# COMAR Title 08 — Department of Natural Resources

## Subtitle 03 — Wildlife

### Chapter 10 — General Wildlife Hunting Regulations

**Authority:** Natural Resources Article, §§10-205, 10-206, 10-301, 10-404—10-409, 10-412, 10-415,10-418, 10-902, and 10-903, Annotated Code of Maryland; Ch. 427, Acts of 2013

**Administrative History:** Effective date:

**Administrative History:** Regulations .01—.09 were previously codified as Regulations .12, .15, .17, .45, .48, .56, .08, .27, and .32, respectively,  under COMAR 08.03.01 Wildlife Conservation. This recodification was effective June 3, 1985 (12:11 Md. R. 1047)

**Administrative History:** For the history of these regulations before June 3, 1985, see the Administrative History on the pages following COMAR 08.03.01.

**Administrative History:** Regulation .06 repealed effective August 8, 1988 (15:16 Md. R. 1913)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .07B amended effective May 18, 1987 (14:10 Md. R. 1169)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .08 amended effective June 3, 1985 (12:11 Md. R. 1047)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .08 repealed and new Regulation .08 adopted effective June 30, 1986 (13:13 Md. R. 1488)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .08D adopted effective May 18, 1987 (14:10 Md. R. 1169)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .08G adopted as an emergency provision effective October 7, 1988 (15:22 Md. R. 2547); emergency status expired February 4, 1989

**Administrative History:** Regulation .09 amended effective June 30, 1986 (13:13 Md. R. 1488)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .09A amended effective May 18, 1987 (14:10 Md. R. 1169)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .10 adopted effective May 18, 1987 (14:10 Md. R. 1169)

**Administrative History:** Annotation: COMAR 08.03.01.08 (formerly 08.03.01.27) requires all persons who assist hunters for compensation to have a commercial hunting guide license. Attorney General Opinion No. 84-022 (September 18, 1984)

**Administrative History:** Regulations .01—.10 under COMAR 08.03.01 recodified to COMAR 08.03.10, with amendments to Regulations .08A and .09, and the adoption of Regulation.11, effective June 26, 1989 (16:12 Md. R. 1333)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01 amended effective August 18, 2003 (30:16 Md. R. 1074); August 30, 2004 (31:17 Md. R. 1311)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01 repealed effective August 23, 2010 (37:17 Md. R. 1184)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01A amended effective July 17, 2008 (35:14 Md. R. 1245)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02 amended effective June 3, 1996 (23:11 Md. R. 809)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02 repealed and new Regulation .02 adopted effective August 19, 2002 (29:16 Md. R. 1287)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02A amended effective August 15, 2016 (43:16 Md. R. 899)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02B amended effective May 7, 2018 (45:9 Md. R. 461)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .04 amended effective July 23, 1990 (17:14 Md. R. 1756)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .04 repealed as an emergency provision effective July 19, 1996 (23:16 Md. R. 1166); repealed permanently effective January 13, 1997 (24:1 Md. R. 29)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .07 amended as an emergency provision effective October 1, 1989 (16:21 Md. R. 2256); emergency status expired March 29, 1990; amended permanently effective June 11, 1990 (17:11 Md. R. 1341)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .07A amended effective October 1, 2015 (42:19 Md. R. 1228)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .07B, C amended as an emergency provision effective June 29, 1999 (26:15 Md. R. 1145); amended permanently effective October 4, 1999 (26:20 Md. R. 1544)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .08 repealed effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 676)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .08D amended effective September 2, 1991 (18:17 Md. R. 1917)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .09 amended as an emergency provision effective November 4, 1991 (18:23 Md. R. 2481); amended permanently effective March 2, 1992 (19:4 Md. R. 472)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .09 amended effective March 14, 2016 (43:5 Md. R. 384)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .11 repealed effective January 2, 2017 (43:26 Md. R. 1443)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .12 adopted effective August 15, 1994 (21:16 Md. R. 1382)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .12 repealed and new Regulation .12 adopted effective August 19, 2002 (29:16 Md. R. 1287)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .13 adopted effective August 28, 1995 (22:17 Md. R. 1317)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .13 repealed as an emergency provision effective September 15, 1998 (25:21 Md. R. 1571); repealed permanently effective December 28, 1998 (25:16 Md. R. 1920)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .13 adopted effective September 4, 2000 (27:17 Md. R. 1618)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .13 amended effective June 25, 2001 (28:12 Md. R. 1105)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .14 adopted effective August 11, 2008 (35:16 Md. R. 1390)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .14B amended effective October 8, 2018 (45:20 Md. R. 918)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .14C amended effective August 23, 2010 (37:17 Md. R. 1184); May 7, 2018 (45:9 Md. R. 461)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .14D amended effective October 8, 2018 (45:20 Md. R. 918)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .15 adopted effective August 23, 2010 (37:17 Md. R. 1184)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .15A amended effective May 7, 2018 (45:9 Md. R. 461)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .16 adopted as an emergency provision effective October 1, 2013 (40:21 Md. R. 1771); adopted permanently effective November 25, 2013 (40:23 Md. R. 1933)

