Historic Md hunting regs

[joemac]

Anybody know what year buckshot was prohibited by DNR? What about rifles in most counties?

 

[madmantrapper]

Rifle restrictions started way back in the fifties or sixties.

 

[lazarus]

I want to say buckshot was 90s? Still legal in Dorchester county.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Even back in the early '70s , both of them were long standing. I'd guess they go back to the start of the modern deer era.

 

[newmuzzleloader]

Back in the late 70's/ early 80's it was still legal to hunt with a .410. Now a .20ga is smallest allowed.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Ah, no. As of circa 1973 Hunter Safety class & rule books, was 20ga and larger. Presuming you mean deer, small game was ok for .410 then and now.

 

[Derwood]

I would be very interesting in looking at the old rules if any of you guys happen to have old copies of the regs and can post a some scanned images of them. I've only been looking at the regs since 2007 so it would be fun to see what the rules were like before the deer (and human) population explosion.

 

[newmuzzleloader]

I guess my memory is a little fuzzy from that time period then.

 

[Duck]

How about the old back tags we had to wear.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I'll try to hit some highlights :

It was a big deal to have huntable populations of deer in every county by circa 1970. ( After the low point of deer populations circa 1900, the few deer left were in mtns of WM. DNR actually transplanted deer around the state to reestablish populations. And then took years for populations to grow to huntable numbers.)

Back in early to mid '70s , it was brag worthy to see A deer during the season in most of Md .

Gun season was 1 week. Bag limit was one per year. Default was bucks ( well Antlered) only. As populations grew certain counties were alloted a particular number of " any sex" aka Doe Stamps. You applied by lottery, in a specific ( and only one) county. Didn't gt you an extra deer, just you had more options.

Shotguns were smooth bore. It was just a fact of life that you planned your shots for 50yds on purpose , maybe stretch to 75yds. It was all we knew, and it was normal.

Handgun hunting was new in the early '70s. The ftlb was same as for rifle, but with a special exception for .44Mag .( In the days before vented test bbls, the factory rating was aprox 1120 ftlb .)

 

[GodOfVice]

I got my first license probably before most of you. Not sure BUT Id guess there were MORE hunters and certainly more enthusiasm 40 or 50 year ago. I could be wrong but then it was like a pilgrimage for one to eat up his vacation to go hunting no matter what she might have to say about it year after year. There was without doubt far less public lands, maybe that's why it wasn't uncommon that as soon as the sun rose you realized you were 20 feet away from another orange jacket on all 4 sides! Greenridge and Dorchester were probably the worst of the worst.
I could be all wet on all of this but I don't think so.

 

[remrug]

In 1979 my parents move us from Baltimore to outside of Hampstead (Carroll Co).I would hunt for squirrel,rabbits and pheasants almost everyday after school.I never saw any deer but once in a while I would find a deer track.Now its the area where I kill the most deer.

 

[GodOfVice]

In 1979 my parents move us from Baltimore to outside of Hampstead (Carroll Co).I would hunt for squirrel,rabbits and pheasants almost everyday after school.I never saw any deer but once in a while I would find a deer track.Now its the area where I kill the most deer.

Sandy point area, LOADED now, where did they come from there were NEVER deer there same with much of Pasadena. .

 

[jplum]

The 28ga is the smallest. It was changed this year.

http://www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting/firearms-deer-hunting-regulations/

Shotgun Regulations

The shotguns referred to here are loaded from the breech of the barrel and use shells.
Shotguns used for deer hunting must be 28 gauge or larger.
Shotgun ammunition used for deer hunting must shoot a single solid projectile except in Dorchester County, where #1 buckshot or larger may be used.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Maryland muzzloader season started as a one day season. Flintlock or percussion only. No inlines then, and scopes on muzzleloaders were illegal for hunting. When the season later went to 3 days, that was a big deal to me, and all the incentive I needed to buy and build a T/C Hawken kit rifle. They had also around that time come out with this newfangled BP substitute called Pyrodex. Had never heard of the stuff. Wasn't all too sure about it either, given that the inventor was killed in the plant making it.

 

[44man]

I remember going to the firehouse for the doe stamp lottery. Also in the 70's if you killed a deer in southern md you got your name in the paper and had bragging rights. Slugs were so much better than pumpkin balls it was crazy. I don't remember what year it was but I passed the hunters safety course the first year they had it down here.

 

[SRD]

The 28ga is the smallest.It was changed this year.

http://www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting/firearms-deer-hunting-regulations/

Shotgun Regulations

The shotguns referred to here are loaded from the breech of the barrel and use shells.
Shotguns used for deer hunting must be 28 gauge or larger.
Shotgun ammunition used for deer hunting must shoot a single solid projectile except in Dorchester County, where #1 buckshot or larger may be used.

To my knowledge 28 has always been legal.

 

[engineerbrian]

How about the old back tags we had to wear.

That and taking your deer to the checkin' station. What a pain that was. The other day i checked 2 deer in on line on my phone while drinking a beer in less than 5 minutes.

 

[traveller]

Why does Dorchester have buckshot? Is that for Sika?

 

[engineerbrian]

Why does Dorchester have buckshot? Is that for Sika?

I was just sika hunting last week and one of the locals told me they used buck shot for sika while driving deer and rifles on stand.