EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0497*
SENATE BILL 497
M2 2lr2408
CF HB 592
By: Senator Gallion
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Deer Management Permit – Hunting on State Land Leased by Permit Holder – 2
Authorization 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing an individual who hunts deer under a Deer Management 4
Permit to use a certain shotgun or breech loading center fired rifle to hunt deer 5
throughout the year, including all deer hunting seasons, in a certain manner on 6
State land leased by a permit holder for the purpose of cultivating crops; and 7
generally relating to hunting under a Deer Management Permit. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Natural Resources 10
Section 10–415(d) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2012 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Natural Resources 16
10–415. 17
(d) (1) In this subsection, “Deer Management Permit” means a permit issued 18
by the Department authorizing the holder or an agent of the holder to hunt deer outside of 19
deer hunting season for the purpose of preventing damage to crops. 20 2 SENATE BILL 497
(2) [In] ON PRIVATE PROPERTY I N Baltimore County, Charles County, 1
Calvert County, St. Mary’s County, and Harford County, an individual who hunts deer 2
under a Deer Management Permit may[: 3
(i) Use] USE a shotgun or breech loading center fired rifle approved 4
by the Department to hunt deer throughout the year, including all deer hunting seasons, 5
in the locations and under the conditions set forth in the permit[; and 6
(ii) On State land in Baltimore County, Charles County, Calvert 7
County, St. Mary’s County, or Harford County leased by the permit holder for the purpose 8
of cultivating crops, hunt deer on the leased land in the locations and under the conditions 9
set forth in the permit]. 10
(3) ON STATE LAND LEASED BY A PERMIT HOLDER FOR THE PURPOSE 11
OF CULTIVATING CROPS , AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HUNTS DEER UNDER A DEER 12
MANAGEMENT PERMIT MAY USE A SHOT GUN OR BREECH LOADIN G CENTER FIRED 13
RIFLE APPROVED BY TH E DEPARTMENT TO HUNT DE ER THROUGHOUT THE YE AR, 14
INCLUDING ALL DEER H UNTING SEASONS , IN THE LOCATIONS AND UNDER THE 15
CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THE PERMIT. 16
(4) To protect public safety and welfare, the Department may restrict the 17
lands on which an individual may hunt deer under a Deer Management Permit. 18
[(4)] (5) (i) This paragraph applies only in Frederick County. 19
(ii) Subject to the conditions set forth in a Deer Management Permit, 20
a permittee may use a rifle approved by the Department to harvest deer throughout the 21
year, including all deer hunting seasons. 22
(iii) In Frederick County Zone 1, as defined in COMAR 23
08.03.03.06A.(3)(g), an agent of a permittee may use a rifle to harvest deer throughout the 24
year. 25
(iv) 1. This subparagraph applies only in Frederick County Zone 26
2, as defined in COMAR 08.03.03.06A.(3)(h). 27
2. Except as provided in subsubparagraph 3 of this 28
subparagraph, an agent of a permittee may use a rifle to harvest deer in a period beginning 29
October 1 and ending March 31. 30
3. In a deer firearms season, an agent of a permittee may 31
harvest deer only by using the weapon approved for that season. 32
(v) The Department shall adopt regulations to implement this 33
paragraph. 34 SENATE BILL 497 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2022. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.