3/15/2019 I own a small horse farm in Frederick County, Maryland

3/15/2019

I own a small horse farm in Frederick County, Maryland. Deer herds often pass through my

property, and my horses and I both welcome them as guests. To the extent that the deer

population requires management, I would like to see an emphasis on non-lethal methods such as

contraception. In addition to my ethical objection to hunting, research indicates that any short-

term population reduction from killing some adult deer simply leads to compensatory reproduction

among the surviving adults.

3/15/2019

I think that WMA's should be open, in all counties, for Sunday hunting. These lands are purchased

primarily by the sale of hunting licenses. Hunters should not be limited during their season, and

forced to take time off of work to enjoy the lands they paid for. Leave the state parks closed on

Sundays for the general public to ride horses and hike on. The three day muzzleloader season

should be pushed further into October and extended for a full week (post bear season). Limit out

of state hunters to one whitetail buck and one sika stag, plus does/hinds. Develop a better way for

hunters to connect with farmers who need help shooting deer for crop damage. Too many farmers

complain of deer damage and when asked, they have only shot a couple does through the entire

year.

3/15/2019

As a farmer in MD I feel that it should not be our responsibility to be the ones paying for feeding

the deer population. The state says they own the deer then they should pay farmers for the crop

damage we suffer from the deer. Anything they eat comes right out of our profit. DNR should also

plant food plots on state owned land to help feed the deer. I also feel DNR should loosen standards

to help control the population. I feel that if a deer is in a field with an active growing cash crop we

should be able to shoot them. Thank you

3/15/2019

The Deer Management Plans for property owners need to be easier to obtain; also, there should be

a function and process at DNR to link up property owners that have a DMP with certified hunters

willing to help the property owner solve their crop damage problem.

3/14/2019

1. Increase the nonresident hunting license from $130 to $260. Increase the nonresident junior

hunting license to $65. Increase the nonresident senior hunting license to $130. Limit all

nonresident hunters to two antlered deer. 2. Offer a lifetime resident hunting license, using the VA

model. 3. With this increased revenue, increase the pay for DNR officers and purchase more public

hunting lands. 4. In the MD GUIDE to HUNTING & TRAPPING, publish the cost for common game

violations. 5. Start deer archery season the third Monday in August and end it on the second

Saturday in February.

3/14/2019

We need to stop treating deer as a pest or liability and recognize that they are an economic asset

that hunters have been paying for, for many years. We need to increase the doe bag limit or

perhaps institute an “earn a buck program” which requires 1 or 2 doe to be harvested prior to any

buck. This has worked in other states. Additionally we need to reduce the buck bag limit (possibly

to 1) which will in turn allow more bucks to reach maturity. The whitetail deer generates a ton of

money from lease fees to equipment and deer corn. Additionally the state should recognize that

hunters buy tons of deer corn throughout the state. The hunter pays sales tax on this corn. This is

tax money which would otherwise be lost if it was sold to grain brokers for livestock & poultry feed

which is not taxed. Maryland needs stricter enforcement especially for folks that exceed the bag

limit, shoot bucks with crop damage permits and trespass on private property. The state also

needs to realize that farmers are getting paid thousands of dollars for leases. Most of this money is

in the form of cash which is never talked about. Farmers also get a ton of tax advantages that the

average MD citizen does not get not to mention acres of tax free land! It is time for the state to get

real about this! Yes, there is crop loss but there is also a lot of untracked money paid for lease fees

that offset a lot of the loss. Farmers do nothing to manage deer as an asset yet they reap many of

the dollars for hunting them. You can’t have it both ways. The only stakeholder that pays his own

way for deer management is the sportsman and the sportsman should have the main seat at the

table when it comes to a long term management plan.

3/14/2019

More antler restrictions.

3/14/2019

End the farmer slaughter of deer, (if they want deer numbers down they should allow hunters on

their property) put a bounty on coyotes , (they are becoming a problem) I took thousands of trail

cam pics last year I did not have one picture of a doe with two fawns ,make the tagging/ license

process harder to cheat, and reduce the # of bucks allowed, I think antler restriction is ok to a

point, however you can have a very mature six point that may not be allowed to be harvested

because he doesn't have enough points.

3/14/2019

Let's face it. Any comment or post about hunting reduction is a one sided political attack. Hunters

not only help with herd reduction, but they also provide ample amounts of money with licenses,

fees, etc. These nature lovers' would rather have sterilization? LOL! Then you don't know nature.

For the deer plan, implement antlerless only seasons, bring back live check in stations, have DNR

officers actually ENFORCE whitetail regulations! Hunters care about this issue and want what's best

for the herd and farmers alike. The savage approach comes from the agriculture side.

3/14/2019

I live in Montgomery County and there is a wooded section near my house that is populated with

deer. Every year, they caused several car accidents in our neighborhood. I would like to see a

change in allowing bow hunter to hunt from a Tree stand in those areas, within 50 yards of a

dwelling.

3/14/2019

Crossbows and Airguns should be limited to use during rifle and Muzzleloader season and/or

require a medical reason if they are allowed during archery seasons.

3/14/2019

Antlered should be full season and not down for antlerless. 2 bucks per season w 3 pt or greater

restriction.

3/14/2019

Many of us rely on deer meat. BELIEVE it or not we are financially bound. I BELIEVE ONE BUCK FOR

BOW, ONE FOR RIFLE AND ONE FOR MUZZLE LOADER. ALONG WITH YOUR DOES. I SEE THIS ENTIRE

THING OF BIGGER BUCK THEORY AS A WAY FOR THE GUIDE MOSTLY HUNTS ONLY...THE GUYS

WITH THE DOLLARS ARE LEASING UP ALL THE GROUND NOW. WHEN YOU ASK TO HUNT YOU

CAN’T GET PERMISSION...

3/14/2019

As a farmer we get crop damage permits so I see no need for a bounty, point restrictions are in

almost all states that have big bucks, the current regulations of youth being able to shoot any size

great, we as QDMA members have been working hard for this, farmers who have problems need to

let hunters come in during doe season and kill some of their does don't change what some of us

have worked so hard to get.