#### Regulation .01 Repealed.

*COMAR 08.03.10.01*

#### Regulation .02 Recorded Bird or Animal Calls.

*COMAR 08.03.10.02*

A. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, an individual, or two or more individuals together, may not hunt or attempt to hunt game birds or mammals, except foxes, coyote, raccoon, opossum, striped skunk, fisher, and crows, with the aid of or possession of:

  (1) Recorded bird or animal calls or sounds;

  (2) Recorded or electrically amplified imitations of bird or animal calls or sounds; or

  (3) Any electronic device by which these calls are conveyed or amplified.

B. The restrictions in §A do not apply to the hunting of snow geese during the Light Goose Conservation Order season if these methods are permitted in Maryland according to a Final Rule adopted by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as published in the Federal Register pursuant to 50 CFR 21.

#### Regulation .03 Crippled Game.

*COMAR 08.03.10.03*

Every game bird or game animal wounded by hunting and reduced to possession by the hunter shall be immediately killed.

#### Regulation .04 Repealed.

*COMAR 08.03.10.04*

#### Regulation .05 Shooting From Unpaved Highways.

*COMAR 08.03.10.05*

A person may not shoot from or across any public highway, whether paved or unpaved.

#### Regulation .06 Repealed.

*COMAR 08.03.10.06*

#### Regulation .07 Baiting.

*COMAR 08.03.10.07*

A. A person may not hunt, or attempt to hunt, any upland game bird (except pheasant and quail) or wetland game birds, by the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area if the person knows or reasonably should know that the area is a baited area.

B. Definitions.

  (1) As used in this regulation, “baiting” means the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed so as to constitute for upland game birds (except pheasant and quail) or wetland game birds a lure, attraction, or enticement to, on, or over any areas where hunters are attempting to hunt them.

  (2) “Baited area” means:

    (a) Any area where shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed capable of luring, attracting, or enticing upland game birds (except pheasant and quail) or wetland game birds is directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered.

    (b) With respect to mourning dove or any wetland game bird, any area which has been seeded for a cover crop by broadcasting, within the 10 days immediately preceding the hunting of mourning dove or any wetland game birds, where the seed has not germinated or been plowed or disced under, or removed by other means. An area is considered a baited area for 10 days following the complete removal of all corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed.

C. However, this regulation does not prohibit:

  (1) The hunting of all upland game birds and wetland game birds on or over standing crops, flooded standing crops (including aquatics), flooded harvested crop lands, grain crops properly shocked on the field where grown, or grains found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural planting or harvesting (except as prohibited in §B(2)(b) of this regulation);

  (2) The hunting of all upland game birds (except mourning dove) on or over any lands where shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of bona fide agricultural operations or procedures; and

  (3) The hunting of all upland game birds on or over any lands where grain has been distributed or scattered as a result of manipulation of a crop or other feed on the land where grown for wildlife management purposes, if manipulation for wildlife management purposes does not include distributing or scattering grain or other feed once it has been removed from or stored on the field where grown.

D. This regulation does not apply to propagating, scientific, or other operations in accordance with the terms of permits issued pursuant to Natural Resources Article, §10-909, Annotated Code of Maryland.

#### Regulation .08 Repealed.

*COMAR 08.03.10.08*

#### Regulation .09 Special Permit — Disabled Persons.

*COMAR 08.03.10.09*

A. A person who possesses a valid hunting license and who has a disability which impairs his mobility may receive a permit from the Department to hunt from a vehicle. However, the person may not shoot or have a loaded weapon in the vehicle while the vehicle is on a public roadway or the shoulder of a public roadway.

B. To be issued a Universal Disability Pass a person shall:

  (1) Submit a completed Department application to the DNR Licensing and Registration Service’s office in Annapolis; and

  (2) Obtain a physician's signature on the application which certifies that the applicant is mobility impaired.

