Does anyone bowhunt in Patapsco Valley state park?

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  • kingfish

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2008
    779
    Its near me and I've been looking into it but it seems like there are a bunch of permits and rules for going there. Can anyone assist me and sum all this stuff up? I havnt been hunting in about 15 years and would like to get back to it since this place is so close to me. Any help is appreciated.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    Hunting guide and maps are here:

    http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patapsco.asp

    http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/pdfs/PVSP_huntingguide13.14.pdf

    Patapsco is divided into a little over a dozen little patches ("units") designated for hunting.

    To hunt Patapsco, first, you need to get the state qual card. You have to shoot 3/5 arrows into a pie plate sized target from various distances (8-30 yds). Most ranges will do the state qual, but in the summer (Aug/Sept). AGC does quals at their range by appt, so if you go up and ask, someone might be able to tell you when the archery range manager will be around and how much.

    Second, you need to buy the $35 managed hunt permit. Third, you need to take your qual card and license to the office off Rt 40 and get the permit for your car.

    The rules are not a big deal. Shoot deer within the designated areas. Don't shoot anything else. You can enter and leave up two hours before and after sunrise/sunset, and you have to sign in and out.

    Two other areas you should consider nearby are Patuxent State Park (map is on the DNR website), and Tridelphia Reservoir (WSCC, http://www.wsscwater.com/home/jsp/content/watershed.faces#hunting, the office is off brighton dam road near the bridge).


    Patuxent is free, no state qual, but being free you will find every knucklehead and a lot of hunting pressure. I no longer hunt there, but its a good place to go to get back in the game.

    Tridelphia, you need a "use" permit (i think its $65 annual or $6 per day), but not a state qual card. You can get a daily use permit at the office.

    Patapsco (north/western area) and Tridelphia (particularly the western side of Tridelphia), I have taken and seen many deer. No problem filling the freezer. Patuxent is good to ramp up, but you have to get there early in the season to actually see deer. Patapsco and Tridelphia, make sure you have a cart. There are a lot of deer but the deer tend to bunch up on the hills and in the nooks and crannies where people are too lazy to find them. Don't worry about the horseback riders at Patapsco, more often than not, not only are they supportive of hunters, but more than once they have come by while I was setting up and told me where the deer were!

    good luck!
     

    Bugman

    Member
    Dec 24, 2015
    20
    This info is incorrect.Patapaco hunting and parking pass are free and you do NOT need the shooter qualification card.Patuxent cost money for permit and you DO need shooter qualification card.You have them backwards.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    This info is incorrect.Patapaco hunting and parking pass are free and you do NOT need the shooter qualification card.Patuxent cost money for permit and you DO need shooter qualification card.You have them backwards.

    Well... this thread is from 2013 and they've changed the rules somewhat.

    For Patapsco you still need the $35 Managed Hunt Fee, but no longer need the shooters card. See here for parking permit:

    http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/PatapscoValley/Hunting.aspx

    Sure- the parking permit is "free" after you've paid the Managed Hunt Fee of $35.

    Patuxent info is here:

    http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/PatuxentRiver/Hunting.aspx.

    No permit, no Managed Hunt Fee.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    Years ago I bow hunted Patapsco and it's a great opportunity for hunters who live near by. I seem to remember a one or two doe harvest before antlered deer could be taken for management purposes. The most difficult part was getting a slot or place on the roster to access the area of choice. Outside of that it was just a parking placard that had to be displayed prior to entering the area. Things may have changed recently regarding pre-requisites for hunter proficiency/ safety inspections for climbing stands.
    Bottom line was that nearly every area was loaded with deer even if you couldn't draw a preferred area. I would imagine however with the number of residential communities that have sprung up the number of poo-lees would have increased substantially making it even harder to get access.
    I also seem to remember hunter harvest did not count towards annual bag limits. None the less there was some good bucks to be killed there, I could never figure out why a lot of guys who are interested in trophies would hunt elsewhere outside of just getting to a more rural setting or for sika.
     

    Applehd

    Throbbing Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 26, 2012
    5,285
    Good information... thank you for revisiting this thread and the updates.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Years ago I bow hunted Patapsco and it's a great opportunity for hunters who live near by. I seem to remember a one or two doe harvest before antlered deer could be taken for management purposes. The most difficult part was getting a slot or place on the roster to access the area of choice. Outside of that it was just a parking placard that had to be displayed prior to entering the area. Things may have changed recently regarding pre-requisites for hunter proficiency/ safety inspections for climbing stands.
    Bottom line was that nearly every area was loaded with deer even if you couldn't draw a preferred area. I would imagine however with the number of residential communities that have sprung up the number of poo-lees would have increased substantially making it even harder to get access.
    I also seem to remember hunter harvest did not count towards annual bag limits. None the less there was some good bucks to be killed there, I could never figure out why a lot of guys who are interested in trophies would hunt elsewhere outside of just getting to a more rural setting or for sika.

    No limits. Counts against your regional/state wide harvest limits. At least near me, it’s rarely fully. River road section of the park. There are I think 13 or 14 sections. Some might be packed. I usually see 1 car parked in the lot. You can maybe fit 6. Small lot. Max I think is 10 per day. You sign in and out at the book in the lot. Need the $35 central maryland permit and they email you the parking pass.

    I got a spike there 2 years ago. Nothing last year, but I didn’t hunt it much. Saw a few deer, just nothing got close to me. It was miserably hot early season unlike 2 years before so I hunted about 2-3hrs first thing one 2 days first two Saturdays and then I hunted a couple of later afternoons to last light in January.

    Saw turkey. Could have shot turkey. Can’t hunt turkey there :-(
     

    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,380
    Hampstead
    Years ago I bow hunted Patapsco and it's a great opportunity for hunters who live near by. I seem to remember a one or two doe harvest before antlered deer could be taken for management purposes. The most difficult part was getting a slot or place on the roster to access the area of choice. Outside of that it was just a parking placard that had to be displayed prior to entering the area. Things may have changed recently regarding pre-requisites for hunter proficiency/ safety inspections for climbing stands.
    Bottom line was that nearly every area was loaded with deer even if you couldn't draw a preferred area. I would imagine however with the number of residential communities that have sprung up the number of poo-lees would have increased substantially making it even harder to get access.
    I also seem to remember hunter harvest did not count towards annual bag limits. None the less there was some good bucks to be killed there, I could never figure out why a lot of guys who are interested in trophies would hunt elsewhere outside of just getting to a more rural setting or for sika.


    Used to be one doe first that had to be checked-in, then check-in tag had to be presented in person to PSP HQ where they’d stamp your permit “either sex” (& this was all before on-line check-in). Thankfully that ended a while ago. Harvests have ALWAYS has counted toward the State bag limits. Might you be confusing Patapsco with Patuxent Refuge in regards to that ? In either case, you’re spot on as far as potential overcrowding, particularly during week/weeks of the rut.

    While some areas are better, you’ll have a better than average opportunity pretty much whatever area you book. Been filling my freezer in PSP since 1994, not gonna stop any time soon (but I am a deer meat hunter - NOT a trophy hunter). There certainly are trophies out there, but it is so over hunted that there’s gotta be better places to hunt if that’s your goal. Not saying it can’t happen, and a “trophy” buck can be a pretty subjective thing to various folks, I just wouldn’t count on seeing a whole lot of record book deer running around.

    BTW.....The phone-in or walk-in reservation system is kind of annoying at times, but it beats the first-come first-serve sign in areas, where fist fights would routinely break out over who got there ahead of who, who signed who else in ahead of who, etc.... Thankfully that has changed, at least I’m pretty sure there are no more sign-in only areas. If there are still any, I’m not going to them.....
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Used to be one doe first that had to be checked-in, then check-in tag had to be presented in person to PSP HQ where they’d stamp your permit “either sex” (& this was all before on-line check-in). Thankfully that ended a while ago. Harvests have ALWAYS has counted toward the State bag limits. Might you be confusing Patapsco with Patuxent Refuge in regards to that ? In either case, you’re spot on as far as potential overcrowding, particularly during week/weeks of the rut.

    While some areas are better, you’ll have a better than average opportunity pretty much whatever area you book. Been filling my freezer in PSP since 1994, not gonna stop any time soon (but I am a deer meat hunter - NOT a trophy hunter). There certainly are trophies out there, but it is so over hunted that there’s gotta be better places to hunt if that’s your goal. Not saying it can’t happen, and a “trophy” buck can be a pretty subjective thing to various folks, I just wouldn’t count on seeing a whole lot of record book deer running around.

    BTW.....The phone-in or walk-in reservation system is kind of annoying at times, but it beats the first-come first-serve sign in areas, where fist fights would routinely break out over who got there ahead of who, who signed who else in ahead of who, etc.... Thankfully that has changed, at least I’m pretty sure there are no more sign-in only areas. If there are still any, I’m not going to them.....

    Last I checked almost all of potapsco state park is sign-in, not call-in reservations. At least the area I’ve been hunting is that way for the last 3 years and that’s what the instructions on the website say.

    I haven’t been there at the rut, but again the area I hunt I’ve never had more than 4 other hunters signed in at once. Weekdays there are usually none to one. Saturday’s are usually 1-3.
     

    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,380
    Hampstead
    Last I checked almost all of potapsco state park is sign-in, not call-in reservations. At least the area I’ve been hunting is that way for the last 3 years and that’s what the instructions on the website say.

    I haven’t been there at the rut, but again the area I hunt I’ve never had more than 4 other hunters signed in at once. Weekdays there are usually none to one. Saturday’s are usually 1-3.
    That’s good to hear in some way, not so good in others. It’s really difficult to get thru on the phone to Gwynnbrook to make reservations, so it’s good that Patapsco seems to have gone to all sign-in. Although, years ago when I hunted there 3-4 days per week exclusively there were problems. Frankly though there were fewer areas available as well, sounds like it has gotten better. Used to be problems with WHEN you could sign-in and how many you could sign-in. At Morgan Run during the rut, people would sign-in Friday night for Saturday hunt (complete violation of the rules), and sign in 6 or 7 guys. Showing up Saturday at 0400 and the sign-in sheet is full yet nobody is there in the parking lot, and people wrote their sign-in times as 0430 and 0500 when it was still only 0400, well that was just f-ing a barrel of laughs. I’ve seen fist fights at Morgan Run and River Road over this stuff. I’d go by there at 0900 and there’d be 3 trucks in the lot but the sign-in sheet of 14 slots was full. Hunters can be some of the biggest d-heads and a-holes on the planet.

    I’ve been leasing a small private place last 7 or 8 years, so haven’t been to many of the Patapsco places other than Morgan Run 1 or 2 times a year (my father loves the place for ML season), and once last year to Area 2 on Henryton Rd. I used to go to these places exclusively but that has been a while I suppose. Honestly I couldn't remember if we made reservations or signed-in (memory ain’t what it used to be). Thanks for the reminder. I may start heading back to some of the PSP areas for archery this year since my private lease has been a little less productive the last 2 years. Got me looking forward to it now.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    That’s good to hear in some way, not so good in others. It’s really difficult to get thru on the phone to Gwynnbrook to make reservations, so it’s good that Patapsco seems to have gone to all sign-in. Although, years ago when I hunted there 3-4 days per week exclusively there were problems. Frankly though there were fewer areas available as well, sounds like it has gotten better. Used to be problems with WHEN you could sign-in and how many you could sign-in. At Morgan Run during the rut, people would sign-in Friday night for Saturday hunt (complete violation of the rules), and sign in 6 or 7 guys. Showing up Saturday at 0400 and the sign-in sheet is full yet nobody is there in the parking lot, and people wrote their sign-in times as 0430 and 0500 when it was still only 0400, well that was just f-ing a barrel of laughs. I’ve seen fist fights at Morgan Run and River Road over this stuff. I’d go by there at 0900 and there’d be 3 trucks in the lot but the sign-in sheet of 14 slots was full. Hunters can be some of the biggest d-heads and a-holes on the planet.

    I’ve been leasing a small private place last 7 or 8 years, so haven’t been to many of the Patapsco places other than Morgan Run 1 or 2 times a year (my father loves the place for ML season), and once last year to Area 2 on Henryton Rd. I used to go to these places exclusively but that has been a while I suppose. Honestly I couldn't remember if we made reservations or signed-in (memory ain’t what it used to be). Thanks for the reminder. I may start heading back to some of the PSP areas for archery this year since my private lease has been a little less productive the last 2 years. Got me looking forward to it now.

    I think Morgan Run is call for a reservation now that you mention it. It is “part of Potapsco”, but not if you know what I mean. I think all of Potapsco proper is sign-in. Rules are you can only sign in yourself and only when there. Absolutely can’t sign in the night before or sign someone else in. I haven’t run in to issues, but I’ve only hunted River Road.

    Last 3 years they’ve opened at least one and I think two new areas in the park. Not big lens though. 80-120acres each I think. One is off Woodstock road in baltimore county.

    I’ve been wanting to check out Morgan Run as it seems like it would be nice and closest place to me to realistically get in for ML hunting. Hugg-Thomas is closer, but it is almost always booked solid early ML. Never tried it gun season or late ML.
     

    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,380
    Hampstead
    I think Morgan Run is call for a reservation now that you mention it. It is “part of Potapsco”, but not if you know what I mean. I think all of Potapsco proper is sign-in. Rules are you can only sign in yourself and only when there. Absolutely can’t sign in the night before or sign someone else in. I haven’t run in to issues, but I’ve only hunted River Road.