3/14/2019

I hunt in Region A (Hancock) would like to see no bucks less than 3 points taken unless senior over

65 or Junior hunter and no more than 2 bucks per year taken same as current law except the point

restriction I have mentioned above.

3/14/2019

Allow antlerless hunting at night with archery equipment on private lands only. They do it for hogs

down south and its legal for predators so why not whitetail with archery equipment? Once they go

nocturnal they will no longer be safe.

3/14/2019

Recreational deer hunting has already been expanded to a ridiculous length of time considering

hunters don't use the days they already have for 5 long months. The last thing MD DNR should be

doing is trying to expand Sunday hunting when the majority of Marylanders are against it.

Recreational hunters are the ones that make our lives miserable in our neighborhoods. They need

no proficiency test and maim too many deer. Hunting is a dying sport and more modern tools need

to be used like sterilization. Costs are easily lowered when veterinarians and other volunteers work

together. Considering the development that is taking place in Maryland safety zones should not be

decreased but increased with all the new weapons that are legal to use during deer hunting. DNR

needs to work on more non-lethal solutions for the 98% of Marylanders that do not hunt. I hope

you are listening to comments from the non-hunters and not just the hunters who benefit DNR. It

is unfair that the majority of the general public doesn't know they can even comment. Thank you

3/14/2019

Allow two (2) antler deer per year and no more than one (1) per weapon.

3/14/2019

Continue to maximize sustainable harvest while maintaining a healthy heard. I trust the biologists

when it comes to determining antler restriction benefits and tag allocation based on population

and herd health. CWD management should continue and I also trust the biologists to make

decisions based on up-to-date science. I would love to see a private property access program,

many states have varying programs increasing access that can further help meet management goal

objectives as well as create opportunities for hunters. I thoroughly enjoy feeding my family on

venison. Thanks for everything!

3/14/2019

I live in western Md hunt in both Allegany and Garrett counties, I would like to see a bonus buck

tag and possibly a bonus doe tag brought back, some of us lucky guys that live to hunt don’t want

the season cut short because we took our 4 deer...not a lot of people tag out every year so what

would it hurt? Plus extra revenue for DNR.

3/14/2019

I would like to keep the antler restrictions. Allow 6 doe per hunting season. And 3 buck per hunting

season. No bonus stamp. Way to any deed are allowed to be harvested.

3/14/2019

I have hunted in Pennsylvania my entire life and only started hunting in Maryland a few years ago. I

hunt on private land right on the border of Frederick and Washington Counties. I am commenting

to share my experience as a hunter who has seen the good and the bad in two different states with

two different approaches. Although I hunt in two different states, the areas I hunt are in relative

close proximity to each other because they are both near the Mason Dixon Line. Pennsylvania

made some big changes a few years back and the ramifications of those changes are becoming

clear in the area I hunt in south central Pa. I think a lot can be learned from this so I would like to

share. Pennsylvania took the steps to drastically minimize the deer herd while also implementing

antler restrictions. It has been my experience that one of these decisions was a major success that

should be considered in Md but the other I would greatly caution against. Antler restrictions have

done wonders for the quality of bucks we see at our camp in Pennsylvania. Since they were

enforced, the number of mature bucks we see has sky rocketed. This is something I would love to

see considered and implemented in Maryland. I spend approximately equal time scouting and

hunting each state. I have several trail cameras in each state. In each of the last several years, the

number of 3.5+ year old bucks I have seen or gotten pictures of in Pennsylvania vs Maryland are

staggering. For example, this past year, I had sightings of 6 different bucks that I estimated to be

3.5+ years of age. I had one in Maryland. The number of bucks I saw or had pictures of in each state

was roughly the same but the quality was unbelievably different. I understand some of this deals

with outside factors but there is no doubt in my mind that antler restrictions are the main factor.

Each year I have hunted in Maryland I have passed up many young bucks (spikes, 4 points, basket

rack 6's and 8's) but I have yet to see those bucks the following year as more mature deer. I can

only surmise that they are being legally taken in the rifle season. I would ask that antler restrictions

be considered for all except junior hunters in an effort to increase the number of mature bucks in

high hunting pressure areas. The second change Pennsylvania made was to drastically reduce the

deer herd by killing a lot of doe. While I have read some of the other comments and see that many

are written by individuals (some of which I presume are non-hunters) who are advocating for

minimizing the deer herd. Some of these comments site vehicle strikes or not wanting the animals

to suffer due to over population as their reasoning. This approach is very concerning to me as a

hunter who loves our sport and hopes to pass it on to my children in a few years. While I love the

change Pa made with antler restrictions, I feel they made a big mistake in thinning the herd to the

point they did in Pa. There is no doubt there are bigger bucks but the number of deer sightings are

few and far between since they got very aggressive on killing doe. I don't care what anyone says,

hunting isn't much fun when you sit all day and only see one or two deer (even if one of them is a

mature buck). The main reason I hunt in Maryland is because I know I have a good chance at seeing

some deer each time I go out. I feel very confident that my sons will enjoy hunting in Maryland

when they are old enough because we will see deer (assuming you don't follow Pa's example and

kill all the doe). I am grateful for this opportunity in Maryland because I feel it will be much harder

to grab kid's interest in hunting in Pennsylvania because the numbers just aren't where they used

to be and you do not see many deer at times. If you decide to thin the herd I would ask that you

take a very cautious approach so that we don't fall into the same numbers problem that I feel we

now have in Pa. I might add that even with reduced numbers in Pa, vehicle strikes are still among

the highest of any state. It is my opinion that many of the vehicle strikes and over population issues

in both states are occurring mostly in pockets of suburban areas where hunting is not as popular.

When we begin killing deer statewide, all we do is thin deer to dangerously low levels in rural areas

(where everyone hunts and wants to see deer) and the deer in the suburban areas (which were the

ones that accounted for most of the deer overpopulation to begin with) are not affected because

not as many people hunt in these suburban areas anyway. I think another key factor that happened

in Pa and should be considered in Maryland as well is fawn mortality rates. At the same time Pa

killed a lot of doe to reduce numbers, coyotes and bears were also becoming more populous. So

now not only did we have fewer doe, but the doe we had were not producing the same success

rate of fawns that they used to. I believe that should be considered in Maryland as well. There

seems to be more and more predators (especially bears) and with more predators comes lower

fawn survival rates. Again, this is going to hit the rural areas harder than the suburban areas

because we have more bears in the rural areas. I appreciate the input you have allowed and hope

my experience from Pennsylvania helps. I truly feel that antler restrictions would be a good thing

for Maryland but would hate to see any large changes in the numbers of deer in rural areas. I think

Pennsylvania went too far in reducing their numbers to the point it will be hard to get young

hunters interested in the sport. I really do not want to see the same thing happen in Maryland,

especially as predator numbers continue to increase. Thank you!

3/13/2019

Being a landowner and avid hunter, I primarily hunt to feed my family. I truly enjoy hunting in

Maryland every year. I would like to see some slight reduction in doe being taken, maybe by one or

two. I would also like to see more access for bow/crossbow hunting on government property to

non-government personnel. I know it is a far flung idea, but it could open up access to a wider

segment of hunters that are not employed at, e.g., Beltsville ARC or other non-sensitive

government lands. My 2 cents. Also I want to say thanks to MD DNR for all the hard work that they

do and endure every year.

3/13/2019

I would like to see a one buck a year limit. All Sunday hunting. Earlier bow opener reduce youth

hunt age to 13 get rid of early muzzleloader season keep doe limits the same put cross bows in its

own season. Limit out of state tags to a lottery preference points similar to Iowa.

3/12/2019

Start shotgun first or second weekend in Nov run every Thursday thru Sunday private land on

Sunday thru Jan 31 do a doe only in Jan.

3/12/2019

The recent changes to the DCP do not allow enough time to provide our Federal Mission to the

Residents of MD. Since 2001 we have been able to manage deer with an approved permit from

DNR from Sept-March and now are limited to Feb-March. We would like to see this extended to

Nov-March. For closed populations surrounded by high fences and not effecting hunters we would

like to be able to work outside the Feb-March time frame. Additionally we would like the antler

restrictions lifted on these properties as again they do not effect hunters’ ability to take these

individuals. WS had to turn away/cancel 4 Cooperators this year and we were not able to meet our

work load. Thank you for your consideration.

3/12/2019

I am the Site Manager for the Federal Research Center (FDA) at White Oak, Silver Spring, MD. We

are a secure facility with an 8 foot fence completely surrounding the 650 acre site with a large

White Tail deer population, there are 12,000 employees and frequent auto/deer encounters along

our 17 lane miles of roadways. The APHIS division of the Department of Agriculture is the only

agency with permission to have firearms on our campus with the exception the Department of

Homeland Security and our armed guard force. The new, shorter hunting period restriction policy

will create long delays in our deer cull program resulting in an increased Whitetail population and

the ramifications that will follow. Since we are on a secure campus and no outside personnel will

be permitted to hunt here, I am asking that there be a special exception for secure Federal

properties such as ours and extend the time period to hunt so that we may continue to properly

manage the Natural Resources here at the White Oak Campus. Thank you for your attention to this

problem.

3/12/2019

I agree on management of healthy Deer herds. I agree on helping out the farmers and their crops.

Nobody is in business to loose many. I can see where there is a problem with automobile accidents.

Short story is I agree with everything but the land use. I am 50 years old and I have been hunting

since I was 12 years old. In all of those years one thing has not changed but has got worse.

(Unethical hunters). I have hunted public lands for years. I have been shot at, walked up on in the

middle of a hunt, stands stolen, cameras stolen, trash everywhere, hunters shooting anything that

moves deer, turkey, crow, groundhog , small birds the list goes on and on. I do hope the

Chesapeake forest lands stay intact.

3/11/2019

Do whatever it takes to reduce the overpopulation of deer. When I moved into Gaithersburg in

1986, children played safely along the creek and woods out back and homeowners had flower and

vegetable gardens in their yards. Now, the herds of deer and the Lymes they have spread into

every wooded area and backyard of the county have made children playing outside a thing of a

past era. I know so many people in my family, neighborhood and church that have contracted

Lymes disease, and continue to battle the devastating effects of it. Most neighbors have given up

on any kind of gardening, and those of us that keep trying fight a losing battle against the voracious

herds that roam freely. Please please please - whatever it takes to get the population of deer back

down to normal levels, and restore our quality of life.

3/10/2019

Both of the counties where I hunt have a fair amount of deer. I believe the existing harvest rules

are perfect. Do not over manage or change what's working. Keep it simple and don't add more

rules. Micro managing does not change the big picture. Have not heard ANY hunters complain

about their hunting situation. Let's keep it that way. I feel the current regulations have reduced the

deer population over the last 15 years or so. If you go overboard you will just lead people to

breaking the rules. ALL of my friends that hunt don't mind the rules you have now, let's keep it like

that. Thank you and let's hope our opinion matters.

3/10/2019

when deer get 40% of the crops we do something

3/9/2019

As a hunter I think we should not be able to bait animals it's not ethical and gives more chances to

spread disease. Also I think we should do away with Sunday hunting. Only day people can hike ride

horses etc. and feel save. Most of all it's the LORDS day

3/8/2019

First I would like to commend the Maryland DNR for its dedication. I have been a member of a

hunting club for 45 years. Deer hunting and deer camp is my favorite recreational sport. I have

many cherished memories with my family and other club members. I have made it my

responsibility to introduce other people to hunting and have sacrificed my hunting to do so. It’s

just that important to me to share something that has brought me so much pleasure over the

years. I would love to see more effort in educating the public. The DNR publishes some very

informative articles but only hunters read those articles. How about before next deer season we

get one of the TV station managers to do their commentary on how important hunters are and the

relationship hunters have with the DNR? We need to do something.

