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Maryland Goes Traditional

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Loyalist Dave

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"..., new Primitive Deer Hunt Days on February 1-3, 2021. Hunters may only use long bows, recurve bows or flintlock and sidelock percussion muzzleloaders during these days."
Maryland DNR Guide 2020-2021.

This is three weeks after the last of the "gun" seasons, and extends Archery season a few more days, but only for stick-n-string type bows and traditional muzzleloaders.

LD
 
Late in the year, my opinion is the state hopes to kill off the does that are already carrying , or to draw more out of state hunters for the money, I personally am not a doe killer, and will stop hunting deer the last day of regular rifle season, yes I understand the rational thoughts behind harvesting the females but I look at it this way during the does breeding life the first year she will probably have one fawn, the rest of her years at least a set or two of twins and perhaps a set of triplets in there somewhere, so lets say she has a good life and for 5 years she has fawns maybe she will deliver say up to 8 fawns perhaps at least 4 of them are bucks, So if you kill her in her first year you have killed not 1 deer but up to 9 to include the doe. Would be a different situation if I had to kill them to feed my family but thank god it is not.
 
Late in the year, my opinion is the state hopes to kill off the does that are already carrying , or to draw more out of state hunters for the money, I personally am not a doe killer, and will stop hunting deer the last day of regular rifle season, yes I understand the rational thoughts behind harvesting the females but I look at it this way during the does breeding life the first year she will probably have one fawn, the rest of her years at least a set or two of twins and perhaps a set of triplets in there somewhere, so lets say she has a good life and for 5 years she has fawns maybe she will deliver say up to 8 fawns perhaps at least 4 of them are bucks, So if you kill her in her first year you have killed not 1 deer but up to 9 to include the doe. Would be a different situation if I had to kill them to feed my family but thank god it is not.

The lateness of the season has no affect on deer population, but adding additional seasons tends to reduce the number of hunters and that increases the deer population.
At least that's been my experience.
 
Hunters numbers are dwindling in most states and deer populations are rising in many so states must do whatever it takes within reason to get more hunters out there. Some of it unfortunately is based on political gain but much is simply to reduce the deer population and having extra seasons is one way to do it. I have to admit though February does seem pretty late in the year for a deer season. Most of the bucks probably would have shed by then. I'm sure the old timers wouldn't have had a problem with a February deer hunt. I don't have a problem shooting does but I would hate to accidentally shoot a buck that has shed.
 
I hunt only bucks the first few days of rifle season, then it's whatever is legal that steps from the shadows. Ive got no issues killing does. The place we hunt is private so there's just a few of us allowed to be there. The place is overrun with deer. The land owner wants us to kill does. He tried to enroll in. Pa's dmap program but I think his property wasn't large enough. It's only like 15 acres.
 
I could only wish for a similar season here in AL. Since I kill for the table and not for trophy, does are as much in the sights as young bucks. My garden seems to be fiair game for both sexes so I don't discriminate either. Generally I have put a substantial investment into the meat I bring in.
Dave
 
In early 1992 when I moved from Montgomery co Md. deer were a pest to gardens and many were struck by vehicles. Most were does. They really needed culling back then.
 
I wish my state had a primitive weapons-only season....flintlock or recurve. With 70% of all car accidents being deer strikes, maybe it'll come about one day.
 
Hunters numbers are dwindling in most states and deer populations are rising in many so states must do whatever it takes within reason to get more hunters out there.

Yes the state has also opened up shotgun/muzzleloader only zones to "straight walled cartridge rifles" as well. In Alabama (iirc) they define "primitive" as a single shot rifle of the breech loading type, included along with muzzleloaders. Maryland often acts but doesn't think hard, and while I would not be that concerned being out in the woods with people using single shot breech loaders, or even perhaps lever-action rifles, they have by default included a bunch of semi-automatic rifles that shoot straight walled cartridges, for the "regular deer season". We shall see if the same problems arise that got the shotgun/muzzleloader restriction enacted in the past.

It's a question of safety, and my load with the round ball sheds energy very fast, and although I've tried it out on the range at 200 yards and hit with it..., it's really dropping at that point and I don't think with a level shot it would actually reach 200 yards. A modern cartridge..., I don't know.

LD
 
In my native Georgia if you want to shoot your deer limit for the season then you'll have to shoot 10 does. I've shot more does than bucks over the years because I was hunting to fill freezers.
 
Our of curiosity, just how cold is it in Maryland around 01 Feb.?

Can you even realistically hunt?
 
Depends on the person. Maryland would feel like Florida to me in the winter. I sit on a bucket, on a lake, ice fishing in Maine. Single digits, nights to 15 below are common up here every year. I'm sure the boys up here would function in those temps down there. Lower elevations must reach 32 in the sun? :dunno: Sounds warm.
 
The cold you are talking abut hunting in, it's not that cold in my freezer.

Guess you learn to adapt to it.

What do you do to your locks and triggers so they function when it's that cold?
 
Okay, I wondered if you had to carbon tet them to get rid of oils and grease.

What do you use for patch lube?

I assume once it's loaded you leave it outside until you are through hunting since you only get 3 days.

Huh, hunting here in Feb. could be long johns or shorts and T-shirt.
 
It's certainly nice to see a state finally realize that a primitive season should be limited to primitive type guns. I wish that here in Texas they would come to their senses and have a real primitive season !
 
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