approved
activity is taking place.
During any open hunting season, a person, other than the owner or occupant, may not hunt
or chase willfully any animal within the safety zone without the specific advance
permission of the owner or occupant.
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Small Business Effect: Authorizing additional deer hunting in Prince George’s County
may have a meaningful economic impact on certain types of businesses. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service reports that, in 2011, the average hunter in Maryland spent $49 per
hunting day on trip-related expenditures. In 2011, the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting,
and Wildlife Associated Recreation estimated that hunters in Maryland spend more than
$260 million annually on food, lodging, equipment, and transportation.
In addition to businesses directly affected by hunting, to the extent the bill results in a
decrease in the deer population in Prince George’s County, the bill may also affect several
other types of businesses, such as farms (due to a reduction in crop damage) and businesses
that own or repair vehicles (due to a reduction in deer-vehicle collisions.)
DNR estimates that another 50 to 100 deer could be harvested each year in Prince George’s
County as a result of the bill.
Additional Information
Prior Introductions: None.
Designated Cross File: None.
Information Source(s): Prince George’s County; Department of Natural Resources;
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Department of Legislative Services
Fiscal Note History: First Reader - February 24, 2021
md/lgc Third Reader - March 25, 2021
Revised - Amendment(s) - March 25, 2021
Analysis by: Kathleen P. Kennedy Direct Inquiries to:
(410) 946-5510
(301) 970-5510
HB 615/ Page 3
 Appendix – Sunday Hunting in Maryland
Sunday Hunting, Generally
Hunting game birds or mammals on Sundays is generally prohibited, with specified
exceptions. Chapter 95 of 2020 reorganized and clarified statutory provisions related to
Sunday hunting in the State. Chapter 95 also (1) explicitly stated that a person may not
hunt on public lands within the State park system on a Sunday and (2) authorized the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to set all of the seasons for Sunday hunting.
Game Birds and Mammals on Private Property and Public Land
DNR may allow Sunday hunting for any game bird or mammal, except migratory game
birds, in Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, St. Mary’s, and Washington counties during the open
season for these animals on private property and public land designated for Sunday hunting
by DNR.
DNR may allow Sunday deer hunting in Frederick County from the first Sunday in October
through the second Sunday in January of the following year on private property and public
land designated for Sunday hunting by DNR.
DNR may allow Sunday turkey hunting in Dorchester County during the spring turkey
hunting season on private property and public land designated for hunting by DNR.
Deer on Private Property
All Seasons: DNR may allow Sunday deer hunting on private property (1) in Carroll and
Dorchester counties in all deer hunting seasons from the first Sunday in October through
the second Sunday in January of the following year; (2) in Kent County on each Sunday in
all deer hunting seasons from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. (however, the time
restriction does not apply to a participant in the junior deer hunt, on one Sunday in the deer
firearms season as designated by DNR, and on each Sunday during the deer bow hunting
season and the deer muzzle loader season); and (3) in Montgomery County on each Sunday
in all deer hunting seasons from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. (however, the
time restriction does not apply to a participant in the junior deer hunt, and on one Sunday
in the deer firearms season and the deer bow hunting season as designated by DNR).
Firearms Season: DNR may allow Sunday deer hunting on private property (1) in Calvert,
Caroline, Charles, Harford, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, and Worcester counties on each
Sunday of the deer firearms season; (2) in Anne Arundel and Talbot counties on the
HB 615/ Page 4
first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and (3) in Wicomico County on the first Sunday
of deer firearms season, and from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. on the
second Sunday of the deer firearms season.
Bow Season: DNR may allow Sunday deer hunting on private property (1) in Calvert,
Caroline, Charles, Harford, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester
counties on the last three Sundays in October and the first two Sundays in November of
the deer bow season and (2) in Anne Arundel County on the first Sunday in November of
the deer bow season.
Turkey on Private Property
DNR may allow Sunday turkey hunting on private property in Calvert, Caroline, Carroll,
Charles, and Kent counties on Sundays during the spring turkey hunting season.
Miscellaneous
Junior Hunt: DNR may allow a person who is age 16 or younger and is participating in a
junior hunt to hunt on a Sunday.
Traditional Sunday Hunting: DNR may allow the following persons to hunt game birds
and mammals on a Sunday: (1) a person using State-certified raptors to hunt game birds
or mammals during open season for these animals; (2) an unarmed person participating in
an organized fox chase; and (3) a person using a regulated shooting ground to hunt
pen-reared game birds or tower-released flighted mallard ducks.
Deer Management Permit Holders: DNR may allow a person with a deer management
permit to shoot deer on any Sunday throughout the year in accordance with the terms of
the permit.
Express Prohibitions
In general, a person may not hunt on a Sunday in Baltimore City or Baltimore, Howard, or
Prince George’s counties. This prohibition in these counties does not apply to the
above-described acts of traditional Sunday hunting. In addition, a person with a deer
management permit may shoot deer under the permit on a Sunday in these counties.
Further, a person may not hunt migratory game birds on a Sunday, and a person may not
hunt on public land within the State park system on a Sunday.
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Background on Deer Hunting in Maryland
Because white-tailed deer thrive in habitat that is composed of woods and openings and
because hunter access in those areas is limited, suburban development has provided
excellent deer habitat in the State. This has resulted in growing deer populations in
suburban areas. Higher populations of deer can lead to a greater number of negative
interactions with suburban residents, such as deer-vehicle collisions and vegetation
damage. Deer also cause agricultural damage.
According to DNR, regulated hunting is the most cost-effective deer population control
mechanism available throughout most of the State, and Sunday hunting has contributed
positively to managing the State’s white-tailed deer population in the 20 counties where it
is now permitted.
Hunters have harvested more than 75,000 deer on Sundays since becoming a legal hunting
day in 2003. Deer hunters harvested 5,566 deer on Sundays during the 2019-2020 hunting
season. Archery hunters harvested 1,970 deer on Sundays during the 2019-2020 hunting
season, while firearm hunters harvested 3,373 deer, and muzzleloader hunters harvested
223 deer. Included in the firearm totals are the 545 deer harvested by junior hunters on the
Sunday of the Junior Hunt Weekend.
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Statutes affected:
Text - First - Natural Resources - Sunday Deer Hunting - Prince George's County PG 402-21: 10-410 Natural Resources
Text - Third - Natural Resources - Sunday Deer Hunting and Archery Hunting Safety Zones - Prince George's County PG 402-21: 10-410 Natural Resources