3/5/2019

I neglected to include in my post the link that cites numerous studies that hunting does not reduce

the herds of deer long term It is: http://www.deerfriendly.com/deer-population-control/effect-of-

hunting-on-deer-reproduction

3/5/2019

I would like to see the population controlled so there are less deer getting hit by cars. It's not only a

hassle and dangerous for the driver but the poor deer has to suffer a horrible death as well. I feel

terrible when I see them hit by cars on the side of the road. I also feel bad when I see them

suffering from lack of food? Or maybe chronic wasting disease, just looking skinny and unwell.

Chronic wasting disease worries me because it is in the same family as mad cow disease. I know

NIH has managed its deer population by capturing, tagging and spaying the females. This would

probably be too expensive but if there was some way to control the population that way it would

be ideal. Otherwise, humane hunting should be practiced because we just don't have room in this

small state to have a deer over population.

3/4/2019

There needs to be a major increase in population reduction methods, either by hunting,

contraception or rounding up herds - this method was not mentioned as a method but given the

overpopulation I'm suggesting extreme methods need to be considered. I read the report and

could not find a specific target for population size but noted that the population should be at

roughly 20/sq. mile to minimize habitat impacts (the NIST section). Is the population at this level

anywhere in MD? I know it is much higher than this in the Derwood area where I reside and the toll

on habitat is significant. Given that native plants are at the base of the food web and provide

significant ecosystem services including managing stormwater and given the current high rate of

loss of plant species and diversity due to habitat loss and deer browsing I strongly believe that the

deer populations need to be significantly reduced through humane methods

(hunting/contraception/other) before the populations reach levels that result in habitat collapse

and before the deer become so abundant that starvation and disease are the major source of loss.

My primary concern is the ecosystem as a whole, deer populations are too high and are a major

source of habitat destruction. Thank you!!!

3/4/2019

I would like to see hunting minimized as a management strategy, and see nonlethal methods

explored, such as contraception, sterilization, and relocation. The current reliance on hunting is

short-sited, unethical, and ineffective. Although deer culls result in fewer deer in the short term,

deer populations respond to a cull with increased fertility, producing more twins and triplets, and a

larger proportion of female fawns that will further increase the deer population. In addition,

recreational hunters focus on killing males, rather than females, which does not help to reduce

future births.

3/4/2019

Please use sterilization, contraception, and citizen education instead of killing. Deer do not deserve

to die because of our over population.

3/4/2019

I wanted to send the following link that sites numerous studies that show hunting does not reduce

the herd of deer long term: http://www.deerfriendly.com/deer-population-control/effect-of-

hunting-on-deer-reproduction Would the DNR please look into this? There's a little wooded area

next to my condo complex and there are deer. I've lived here for over 20 years and the deer

population never changes and there is zero hunting. They are managed by their natural food

supply. It is the same with the deer on the property of a rescue where I volunteer. Why do these

deer not have to be managed and the deer at the parks do? It would be the same at all of these

parks if we just leave the deer alone and it wouldn't cost anything! I also want to point out that

hikers and other users of these parks get one day, Sunday, during deer hunting season to use the

park without having to worry about bow or gun shooting. We pay our taxes too and should get

more than one day of relief. I have to worry if I go to a park with my dog to hike and have to pick

areas where I'm hoping they won't be so I don't get shot.

3/3/2019

There are too many deer in Bethesda where I live and garden. The MD plan should reduce the

number of deer in southern Montgomery county. Plant destruction and damage by deer in densely

populated suburban areas has increased substantially over the past 20 years. The large deer

population has also destroyed native plants in Montgomery county parks, negatively affecting the

entire ecosystem. Other negative effects of the large deer population include car crashes, spread

of tick-borne illness, and unhealthy deer.

3/3/2019

As a Howard county land owner I think we should be allowed to hunt deer on Sundays on private

land.

3/3/2019

I am a resident of Takoma Park, MD, and enjoy seeing deer in my neighborhood. I find the claims

that they are a nuisance to gardens vastly overstated, as there is enough vegetation in the area to

sustain them. I understand that management needs to be carried out and think that in this day and

age we should resort to non-lethal methods. I would love for Maryland to engage in contraceptive

methods. The Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control have discussed such initiatives, as well

as HSUS. . British Columbia has invested heavily in this alternative. The nonprofit Science and

Conservation Center in Billings, Montana, has many years’ experience working with horses, deer,

and other animals. On July 6, 2017, the EPA approved an application to register ZonaStat-H, a

fertility control vaccine that will provide a humane management tool for managers of deer

populations. These are all avenues for investment whose costs can be decreased with community

volunteer involvement.

3/2/2019

Definitely need to thin the deer over-population first! Few native plants get to sprout, the deer

invade neighborhoods and drop ticks, and deer jump across highways. Maybe after greatly thinning

the numbers, that plan for sterilization could be part. I'm not so keen about reintroducing wolves

and cougars to keep deer population in check.

3/1/2019

Promote hunting reduce crop dmp abuse.

3/1/2019

Completely in favor of reducing the population of white tail deer in Mo Co. The number of car

accidents involving deer plus the tick and Lyme diseases associated with it should be enough

evidence to use much more population control. The property damage is not discussed or

mentioned enough either. Take out the deer in any methods possible. Long overdue. Thank you!

3/1/2019

Open full day Sunday deer hunting for every Sunday in all counties on private land only

2/28/2019

There are far too many deer in the suburban areas of the state. I live on 3 acres in Howard County

and allow bowhunters access to my property, but my neighbors look down on me like I am allowing

axe murderers free reign on the neighborhood. These are the same neighbors complaining about

the deer in their yard eating their plants and gardens. I think it would be beneficial for the state to

increase awareness of small parcel hunting across the state. Perhaps a mailer sent to landowners

with 1-10 acres in the suburban counties (Howard, Montgomery, PG, Baltimore, Harford, Carroll,

etc.) telling them the risks of and damage deer create as well as the safety of hunting and

bowhunting specifically. Just about everyone I know in my area has had a family member or friend

who has gotten Lyme Disease.

2/28/2019

On our Baltimore County farm, field corn harvest has dropped to about 13 bushels/acre due to

deer crop damage. Sunday hunting, use of straight wall rifle cartridges, and night hunting for crop

damage would all be beneficial to maintain the overcrowded deer population. Someone literally hit

a deer in our driveway.

