Title 10. Wildlife — Subtitle 1. In General

In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.

“County” includes Baltimore City unless otherwise indicated.

“Department” means Department of Natural Resources.

“Forest game birds and mammals” means forest game birds (ruffed grouse and turkey) and forest game mammals (black bears, deer, fox squirrels, excluding the Delmarva subspecies, and gray and red squirrels) or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Fur” or “pelt” means any raw, green, or cured skin and fur of any wild quadrupeds.

“Fur–bearing mammal” means any coyote, raccoon, bobcat, opossum, beaver, mink, muskrat, otter, fox, skunk, fisher, and long–tailed weasel, or any part, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Game birds or mammals” means the species defined as forest game birds and mammals, fur–bearing mammals, upland game birds and mammals, and wetland game birds or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Green pelt” means a pelt which is not dried, cured, or tanned.

“Migratory game bird” means any wetland game bird, dove, or woodcock or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Nighttime” means the time beginning one–half hour after sunset and ending one–half hour before sunrise the following day, as published in the Department’s hunter’s guide, unless this title provides otherwise.

“Nongame birds and mammals” means every wild mammal and bird not classified as game birds and mammals or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Person” means the State, any county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the State, or any of their units, or an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, executor, administrator, fiduciary, or representative of any kind, or any partnership, firm, association, public or private corporation, or any other entity.

“Poaching” means the illegal hunting, killing, or taking of game.

“Protected birds” means any wild bird not included within the definition of “game bird” or “unprotected bird” or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Resident” includes a member of the armed forces of the United States who is on active duty and stationed officially in the State.

“Secretary” means the Secretary of Natural Resources.

“Unprotected bird” means any English sparrow, pigeon, or European starling or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Unprotected mammal” means nutria and woodchuck.

“Upland game birds and mammals” means upland game birds (blackbirds, crows, doves, pheasant, quail, and woodcock) and upland game mammals (rabbit and hare) or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Waterfowl processing operation” means receipt or possession of any wild waterfowl for the purpose of picking for a fee or other consideration.

“Wetland game birds” means brant, coots, ducks, gallinules, geese, mergansers, rails, snipe, and swan or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them, including birds raised in captivity and released to the wild or otherwise used for hunting purposes.

“Wild birds” means every bird wild by nature or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Wild mammal” means every mammal wild by nature or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Wild quadruped” means any species of wildlife having 4 feet or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them.

“Wild waterfowl” means brant, coots, ducks, geese, mergansers, and swans or any part, egg, offspring, or dead body of any of them, including birds raised in captivity and released to the wild or otherwise used for hunting purposes.

The General Assembly finds that:

It is the intent of the General Assembly that residents of the State have a right to hunt subject to regulations and restrictions under laws that the General Assembly enacts.

In this section, “Program” means the Wildlife Conservation, Education, and Outreach Program.

There is a Wildlife Conservation, Education, and Outreach Program in the Department.

The purpose of the Program is to:

The Department, in consultation with Program staff, shall develop a plan to increase engagement of communities that historically have not had access to hunting and conservation programs and engagement of veterans in: