Air guns now legal for deer hunting

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  • aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    You can now hunt deer and most game animals with air rifles in Maryland if they meet certain specs. The new 2017 DNR Hunting Regulations were just released online, which you can find here.
     

    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    Other notable changes include expansion of Sunday hunting in certain counties on private land (where it was not previously allowed, like Montgomery County), and the Apprentice Hunter licensing program which had received some coverage before. There is also mention of the requirement to wear orange when hunting certain species (such as deer) on your own property (page 53).

    This also got my attention ... much like the ability to handgun hunt coyotes year round in certain counties (with a hunting license and furbearer's permit) has been discussed ...

    Page 5 -
    A hunting license is no longer required to hunt groundhogs in Frederick County.

    Of course in Frederick County, handgun hunting is also allowed (although with a restriction against FMJ ammo when mentioned).

    Here it seems to imply that in most of the state this has been the standard -
    Page 50 -
    Nutria And Woodchuck
    The nutria and woodchuck (groundhog) are classifed as “unprotected mammals.” As such:
    • A hunting license is not required to hunt woodchucks and nutria except in Baltimore County.
    • Woodchucks and nutria may be hunted throughout the year, including Sundays.
    • Hunters must wear fluorescent orange while hunting woodchucks.
    • All hunting devices legal for other game animals may be used to hunt woodchucks and nutria.

    Daily furbearer shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset (unless otherwise specifed).

    Page 51 -
    Firearms
    Taking coyote, fisher, gray fox, nutria, opossum, raccoon, red fox, and skunk with firearms is subject to these regulations:
    • A shotgun may not hold more than three (3) shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
    • Rifles and handguns may be used. Full metal-jacketed, incendiary, or tracer bullets may not be used.
    <snip>
    • It is illegal to have a loaded firearm in, on, or leaning against any vehicle. This includes ammunition in the magazine or a muzzleloader ready to fire.

    Page 57 -
    Be aware that hunters not required to have a license:
    <snip>
    • must obtain a Furbearer Permit to hunt, trap, or chase any furbearer.

    Nutria, woodchucks, groundhogs, etc can be firearm hunted year round, 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. The only exception on public lands is the first day of firearms deer season.

    I forget if Maryland code has a transport exception for handguns taken from home to a place to hunt, but otherwise in counties (like Frederick) where handgun hunting is permitted, one seems to have the option to open carry a handgun on public hunting ground during the daytime for much of the year (without having to get an annual hunting license, but possibly still needing a $5 furbearer permit). I don't think that one needs to wear orange for nutria (?) but does for woodchucks. One does need to unload before putting any firearm in or on the car, possibly with magazines unloaded. A revolver with non-FMJ hollow points may be the simplest option. An orange baseball cap might also be a good idea.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Other notable changes include expansion of Sunday hunting in certain counties on private land (where it was not previously allowed, like Montgomery County), and the Apprentice Hunter licensing program which had received some coverage before. There is also mention of the requirement to wear orange when hunting certain species (such as deer) on your own property (page 53).

    This also got my attention ... much like the ability to handgun hunt coyotes year round in certain counties (with a hunting license and furbearer's permit) has been discussed ...

    Page 5 -


    Of course in Frederick County, handgun hunting is also allowed (although with a restriction against FMJ ammo when mentioned).

    Here it seems to imply that in most of the state this has been the standard -
    Page 50 -


    Page 51 -


    Page 57 -


    Nutria, woodchucks, groundhogs, etc can be firearm hunted year round, 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. The only exception on public lands is the first day of firearms deer season.

    I forget if Maryland code has a transport exception for handguns taken from home to a place to hunt, but otherwise in counties (like Frederick) where handgun hunting is permitted, one seems to have the option to open carry a handgun on public hunting ground during the daytime for much of the year (without having to get an annual hunting license, but possibly still needing a $5 furbearer permit). I don't think that one needs to wear orange for nutria (?) but does for woodchucks. One does need to unload before putting any firearm in or on the car, possibly with magazines unloaded. A revolver with non-FMJ hollow points may be the simplest option. An orange baseball cap might also be a good idea.