2/28/2019

I am not in favor of Maryland's policy to kill deer to manage issue caused by too many animals in a

space occupied by humans. Deer and other wildlife are part of an ecosystem domain that does not

belong to humans. When the overpopulation of deer, whether for reasons of human intervention

or natural causes, results in conflicts, and infringement on human spaces, it should be the goals of

government and population to intervene in the least invasive manner possible, even if the cost for

doing so is higher than for other options. In the case of deer, and overpopulation, using

sterilization methods to manage the population would be the least invasive to individual deer. I

believe that we all have an obligation to seek out options which preserve the life of wildlife and

which have the least impact on any given animal.

2/28/2019

I am very much opposed to the plan to control the deer population in Maryland Parks using

sharpshooters. I dispute whether it's actually effective -- I've noticed an increase in twin births to

does after a cull, for example. It's also cruel and unnecessary. Maryland claims that birth control

programs are ineffective but I can't imagine how pr why that is justified, given that Maryland has

actually not tried such a program. It's easy to default to what people know - i.e. killing - but there

are humane methods of controlling populations that actually happen to be more effective than

shooting animals. https://undark.org/article/birth-control-for-bambi/

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/downloads/faq_gonacon_07.pdf Thank you

2/28/2019

I'm for much more deer management. First, we've now had 4 deer die or have to be put down on

our property, which isn't much fun. Second, I've read that they prevent reforestation near

waterways, which is so important to the health of Chesapeake Bay. When Parks did a survey a

while back about this, I said that I would favor the reintroduction of wolves, but failing that,

supported the hunting and distribution of venison to our food security centers.

2/28/2019

I realize most of the hurdles DNR faces with regards to deer management are largely out of the

agency's control - the legislature controls the safety zones and Sunday hunting and the counties

control county property. If possible, the agency should support increased hunting opportunities

when presented in the legislature - Sunday hunting and decreasing the archery safety zone to 50

yards, at least in the Central Maryland suburban areas (Montgomery, PG, Howard, Baltimore and

Anne Arundel at the very least). Additionally, the Department should work with the counties to

increase hunting opportunities on county properties, specifically on the M-NCPPC properties.

There are a ton of county-owned properties that are supporting large suburban deer populations

that are causing massive problems. But therein lies part of the rub - too many folk are too

separated from the natural world right outside their door and if they saw a hunter in camo they'd

feel very uncomfortable. Hunters need to be cognizant of that - we're allowed to pursue our quarry

and assist in population control measures only because it remains tolerated by society as a whole.

Maybe there needs to be an educational initiative. Somehow I doubt it reaches the people it needs

to though. Getting back on track - public lands should be open to all uses, every day. That includes

State Parks. There has never been a non-hunter injury suffered in an archery incident. The joggers,

horse folk, and mushroom pickers need to understand THEY ARE NOT IN DANGER. Archers must

positively identify their target and it has to be so dang close, there just isn't a way for it to happen.

Open up archery opportunities in all of the suburban areas (again, I know this needs to be done

through the legislature and counties). The tax credit is helpful for donated deer, but finding a

butcher is still hard. Especially outside of the season when hunting on DMPs. The Legislature needs

to come up with money to fund the FHFH program better to make it easier to donate extra deer to

the needy. Within the Department's sole control, though, I'd go back to unlimited harvest with

archery equipment. I get there were a small handful of folk who that confused, and that putting a

limit of 10 does with archery equipment limited a very small handful of people, but it foreclosed

the potential for other folks who maybe are new to hunting, maybe are only getting more

confident hunting, whatever, from reaching those levels. Short of coming up with an extra day of

the week for hunters to hunt, rather than work, I think DNR is doing a good job controlling what it

is able to control, even though many folk don't understand just how tied your hands actually are.

Keep up the good work.

2/28/2019

With deer permanently established in the state, we need permanent management of deer herds in

the most efficient manner possible. DEP should do everything possible to bring populations down

to a number smaller than that which lets plant species be destroyed. We are even losing the

regeneration of native woods in places such as Sligo Creek Park in Silver Spring, where deer have

already done critical damage. It is irresponsible to let deer continue the decline of forests, not to

mention the enormous number of animals that depend on them. Whatever management rules are

needed, put them in place.

2/28/2019

The situation with the enormous surge of deer in AA County is a serious problem, causing

automobile collisions and Lyme disease, to say nothing of the landscape/forest destruction that

concerns many, including wildlife organizations. We have created a habitat, suburbia, in which

deer live well and reproduce rapidly: ‘deer heaven,' as the Washington Post put it a few years ago.

In the article linked below, Mr. George Timko of the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Association,

explains what kind of damage can occur with over-population. When trees and other flora are

harmed, so are many other animals. If our County is not yet concerned, it needs to be

awakened.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041702115_4.html Timko writes: and it's not just

individual landowners who are seeing their flora endangered. In the South Mountain area, where

deer number as many as 45 per square mile, they inflict catastrophic damage to local forests,

denuding them of future growth. Timko stops at a patch of woods to show the impact: a browse

line, below which there is little vegetation. A mountain laurel has been eaten to the point where

there are leaves only at the top. On the forest floor, an oak seedling has been stripped of early

shoots. Deer will nibble the shoots until the plant loses the energy to grow. The result is a dead

forest that will not replace itself, Timko says, and can't provide shelter for songbirds and other

wildlife that depend on cover. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club are increasingly

alarmed by the devastation deer are wreaking on the landscape.

