Folks I need some help!

I am going to be moving to Wash, DC in the nest few weeks and the fact that hunting season is upon us this move could not have come at a worse time. I am wanting to jump right into things after getting settled, family staying in TX for a while so the settling will be quick! Can anyone give me some thoughts on places to go, deer, waterfowl, clubs etc. Places that I can go on weekends and even during the week when I am in from a trip.

Many thanks,

Doug

Hi Doug, welcome to the "republik". Hope your sentence is short. What are you wanting to hunt? How?

If bowhunting whitetails, opportunities abound, especially if you don't have to have a lot of antlers. Meat deer are everywhere and if you work at it, you can fill several freezers, maybe in your own backyard (they love azaleas and many other popular ornamentals).

For public property, try Savage River State Forest in Garrett County (3hrs) Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County (2hrs), Frederick Watershed in Frederick County (1hr), the WSSC property around the Brighton Dam area in Montgomery County (15 minutes?) and many others. It is difficult to convey just how many modest deer we have. I run to Garrett County in the pre-dawn hours from near Baltimore Int. Airport and if I don't see 10 dead and 10 standing along the road going out, I'm surprised.

There are big antlers too, they grow OK here, just harder to find areas not beat to death. I don't think they compare to some of the midwest animals, but get fairly big. I killed a 12pt that dressed 200# on private property near Delaware line and have seen bigger ones in the woods and still bigger ones yet dead at a check-in station. Plenty relatively big ones killed almost everywhere except the far western counties, on the average - it can be hard livin' out there for them, it was 7 feet of snow on the ground out in Garret County this past winter and took awhile to melt, producing an abnormal winter-kill for us.

Across the bridge, on the "Eastern Shore", it's flat and/or swampy and mostly private. Dorchester County has a lot of public land in and around Blackwater Refuge.

To gun hunt deer, it's harder, since all the places I mentioned above are pretty much overrun during gun season and competition for 1-1/2 Y.O. bucks is fierce. Join a hunting club that owns or leases property to get access to private property. There are guided hunts for whitetail, on private property, that product outstanding animals, for outstanding prices.

If you waterfowl, there are a slew of guys just over the Bay Bridge who run outfitter's businesses. I could get a short list together for you. There are also groups of guys that form a hunting club and lease private farms to hunt ducks and geese. Downside is having to get decoys, boat, dogs, build blinds, etc., as well as finding guy that aren't hard to get along with. The most economical, unless you are really into it, is to pay as you go and hire a guide for the day.

Turkeys are in all counties, but since last winter was tough in Garrett County, you may find better success elsewhere.

Bunch of other guys are here from MD, too, you should get plenty of good answers to any specific questions you have.

Try Maryland State Department Of Natural Resources for more info.

Good luck,
Ed

eshell,

Thanks for the reply. I have hunted around Oakland, MD quite a bit over the past twenty years, I have family there and I am sure I will get over there. I also have family on the eastern shore near Ocean city but not into hunting anymore. I am not sure if I will be paying to deer hunt as I still have 250 acres to hunt here in Texas and can fill the freezer over and over. I may try to hunt the Assateague herd if I can get a tag. I will try to get into some waterfowling though and I already have a few decoys and a waterfowl boat.

Thanks for the help.

Doug

When you get into town and settled I can hook up with you and show you a fair number of places in Montgomery County and Frederick County. I have a few private farms that are easy to get into and there are a few public areas that are good too (with some study and understanding). If you want to shoot meat deer I can probably get you on a crop damage list and this will lock you in for standard season hunting too. E-Mail when you're in this area and I'll find a place we can meet... I work just north of the DC line at the Naval Hospital.

I surely am "from" Maryland, and it's a damn good place to be "from"! Ugh.

If you're going to DC proper (????), you may want to review gun introduction and storage regs for the District. The regs were absurd when I fled and have likely not gotten better.

Cheers!

Redial
Merlinder no more

You could not pay me enough to live in the city!! I have a very special relationship with all of my firearms and they would not accept storage, they do not like it when I am away from them and they tend to do things like, knock out scope, rust etc. They really get pissed if not oiled regularly!

Doug

You should definitely check out the range at the NRA HQ in Fairfax VA. 50 yards indoor, shoot anything up to and including 460 Weatherby, but no blackpowder and shotguns with slugs only. Benches and sandbags are available for use, as well as hearing and eye protection.

Johnny reb,

That has already been planned, a few of my hunting buddies live back in the area. Since my family is not going with me right away I am only taking the guns I will be using this season with me. The only thing close to big bore I will have with me is a Ruger #1 in 375 that is on the way to me now, I gotta play with it. As I will be coming back to TX a couple times a month I am sure after a few months they will all be with me again, my guns will miss me!

Doug