    You'd think that, but no. You wouldn't be able to stop in to town for lunch carrying it. Carrying it places where hunting isn't allowed would get you in trouble as well. The law allows transport to and from and carry while hunting. Side errands and stuff are a no-no, or at least some officers and prosecutors believe it to be not allowed. A retired DNR officer teaching my hunters ed class said that a few years ago. He has been involved in a couple of cases where guys were stopped and prosecuted for doing things like open carrying or transporting a handgun out to lunch with them when they decided to take a break from hunting for a bit.

    So, yes, in theory if you were wearing an orange hat, you could walk around any public hunting ground where handgun hunting is legal most of the year and claim you were just hunting ground hogs. In practice all of the stuff surrounding handgun transport and carrying means you should really only do it if you really, really plan to just go hunting something (legal) with it.
     

    Jim12

    Let Freedom Ring
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2013
    33,860
    Are airguns exempt from prohibition of discharge of firearms within a certain distance of dwellings? I've been thinking about getting one for the groundhog problem.
     

    Chris

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Jun 21, 2005
    2,128
    Cecil Co, Maryland
    Social Engineering It's a trap. Make it legal to use air rifles then why have center fire rifles. Don't need them as air works fine. Hell why do you need a handgun as an air gun will work. I can see years from now the State removing center fire arms from the landscape. The good side of this is that I'm older and will never see the day. Chris
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    I like how it states that Air Guns can be used in ALL counties for Deer.
    I notice that air guns that shoot bullets are ok for Turkey in Fall but not in spring (I'm not interested in Turkey BTW)

    I may have missed it but I expect Air guns are ok for small game such as ground hog?

    OK,
    If anyone has links to what airguns pass the MD test (.40cal + 400ftlbs) please link in this thread.
     

    smokey

    2A TEACHER
    Jan 31, 2008
    31,412
    Social Engineering It's a trap. Make it legal to use air rifles then why have center fire rifles. Don't need them as air works fine. Hell why do you need a handgun as an air gun will work. I can see years from now the State removing center fire arms from the landscape. The good side of this is that I'm older and will never see the day. Chris

    Screen Shot 2017-07-17 at 09.24.44.jpg
     

    smokey

    2A TEACHER
    Jan 31, 2008
    31,412

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Are airguns exempt from prohibition of discharge of firearms within a certain distance of dwellings? I've been thinking about getting one for the groundhog problem.

    My reading is they are not. Under Howard county ordinance, they are regulated the same as a bazooka.

    I'll have to go see if there is a change in language, but the DNR regs used to say that air guns counted as rifles in terms of seasons and everything else you had to abide to. There was just nothing under the specific turkey, bear and deer regs saying they were legal. Looks like they've codified that air guns are expressly allowed for turkey and deer (.40 and 400ft-lbs for deer it sounds like, which seems really low if for rifles it is 1200ft-lbs and pistols it is 700).
     

    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    You'd think that, but no. You wouldn't be able to stop in to town for lunch carrying it. Carrying it places where hunting isn't allowed would get you in trouble as well. The law allows transport to and from and carry while hunting. Side errands and stuff are a no-no, or at least some officers and prosecutors believe it to be not allowed. ... <snip>


    So, yes, in theory if you were wearing an orange hat, you could walk around any public hunting ground where handgun hunting is legal most of the year and claim you were just hunting ground hogs. In practice all of the stuff surrounding handgun transport and carrying means you should really only do it if you really, really plan to just go hunting something (legal) with it.

    I'm sorry, but what's your point? I didn't suggest the hypothetical of going to a public hunting ground with a handgun and then heading to the city to go get lunch with the handgun in the car (and without a carry permit) because I know it's not legal in MD. How are you disagreeing with something that I never wrote?



    Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    It not that the .40cal and 400 FtLb is really low, it's that the 700 FtLb is really high. Va and WV specify 350 FtLb .
     

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