2/28/2019

This is a good juncture to reverse any adversarial nature of the relationship between DNR and the

general, non-hunting public, and between people and deer. Here are good suggested ways to do

that: 1) Protect no-hunting Sundays. People (including some hunters and their families) appreciate

having 1 day a week to be able to be outdoors hiking and camping without encountering hunting

and weapons, and to know that even where we aren't outside, the animals are getting a Sabbath

day of rest and peace from human pursuit. Our forebears were wise to establish this tradition.2)

Honor no-hunting Safety Zones, without trying to reduce them. 150 yards is minimal given that

arrows can go much farther, and no one wants to look out from their backyard and see an

unwanted sniper in a tree-stand, which could go on for months with no recourse. Different county

delegations need to represent the distinct views of their own districts, and people could give

written permission for individuals to hunt closer to their homes if they want it, but the general

principal of protecting and not reducing Safety Zones is something very important to residents,

hunters and non-hunters alike. 3) Stop the 'expansionist' tendencies of hunting in this state. What

unnerves people is the sense and continual fear that hunters want 'more days' and 'more space' for

hunting (even closer to our homes!), when the seasons are already stretched beyond the max for

most people to tolerate, and many of our prized public spaces that were loved as sanctuaries for

wildlife and people have now been turned into hunting grounds (e.g. Soldier's Delight, and even

the National Wildlife 'Refuge'). These are deep grievances, and people would appreciate it if the

DNR were not seen as advocating such expansions, and even sometimes gave back some of these

places and days that were lost, perhaps employing non-lethal methods of living with deer instead.

4) Encourage appreciation for living deer, for deer photography and viewing, and for living

peacefully with deer.

2/28/2019

I come from a country where it is an annual event that the deer population will be maintained by

organized hunts, and I am in support of this practice in Maryland. There are too many deer and

there are no healthy herds anymore as a result. I live in an area where there is no new construction

that would push them out of their natural habitat. But there are too many deer in this natural

habitat. They do not have enough food, they get sick and injured because they run into traffic, it is

all around not a good situation. I believe the goal should be to maintain a healthy deer population,

and for that, annual hunts to control overpopulation are a viable option.

2/28/2019

I reside a block away from Sligo Creek Park in Silver Spring, MD and for the last ten years have

experienced deer walking up the street I live on, decimating plants and flowers in my yard (as well

as in neighbors yards) and walking into traffic both on my street and Sligo Creek Parkway. These

problems only began to occur in the past ten years but worsen with each passing year. The county

needs to develop a better plan to control the deer population, given public health concerns, the

wellbeing of the deer population in Sligo Creek park who are forced out of their natural habitat

given over population relative to food sources and to preserve the yards and gardens of residents.

It is far more humane to cull the deer population than allow them to roam into areas that are not

safe for them due to local traffic and seek to subsist on food sources that are not optimal. Many of

the deer that appear in My yard and on my street are sick looking or injured. Given the current

spread of the deer wasting disease across many states, a weakened deer population would be far

more susceptible to this wasting disease than if healthy. Consequently I suggest the state and

county develop rigorous approach to culling the deer over population so that that they are able to

subsist in a natural habitat without having to go in search of food.

2/28/2019

I do not consider the deer to be a positive addition to the Carole Highland's neighborhood. I have

lived here since 1997 and the situation has gotten worse each year. The deer have destroyed the

plantings that were in my yard when I arrived -- old azaleas are now gone; hostas and daylilies are

eaten; my yard is so full of deer excrement that I hate going into it; I have had to erect fencing to

attempt to keep some plants growing in beds in front of my house. There have been as many as

eight deer in my yard at one time. They will come practically to my back door and have no fear.

This is an unacceptable situation in a neighborhood as densely populated as ours. Due to the lay of

my property, I would have to erect an extremely high fence along one side and box myself in on

another to keep the deer out -- basically creating a garrison around my house which do not want to

look at and I cannot afford.

2/28/2019

Encourage and implement non-lethal, humane methods of managing deer where needed: birth

control, contraception, and sterilization. Please stop the hunting in public parks and reservoirs

where people want to be outside with wildlife in peace. These are places where sterilization or

birth control would make a lot more sense, or even just leaving the deer alone to sort out their

own populations based on food supply.

2/28/2019

I own and manage an orchard over 100 acres in northern Harford County. The deer pressure here

is so intense that it was impossible for me to plant trees without losing an uneconomical number

to browsing and buck rubs. It was so bad, I was forced to install a deer fence about two miles long

around 3 sides of my farm. Deer still encroach through the fourth side, and I still have some

problems, though things are a little better. Driving in the autumn is very dangerous here, as there

is a high rate of accidents. The goal should be to reduce the size of the herd to 1980's levels. I

thank the DNR for making it easy to obtain permits to shoot deer. Those permits should be

expanded to include antlered deer during the period that the deer are rubbing my trees. I can

show you pictures of entire rows of trees where a buck has rubbed every tree to the point that it

will die. Grain farmers here see them as their number one pest, ahead of all other insects and

weeds. I think the season should be expanded, with no limits on doe, and multiple bucks allowed.

There is absolutely no chance that deer are going to be hunted to extinction here, and a very high

chance that their numbers will continue to increase as their expansion is funded on the backs of

farmers who feed them all year long. Limiting the harvest to appease trophy hunters is unfair to

those of us who have to live with the consequences.

2/28/2019

Bow/archery Season is too long - it starts now in late summer and lasts over four months! This is

hard on people who want to be outdoors hiking in peace and also on deer and other wildlife, who

need to be about their fall and winter feeding business rather than being constantly pursued.

2/28/2019

Stop the hunting that seems to be going on near roadways. I see 'hunter ribbons' near busy

roadways like the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and other roads. This is very dangerous:

hunters in the woods startle deer and this makes them run out into the roadways when they

normally would not, even during the rut season. This causes a jump in deer-car collisions and it has

been documented. Please strengthen and enforce the 'no-hunting near roadways' rules.

2/28/2019

For farmers who want to protect their crops, please encourage them to put up high fences, rather

than engaging hunters who must then return for more hunting year after year. A good fence is

effective. Consider providing funding grants to help farmers with fencing. (Farmers could even

elect to plant some year-round plots to help support the deer and other wildlife.)

2/28/2019

Help people understand that Lyme disease is not carried by deer but rather by ticks, which are

mostly carried and spread by small animals like rodents. In fact, deer help control the

underbrush, where ticks are most likely to be encountered.

