EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 272
M2 5lr1871
By: Senator Jackson
Introduced and read first time: January 9, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Prince George’s County – Natural Resources – Sunday Deer Hunting and 2
Archery Hunting Safety Zones 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to allow a person to 4
hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer bow hunting season in Prince George’s County; 5
adding Prince George’s County to the list of counties in which the safety zone for 6
archery hunters extends a certain distance from certain structures; and generally 7
relating to hunting in Prince George’s County. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Natural Resources 10
Section 10–410(a) and (g)(3)(i) and 10–906(b)(3)(i) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Natural Resources 15
Section 10–410(g)(1) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Natural Resources 21
10–410. 22
(a) (1) (i) The Department may allow a person to hunt on each Sunday of 23
the game bird and game mammal seasons in: 24
2 SENATE BILL 272
1. Allegany County; 1
2. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Calvert 2
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 3
3. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Caroline 4
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 5
4. Cecil County; 6
5. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Charles 7
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 8
6. Subject to subparagraph (iv) of this paragraph, Dorchester 9
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 10
7. Garrett County; 11
8. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Queen 12
Anne’s County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 13
9. St. Mary’s County; 14
10. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 15
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 16
11. Washington County; 17
12. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 18
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 19
13. Subject to subparagraph (v) of this paragraph, Wicomico 20
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 21
(ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 and 12 of this 22
paragraph do not apply: 23
1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 24
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 25
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 26
(iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)2, 3, 5, and 8 of this 27
paragraph do not apply: 28
1. On each Sunday during the deer firearms season; 29
SENATE BILL 272 3
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 1
Sundays in November during the deer bow hunting season; and 2
3. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 3
(iv) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)6 of this paragraph 4
do not apply: 5
1. On each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from the first 6
Sunday in October through the second Sunday in January, inclusive; and 7
2. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 8
(v) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)(13) of this 9
paragraph do not apply: 10
1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 11
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 12
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 13
(2) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the 14
deer hunting seasons from the first Sunday in October through the second Sunday in 15
January, inclusive, in: 16
(i) Carroll County; and 17
(ii) Frederick County. 18
(3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the Department 19
may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from 30 20
minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. in: 21
1. Kent County; 22
2. Montgomery County; and 23
3. Talbot County. 24
(ii) The time restrictions under this paragraph do not apply: 25
1. To a participant in a junior deer hunt authorized under 26
this subtitle; 27
2. On one Sunday designated by the Department during the 28
deer firearms season; 29
4 SENATE BILL 272
3. In Kent County, on each Sunday during the deer bow 1
hunting season and the deer muzzle loader season; 2
4. In Montgomery County, on one Sunday designated by the 3
Department during the deer bow hunting season; and 4
5. In Talbot County, on the last three Sundays in October 5
and the first two Sundays in November during the bow hunting season. 6
(4) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer 7
firearms season: 8
(i) On each Sunday in Harford County; and 9
(ii) On the first Sunday in Anne Arundel County. 10
(5) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer bow 11
hunting season on: 12
(i) The last three Sundays in October and the first two Sundays in 13
November in Harford County; and 14
(ii) The first Sunday in November in Anne Arundel County. 15
(6) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ALLOW A PERSON TO HUNT DEE R ON 16
EACH SUNDAY OF THE DEER BO W HUNTING SEASON IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY. 17
(7) The Department may allow a person to hunt turkey on each Sunday of 18
the spring turkey hunting season in: 19
(i) Carroll County; 20
(ii) Kent County; and 21
(iii) Talbot County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 22
[(7)] (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the 23
Department may allow a person with a deer management permit to shoot deer on any 24
Sunday throughout the year in accordance with the terms of the permit. 25
[(8)] (9) The Department may allow a person using a State certified 26
raptor to hunt game birds or mammals on each Sunday during the open season for the 27
game birds or mammals. 28
[(9)] (10) The Department may allow an unarmed person participating in 29
an organized fox chase to chase foxes on Sunday. 30 SENATE BILL 272 5
[(10)] (11) The Department may allow a person shooting pen–reared game 1
birds or tower–released flighted mallard ducks to hunt on Sunday at a regulated shooting 2
ground in accordance with § 10–906 of this title. 3
[(11)] (12) The Department may allow a person who is 16 years old or 4
younger to hunt on Sunday if participating in a junior hunt established by the Department 5
in accordance with this subtitle. 6
[(12)] (13) Except as provided in paragraphs [(8)] (9) through [(10)] (11) of 7
this subsection and subject to paragraph [(7)] (8) of this subsection, a person may not hunt 8
on Sunday in: 9
(i) Baltimore City; 10
(ii) Baltimore County; OR 11
(iii) Howard County[; or 12
(iv) Prince George’s County]. 13
[(13)] (14) A person may not hunt migratory game birds on Sunday. 14
[(14)] (15) A person may not hunt on public land within the State park 15
system on Sunday. 16
[(15)] (16) (i) The Department may not allow a person to hunt on public 17
land designated for hunting by the Department on Sunday except in: 18
1. Allegany County; 19
2. Cecil County; 20
3. Garrett County; 21
4. St. Mary’s County; 22
5. Washington County; 23
6. Dorchester County, for turkey during the spring turkey 24
hunting season; 25
7. Frederick County, for deer from the first Sunday in 26
October through the second Sunday in January of the following year, inclusive; 27
6 SENATE BILL 272
8. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 1
County, on public land leased to a hunt club from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 2
a.m.; 3
9. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 4
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 5
10. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Wicomico 6
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 7
(ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)8 and 9 of this 8
paragraph do not apply: 9
1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 10
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 11
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 12
(iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 of this paragraph 13
do not apply: 14
1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 15
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 16
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 17
(g) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a 18
person, other than the owner or occupant, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal may 19
not shoot or discharge any firearm or other deadly weapon within 150 yards, known as the 20
“safety zone”, of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by 21
human beings, or shoot at any wild bird or mammal while it is within this area, without 22
the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant. 23
(3) (i) For archery hunters in Allegany County, Calvert County, Carroll 24
County, Cecil County, Frederick County, Garrett County, Harford County, Montgomery 25
County, PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, St. Mary’s County, Washington County, Worcester 26
County, or Wicomico County, the safety zone described in paragraph (1) of this subsection 27
extends for 50 yards from a dwelling house, residence, church, or any other building or 28
camp occupied by human beings. 29
10–906. 30
(b) (3) (i) As part of the application for a regulated shooting ground permit, 31
a person may apply to the Department for authorization to allow hunting on Sunday as 32
provided under [§ 10–410(a)(10)] § 10–410(A)(11) of this title. 33
SENATE BILL 272 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2025. 2