ANNAPOLIS – The Senate approved a vastly pared-down version of a Sunday deer hunt bill Thursday, amending it to ban the hunts in all but a handful of counties.
Deer hunters in Allegany, Garrett, Washington, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s and Dorchester counties would be allowed to kill deer in the first Sunday of the firearms season.
A House leader said delegates are likely to accept the diluted Senate version in the few remaining days of session.
“My guess is that we’ll move to concur,” said Delegate George Owings III, D-Anne Arundel, who sponsored the deer bill. “That’s my opinion now, but I’ll have to look at it.”
The proposal — designed to cull the state’s burgeoning deer population — would also extend the firearms season from 13 to 21 days.
Current state law bans Sunday hunting. The original bill would have opened three Sundays to hunting, except in select urban areas — Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s and parts of Frederick counties and the cities of Baltimore and Frederick.
The House cut the number of Sundays back to one. And senators this week tacked on amendments to exempt their own counties, arguing their constituents don’t want to hear gunshots even on one Sunday, a day for horseback riders and outdoor enthusiasts.
“We have a lot of deer in Carroll County and I’m for deer management,” said Sen. Larry Haines, R-Carroll, who successfully exempted his county from the bill on Wednesday. “(But) I certainly don’t want hunters 30 feet from my backyard on Sundays.”
On Thursday, senators added amendments exempting Worcester, Somerset, Wicomico, Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Harford and Frederick counties.
“The only place we’ll allow Sunday hunting will be Baltimore City,” quipped Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert.
In all seriousness, Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore City, asked lawmakers to reconsider their amendments, telling a story about a friend who was killed on Interstate 95 while trying to avoid hitting a deer.
“I’m constantly swerving to avoid deer,” Kelley said.
Despite the severe restrictions the Senate placed on the bill, opponents lamented its passage as just another step in expanding hunting in Maryland.
“This is the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent for Sunday hunting,” said Jeff Leitner of the Fund for Animals, who expects the House to accept the Senate changes.
“That further reflects that this bill is a political measure exclusively,” he said. “It was not considered on its merits.”