2/28/2019

We want to have, and see, more large, old and mature antlered Bucks in the suburban deer

population. In the Fall, bucks grow antlers, and this is for a reason: to attract females and to spar

with one another so that the biggest bucks win the chance to mate. But if many antlered bucks are

killed off early in the season year after year, it leaves little chance for most people to see bucks, or

for them to be able to carry out their natural sparring and selection behaviors. In a natural

population bucks would even be able to carry out their natural role of shepherding and protecting

the herd throughout the winter. I miss seeing this from what I observed years ago in an area with

a larger deer population filled with more mature bucks and does. Is there a way to give the deer

population a 'rest' from hunting so that their numbers can even out and there can be more older

bucks and does in the family groups?

2/28/2019

There are more deer in the Maryland area around DC since before English settlers came here. I am

for hunting the deer. It would be great if more deer could be culled from areas that are more

populated but know that will not happen. I am near Northwest Branch. Deer are destructive to

farms, homes and vehicles.

2/28/2019

I am totally against killing the deer. There are other ways to manage the numbers, like

contraceptives, sterilization. I find the management by hunting offensive and out-dated.

2/28/2019

Please increase the safety zone and add notification requirements to lessen the impact of bow

hunting to non-consenting neighbors - or recognize bow hunting as inefficient and inhumane and

remove it as an option especially within residential communities. Increase education and resources

to promote better peaceful co-existence with the deer population. Complete research into deer

population growth to see if hunting only creates a temporary population reduction and an increase

in births the following year will create an ongoing problem. Find long term solutions including

exclusionary fencing in critical areas and research other humane options including sterilization and

birth control. Thank you.

2/28/2019

I've lived in Carol Highlands for approx. 20 yrs. The neighborhood needs some kind of deer

management. Deer population are out control. This morning walking my dog I saw over 11 deer in

less than a half of acre stretch of land. Deer pose a danger to moving vehicles and a health hazard

to people. My self being a person who was bitten by deer tick and having to undergo a month long

oral treatment of antibiotic to prevent lyme disease. I don't allow my 4 kids to play on my back

yard since that is where I was bitten by a deer tick and my back yard borders Sligo creek and the

power line towers. Deer destroy are garden every summer and have decimated are fruit trees,

ornamental trees and shrubs. Maryland and Carole highland needs a long term plan to control the

out of control increase of the deer population. Best regards.

2/28/2019

When I purchased my home in the Carol Highlands neighborhood (bordering Sligo Creek Park) back

in 1981 I rarely saw a deer in our neighborhood. I knew that they were living down in the park, but

they didn't come in our backyards to forage for food. Now it is the opposite - they are quite

comfortable enjoying my hostas, impatiens, daffodils, pears, etc. I've kept my sanity for the past

years with the liberal use of deer netting on areas close to my house. As I was driving through

Takoma Park in the morning one year ago I had a frightened doe jump on the hood of my car about

3 blocks away from Sligo Creek. She was limping as she ran away and I don't know if she survived.

That upset me for several days. I have seen groups of 5-6 deer grazing on my neighbors’ front

lawns and shrubbery it the morning when I leave for work. Last summer a neighbor took a photo of

a group of 7 does strolling down the middle of 15th Avenue in the afternoon and posted it on our

list serve. It was sad to see all had scars on their legs and some seemed to have misshaped legs,

perhaps due to getting caught up while trying to jump backyard fences? It's the opinion of all of us

that they are not finding enough food in the park to thrive, and perhaps not enough food in the

backyards either. When a large wooded lot was leveled on the south side of University Boulevard

to build the LaUnion Mall retail and entertainment center, University Plaza, and Wendy's, the deer

and other animals were 'evicted' from their homes and migrated through our neighborhood to find

new homes (possums, raccoons and rats too).I believe that the herds need to be reduced for their

own livelihood and I hope that you will take some action in that direction. Thank you.

2/28/2019

I live in Takoma Park, MD, Carole Highlands, along Sligo creek. I do believe nice front yard garden

are important. Not only because it is beautiful but it also offer a sense of conviviality with

neighbors, a sense of security, and a pleasure to be outdoor. Unfortunately deer are destroying our

landscape garden and neighbors are discouraged and retreat inside. Now our streets are more

covered with litter and cars are speeding through the neighborhood. Please do regulate the deer

population in our neighborhood and in Sligo Creek Park. Thank you

2/27/2019

Relocate deer from urban/suburban areas to rural areas and state/national forests. EVERY YEAR:

Estimate the deer population in the summer by conducting field surveys. Issue each autumn area-

specific per head deer hunting licenses of a number calculated as adequate for reducing the deer

population to levels appropriate for the deer winter food resources in the specified area. Monitor

during the winter and if deer in an area are starving, mobilize bow-hunters to reduce the

population and prepare meat for charity/church free meal programs.(Finance surveys and annual

calculations with revenues from deer licenses, the total number of which will vary from year-to-

year.) Intervene on disease epidemics a with capture-release vaccination programs. Encourage

plantings of deer-resistant vegetation in suburbs and deer edible vegetation in state forests.

2/26/2019

EDUCATION - HISTORY OF MAXIMUM SUSTAINED YIELD - - The shift to maximum sustained yield

for white-tailed deer management in North America is recognized as the most significant

development in wildlife management in the last 50 years, only exceeded by the overwhelming

success story for the recovery of white-tailed deer populations in the last century. The history of

deer management provided in the last Maryland Deer Management Plan does not discuss the

implementation of maximum sustained yield in Maryland during the 1980s and 1990s. As in most

states (without prior notification or the consent of hunters), the majority of state deer managers

shifted the management philosophy from compensatory mortality (surplus system) to maximum

sustained yield. In broad terms, compensatory mortality seeks to sustain the population at 100

percent of the carrying capacity while maximum sustained yield is usually achieved at about one-

half the carrying capacity. During implementation, Maryland lowered deer densities to about 50

percent of carrying capacity. Within a decade, the deer harvest dramatically increased. Both the

antlered and antlerless harvests benefited from the dramatic increases in fawn production. The

basic tenet of maximum sustained yield is the recognition that reproductive rate, population size,

and carrying capacity are interrelated. In other words, the limited resources of high quality,

protein-rich food consumed by a deer herd at carrying capacity can be redirected to improve the

health and reproductive rate (fawns per female) of the remaining female deer. Maximum sustained

yield is made possible by the high reproductive rate of healthy white-tailed females. Multiple births