    Last 3 years they’ve opened at least one and I think two new areas in the park. Not big lens though. 80-120acres each I think. One is off Woodstock road in baltimore county.

    I’ve been wanting to check out Morgan Run as it seems like it would be nice and closest place to me to realistically get in for ML hunting. Hugg-Thomas is closer, but it is almost always booked solid early ML. Never tried it gun season or late ML.
    I used to like River Road a lot too, had decent success there. Morgan Run is closer to me too, and I know the land really well. 30 years ago I lived directly on the property line and used to take long hikes all over, long before they opened to hunting. I’m thinking of getting back to River Road a few times this season, if you want we can swap knowledge of the two properties sometime.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I used to like River Road a lot too, had decent success there. Morgan Run is closer to me too, and I know the land really well. 30 years ago I lived directly on the property line and used to take long hikes all over, long before they opened to hunting. I’m thinking of getting back to River Road a few times this season, if you want we can swap knowledge of the two properties sometime.

    I am happy to. River road is the closest property to me. I haven’t been venturing super far back, but mostly because cardiac hill there is two kinds of a B to get something up and down it as it is. I don’t fancy a mile drag AND have to tackle that hill. So I mostly hunt off the side of the pipeline just over top where there is a saddle, creek and a trail. It seems to funnel them pretty well. That’s where I got a spike and I’ve seen a few deer through there that were just out of range. Woods are a bit more open and some straight trees to get up in.
     

    T-Man

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 23, 2010
    3,672
    Catonsville
    I am happy to. River road is the closest property to me. I haven’t been venturing super far back, but mostly because cardiac hill there is two kinds of a B to get something up and down it as it is. I don’t fancy a mile drag AND have to tackle that hill. So I mostly hunt off the side of the pipeline just over top where there is a saddle, creek and a trail. It seems to funnel them pretty well. That’s where I got a spike and I’ve seen a few deer through there that were just out of range. Woods are a bit more open and some straight trees to get up in.

    I am planning on getting out in Patapsco this year as well. I have done the section off of Rolling Road by the park and ride before. It was a new one as I have only done stands and bait previously. Not crowded mainly.
     

    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,380
    Hampstead
    I am planning on getting out in Patapsco this year as well. I have done the section off of Rolling Road by the park and ride before. It was a new one as I have only done stands and bait previously. Not crowded mainly.
    That is Area # 13, isn’t it? I hunted that area after work one evening the very first week it opened for hunting. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where the heck the hunting boundaries were, it was piss poorly marked, and the definite hunting areas all had no climbable trees, only scrubby crap & briars. Deer trails & droppings everywhere, but no clue how to hunt that place. I did find one tree that night with about an hour left to hunt. Was able to climb up about 12-13 feet (normally 25-30ft). I saw something on the ground 20 yds behind me on the edge of a briar thicket, and according to my binos, I was hunting over a giant pile of corn. Great, now I’m a law-breaker. I climbed down immediately and vacated the area. I called Patapsco State Park HQ and reported the illegal corn pile - they did ZERO about it. ZERO. I never went back, but I drive past it almost every night, and rarely pass by without seeing deer in or around that area. If you can figure it out, that should be a good spot.
     

    T-Man

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 23, 2010
    3,672
    Catonsville
    That is Area # 13, isn’t it? I hunted that area after work one evening the very first week it opened for hunting. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where the heck the hunting boundaries were, it was piss poorly marked, and the definite hunting areas all had no climbable trees, only scrubby crap & briars. Deer trails & droppings everywhere, but no clue how to hunt that place. I did find one tree that night with about an hour left to hunt. Was able to climb up about 12-13 feet (normally 25-30ft). I saw something on the ground 20 yds behind me on the edge of a briar thicket, and according to my binos, I was hunting over a giant pile of corn. Great, now I’m a law-breaker. I climbed down immediately and vacated the area. I called Patapsco State Park HQ and reported the illegal corn pile - they did ZERO about it. ZERO. I never went back, but I drive past it almost every night, and rarely pass by without seeing deer in or around that area. If you can figure it out, that should be a good spot.

    I am glad I am not the only one challenged by the area. I see a ton of deer there driving by but haven’t seen anything while there.

    And yes, I have no idea what the boundaries are either. It takes away from the enjoyment because of the uncertainty involved.

    As a general note, there should be a ton of deer available as I have been seeing them everywhere around Catonsville. The most I have ever seen.

    Probably still won’t get anything.
     

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