C. Each permittee shall:

  (1) Have the permit on his person while hunting;

  (2) Keep the vehicle at a complete stop with the motor turned off while shooting, aiming, or firing the weapon; and

  (3) Have all weapons unloaded, including no ammunition in the magazine, while the vehicle is in motion.

D. A permittee may have other permittees and a companion in the permittee's vehicle while hunting. A hunter may serve as a companion but may not hunt from the vehicle.

E. In addition to any other sanction provided by law, the Department may suspend or revoke the permit if the permittee violates any provision of this regulation.

#### Regulation .10 Guiding on Service Owned or Controlled Lands.

*COMAR 08.03.10.10*

A person may not guide hunting parties for economic gain on those lands owned or controlled by the Department of Natural Resources and managed by the Service.

#### Regulation .11 Monetary Value of Wildlife Injured, Killed, or Destroyed — Repealed.

*COMAR 08.03.10.11*

#### Regulation .12 Migratory Game Bird Harvest Information Program Permit and Validation.

*COMAR 08.03.10.12*

A. Before an individual may hunt wetland game birds, dove, or woodcock, during hunting seasons established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursuant to 50 CFR 20, an individual shall obtain a Migratory Game Bird Harvest Information Program Permit. A printed validation is required in addition to any other required licenses or stamps to hunt wetland game birds, dove, and woodcock.

B. An individual who is exempt from purchasing a hunting license by any provision of Natural Resources Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, is required to obtain a permit before hunting any species described in §A of this regulation.

C. Application. An individual may obtain a permit and printed validation by applying to the Department, or a person designated by the Department.

D. Possession of Printed Validation. An individual hunting the species listed in §A of this regulation shall possess this printed validation at all times while hunting.

#### Regulation .13 Hunter Identification.

*COMAR 08.03.10.13*

An individual, while hunting or attempting to hunt, shall carry on the individual's person a photo identification, or a secondary form of positive identification, in addition to any license that is required by Natural Resources Article, §10-301, Annotated Code of Maryland. Upon demand, the individual shall exhibit the identification to:

A. The Natural Resources Police;

B. Any law enforcement officer;

C. The landowner on whose property the individual is hunting; or

D. The representative of the landowner on whose property the individual is hunting.

#### Regulation .14 Hunting from a Ground Blind.

*COMAR 08.03.10.14*

A. Definition.

  (1) In this regulation, the following term has the meaning indicated.

  (2) Term Defined. “Ground blind” means any structure with four sides and a top, placed less than 4 feet off the ground.

B. Except as provided in §C of this regulation, a person may not hunt or assist with hunting while the person is in a ground blind unless the person displays on or within 25 feet of the blind:

  (1) A cap of solid daylight fluorescent orange or daylight fluorescent pink color; or

  (2) A panel, band, strip, or garment containing at least 250 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange or daylight fluorescent pink color.

C. This regulation does not apply to any person who:

  (1) Hunts deer with a bow during the season restricted to hunting with a bow;

  (2) Hunts game birds or mammals during the open season using falcons, hawks or owls; or

  (3) Hunts or accompanies, aids, or assists another person hunting the following species:

    (a) Wetland game birds;

    (b) Fur-bearing mammals;

    (c) Crows;

    (d) Doves; or

    (e) Wild turkeys.

D. The provisions of this regulation do not exempt a person using a ground blind from the fluorescent orange or daylight fluorescent pink requirements in Natural Resources Article, §10-418, Annotated Code of Maryland.

#### Regulation .15 Snow Goose Conservation Hunt Permit and Validation.

*COMAR 08.03.10.15*

A. Before an individual may hunt light geese (greater and lesser snow geese or Ross's geese) during the Light Goose Conservation Season established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursuant to 50 CFR 21, an individual shall obtain a Snow Goose Conservation Hunt Permit in addition to any other required licenses or stamps.

B. An individual who is exempt from purchasing a hunting license by any provision of Natural Resources Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, is required to obtain a Snow Goose Conservation Hunt Permit before hunting light geese as described in §A of this regulation.

C. Application. An individual may obtain a permit and printed validation by applying to the Department, or a person designated by the Department.

D. Possession of Printed Validation. An individual hunting light geese as described in §A of this regulation shall possess this printed validation at all times while hunting.

#### Regulation .16 Hunting Near a School.

*COMAR 08.03.10.16*

A person, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal, may not shoot or discharge any firearm within 300 yards of a school building containing one or more classrooms while the building is occupied.