(twins and triplets) are common for healthy adult does. In addition, a healthy female fawn is

sexually mature at 7 to 8 months of age and may conceive (fawns bearing fawns). As the

reproductive rate for each age group (adults, yearlings, and fawns) increases, the number of fawns

born exceeds the production from a deer population at carrying capacity. The general rule is half as

many adult does for twice as many antlered bucks, a factor of four. The shift to maximum

sustained yield radically reduces the number of adult female sightings by hunters. Higher harvests

are required to offset the higher production of fawns to maintain a deer population at 50 percent

of carrying capacity. Longer seasons with higher bag limits for female deer are required. Maximum

sustained yield requires the higher hunting pressure to be sustained year after year. Otherwise, the

deer population would revert back to 100 percent of carrying capacity. In addition to the reduction

in deer density, the sex-age distribution of the deer herd is much different. Maximum sustained

yield lowers the average age of the population as fawns comprise a large portion (40 to 60 percent)

of the pre-season population. The sightings and subsequent harvest of smaller (than normal) fawns

increase under maximum sustained yield. The smaller size of the young fawns (fawns of fawns) is

observable during hunting season and may generate misplaced concern for the health of the

population. Education of the general public, including landowners and hunters, on the logic and

science behind maximum sustained yield will provide numerous benefits, including: (1) an

immediate increase in the motivation of hunters to harvest female deer (including female fawns)

to provide additional bucks for future harvest. The strong emotions of antlerless deer hunting are

deeply rooted in tradition. A number of avid deer hunters, after decades of bucks only harvest

restrictions, refuse to shoot antlerless deer and actively encourage others to do likewise. Although

a deer herd with a high percentage of fawns is a healthy deer herd, many hunters are reluctant to

shoot fawns. 2) An increase in the approval of hunting by the general public with the knowledge

that hunters are providing a valuable ecological service by restraining the deer population at one-

half the carrying capacity, and (3) promotes the retention and recruitment of a new generation of

hunters by recognition of the need for future hunters to maintain healthy wildlife populations.

RECOMMENDATION - - Educate the general public, including landowners and hunters, on the logic

and science behind maximum sustained yield in the Maryland Deer Management Plan.

2/26/2019

CWD RESEARCH - - The spread of CWD remains a threat to the health of the deer population in

Maryland. Limited funding from Maryland is available for dedicated research. Rather, Maryland is

force to watch others drive CWD research. RECOMMENDATION - - Include a requirement in the

Maryland Deer Management Plan to actively support CWD research, such as assisting in the

collection of samples and providing data to researchers.

2/26/2019

Yesterday there were 36 deer out my window. The deer over-population is an environmental

disaster, occurring right in front of our eyes. The worst problem is that they are destroying the

forest understory for all other parts of the ecosystem. Besides consuming what is there (and

leaving non-native invasive plants to proliferate), they are eating all the tree seedlings that must

replace those lost. We are losing our future forest--an ecological nightmare. This is all in addition

to car accidents, Lyme disease, and home landscape losses. Do not listen to those sympathetic to

deer because their habitat has been lost. We have replaced it with suburban landscape a thousand

times more nutritious, thus does are birthing twins and triplets successfully and they are so healthy

that they are surviving bitter cold winters just fine. More coyotes would be a blessing. More

hunting should be encouraged. Hunting programs for kids beefed up (our hunter population is

declining), and hunting days and allowed kills increased. Sale of venison should be make easy! Part

of the plan must be to publicize the destruction deer do in terms the public understands. Telling

them that deer have a negative impact on the environment does not mean anything to most

people. They need to know deer are destroying the habitats and eating the food supply for all the

other wildlife. Bambi is killing his forest friends. :) I'd recommend striving to return to the

population levels here when the settlers arrived, which is tremendously lower than today's levels.

This is also something that would sense to most Marylanders. Do not think that tree huggers are

against deer management--any self-respecting environmentalist is in full support. Thank you!

2/26/2019

As a woodland and farm owner I would ask that a science based approach be used with deer

management. I have talked with many people who think that all deer should be left alone and

nature create a 'balance', while on the other hand I have spoken to hunters who express a concern

that there are two little deer. We often have herds of deer of well over 20-30 on most days come

through our approximately 100 acres. I can attest that very few tree sapling survive. About 8 years

ago some of the woodland was harvested and since that time there has been no oak, hickory or

maple saplings survive. Deer have either browsed them or the deer have selectively eaten native

plants allowing invasive stilt-grass, mile a minute and barberry to crowd out and smother anything

that may have evaded the deer. We need more trees for all the obvious and historic reasons, but

also as a carbon sink, and a biologically diverse 'lifeboat' to allow for re-population of flora and

fauna after waves of destruction such as the EAB and Spotted lantern fly that are, or will, engulf

our region. A deer heavy forest seems a much simpler and denuded biological 'lifeboat'. That's how

I see the forest remnant I am lucky enough to steward. More deer, less diversity. There are too

many deer. There seems to be a cultural divide here too, one that is widening. This expresses itself

in the way each side sees the deer problem. If even any side believes there is a deer problem! With

much of Frederick county disappearing under blacktop and concrete, this divide becomes more

apparent each day. Only a policy based on science, without bias, can be a solution. The deer that

the new residents see as a beautiful addition to their daily commute, browsing at the edges of the

remaining green areas, are eating what's left of our forests and woodland. I see hunters planting

invasive honeysuckle to attract more deer, which strangles out any new tree growth. I've heard

complaints that the deer are disappearing. In the area I live this is patently not true. Could we

somehow come up with a fact based approach that does not vilify or alienate each side? It seems

that there is ignorance on both sides. Public education, for both hunters and anti-hunters, has to

be the way forward. Our wooded areas are now islands, when once they were the ocean. And

thank you, you all do a great job!