WASHINGTON – With more deer in the woods, and an extra day to hunt them, state officials are predicting that the deer season that starts Saturday could top last year’s record of nearly 100,000 deer taken.
For the first time ever, the deer firearms season that begins at sunrise Saturday will continue into Sunday for hunters on private property in 12 counties.
“Last year was another record year with the total harvest of . . . nearly 100,000 deer,” said Paul Peditto, director of wildlife and heritage service at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “I expect that with good weather conditions and the addition of Sunday hunting . . . we’ll see an additional increase in that total harvest.”
Officials estimate that about 75,000 deer hunters will head into the woods for the two-week season, the most popular hunting season in the state. Wildlife managers estimated the total deer herd in the state at about 290,000 before other hunting seasons began earlier this fall.
“Everybody’s ready for next Saturday, that’s the big day,” said Rae Vernon, a clerk at Henderson Country Store in Caroline County.
Vernon said the store has spent the past week preparing for the start of hunting season, making sure the computer and weigh station are in good condition and ordering supplies like copy paper, “just to be ready by the time they come in.”
Deer hunters were allowed to hunt on one Sunday already this year, on Nov. 2 during archery season. They will get a second chance this Sunday — the first Sunday ever during the firearms season — in Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot and Washington. The ban kicks back in again next Sunday, Dec. 7.
Most hunters welcomed the extra day, but some expressed concerns that eight straight days of hunting will put too much stress on the deer population.
“I have mixed feelings about it,” said Don Pfeiffer, a shift manager at Keysers Ridge Trading Post in Garrett County. “It’s probably good for some people who can’t get a day off, but it’s not good to not give the animals a day off.”
But Peditto said there is no evidence that the extra day of hunting will harm the herd.
“Ecologically, there’s no solid basis for the argument that animals need a day off,” he said. Peditto added that studies have not shown that there is any increased safety risk in the extra day of hunting.
“When you look at the track record for hunting safety in North America, any argument that adding more days will make the forests and fields less safe is really unfounded,” Peditto said.
“It’s a safe and very efficient way for us to manage our deer population and there’s a group of people out there who are willing to pay to do this because they enjoy doing it — that’s why, historically, this is a system that works,” he said.
Hunters agreed that history and tradition are a large part of the allure of deer hunting for them.
“Yeah it’s a lot of tradition involved in it,” Pfeiffer said. “People look forward to the tradition of deer hunting and getting together with friends. And this time of year, a lot of fathers take their kids out there hunting, passing it down, teaching them a respect for the woods and the animals.”
Pfeiffer is ready.
“We do it every year,” he said. “I’m looking forward the most to getting out in the woods for a day with friends, and my son’s coming up to hunt with me.”
That family tradition got a wry twist from a clerk at Buck’s Store in Somerset County.
“Good luck to all the guys and I hope they have a fantastic year, especially the young kids,” said Denise Jones, the clerk. “I hope they out hunt their dads.”