How's the deer hunting in Montgomery County?

[leomort]

I live in Germantown/Gaithersburg area. Thinking of joining IWLA here in Montgomery that allow deer hunting on their club property. How good is the deer hunting in this county? I moved here from out of state right before covid 19 hit and everything got shut down. I haven't hunted since 2005 and thinking of getting back in. From looking at Maryland's DNR, this area is pistol cartridge or shotgun only? No bottleneck cartridges, correct? Handguns require 6" barrel and 700 ft-lb. Rifles require 1200 ft lb at muzzle.

I have a left handed 223rem bolt action and 4" GP100 357mag. The handgun is a no go, and while the 223rem could squeak out the 1200 ft lb not sure if I'd want to push my chances with game warden.

What would be a cheap(er) way for me as a left handed shooter to get back into deer hunter. Would your recommend a lever action 44mag or 6"+revolver? Or perhaps single shot 44mag? I am a hand loader so I can roll my own ammo if needed. Open to suggestions.

 

[lx1x]

2023-2024 Hunting and Trapping Information

An official website of the State of Maryland.

dnr.maryland.gov

Being in MoCo.. you are limited what to use for hunting. (not familiar with their hunting regs). Above link should help.

 

[dist1646]

Check the local regulations. I found out that some parts of Montgomery County allow rifle as long as it is .25 caliber or less.

 

[Brickman301]

Montgomery county is straight walled cartridges or shotgun slug only.

 

[leomort]

Looks like 12 counties are shotgun/straight-wall rifle cartridges and handguns; 11 counties rifles allowed.

1.5 counties are Region A that allows one buck, one doe, while remaining counties are Region B that allows one buck and two does with exception of Baltimore classified as urban area with unlimited does.

Too late this year for me, but at least gives me time to see what options to explore.

 

[308Scout]

Looks like 12 counties are shotgun/straight-wall rifle cartridges and handguns; 11 counties rifles allowed.

1.5 counties are Region A that allows one buck, one doe, while remaining counties are Region B that allows one buck and two does with exception of Baltimore classified as urban area with unlimited does.

Too late this year for me, but at least gives me time to see what options to explore.

The Zone B bag limit for antlerless is actually a bit higher than 2 in each of the weapon seasons. You can also take two antlered in a single weapon season in Zone B with a bonus buck stamp (available for purchase after you harvest the first antlered deer).

 

[leomort]

308Scout,

Oops! Me bad! My mistake. I didn't scroll down far enough. I stopped at the Junior Deer Hunting days. Wow! Maryland has generous deer limits!

 

[RFBfromDE]

308Scout,

Oops! Me bad! My mistake. I didn't scroll down far enough. I stopped at the Junior Deer Hunting days. Wow! Maryland has generous deer limits!

The damn things are everywhere.

 

[2flhun]

"Car" hunting is going gangbusters on 28 between Poolesville and Rockville. Sad to see some good looking backstraps and roasts feeding the buzzards.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Feeding the buzzards?

Not if my car is still drivable!

 

[MaxVO2]

The damn things are everywhere.

*****Omg, they really are. I mountain bike a lot at this time of year when (dunno if I ever mentioned this..) I am not doing CrossFit and at dusk I have counted over 50 of those things just hanging out in the woods of Germantown where I ride sometimes at Schaeffer Farm - which has dedicated mountain biking trails and lots of woods.

Several of the people I ride with have hit deer while driving in their cars, AND on their bikes! I have had a few near misses flying down the trails and darn near smashed into one or a few just munching on whatever or standing still and not observing the rules of the mountain biking roads!!!

The deer in that area are so used to seeing human beans that they sometimes don't even move or get startled, etc.. when I ride by.

Thank God those things are Vegan (in MoCo anyway..).

 

[mpollan1]

*****Omg, they really are. I mountain bike a lot at this time of year when (dunno if I ever mentioned this..) I am not doing CrossFit and at dusk I have counted over 50 of those things just hanging out in the woods of Germantown where I ride sometimes at Schaeffer Farm - which has dedicated mountain biking trails and lots of woods.

Several of the people I ride with have hit deer while driving in their cars, AND on their bikes! I have had a few near misses flying down the trails and darn near smashed into one or a few just munching on whatever or standing still and not observing the rules of the mountain biking roads!!!

The deer in that area are so used to seeing human beans that they sometimes don't even move or get startled, etc.. when I ride by.

Thank God those things are Vegan (in MoCo anyway..).

Intentional or spell check gone wild. Either way, pretty funny.

Edit: Disagree. Would be very effective at thinning the sheeple herd. I suspect you would know what to do.

 

[Afrikeber]

I live in Germantown/Gaithersburg area. Thinking of joining IWLA here in Montgomery that allow deer hunting on their club property. How good is the deer hunting in this county? I moved here from out of state right before covid 19 hit and everything got shut down. I haven't hunted since 2005 and thinking of getting back in. From looking at Maryland's DNR, this area is pistol cartridge or shotgun only? No bottleneck cartridges, correct? Handguns require 6" barrel and 700 ft-lb. Rifles require 1200 ft lb at muzzle.

I have a left handed 223rem bolt action and 4" GP100 357mag. The handgun is a no go, and while the 223rem could squeak out the 1200 ft lb not sure if I'd want to push my chances with game warden.

What would be a cheap(er) way for me as a left handed shooter to get back into deer hunter. Would your recommend a lever action 44mag or 6"+revolver? Or perhaps single shot 44mag? I am a hand loader so I can roll my own ammo if needed. Open to suggestions.

If your referring to Bethesda/Chevy Chase IWLA they have over 400 acres and last I hunted there it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Got my doe an hour after sunrise first day of gun season. You need to get out there early though there is a lot of pressure.

 

[remrug]

If you get a muzzleloader, you can hunt anywhere in Md ,in all the seasons except archery season

 

[leomort]

Afrikeber,

Yes, I am referring to Bethesda/ChevyChase IWLA. They're fairly close to me and seem to have a lot to offer. I found Thurmont Gun Club but they're a lot further way but also seem like an interesting club to possible join.

 

[Pale Ryder]

If you get a muzzleloader, you can hunt anywhere in Md ,in all the seasons except archery season

This is true.
Roughly 4 weeks of season, not counting the 2 weeks of regular firearms season. 2 in Oct, and 2 in Dec. Only archery is longer. So get a bow or crossbow too.

 

[joppaj]

I had eight of them in my yard in Silver Spring today. There is of course no way to legally hunt them unfortunately.

 

[outrider58]

I had eight of them in my yard in Silver Spring today. There is of course no way to legally hunt them unfortunately.

...and there in lies the rub. Non hunters swear "they're all over the place!" except where we hunt them every weekend. Even the legend of urban deer being used to human scent and thereby easy to kill is BS. I've hunted them as well for over 30 years. I always felt I would have done better if I had warn my father's cologne while sitting in my tree. I did manage to make my dent in the population though.

They are stupidly tame where they are not pursued. They'll walk up and eat out of your hands.

 

[outrider58]

Afrikeber,

Yes, I am referring to Bethesda/ChevyChase IWLA. They're fairly close to me and seem to have a lot to offer. I found Thurmont Gun Club but they're a lot further way but also seem like an interesting club to possible join.

Rockville chapter IWLA on Waring Station Rd. used to let you bow hunt their land as a member, but it is a pretty small place.

 

[TheBert]

308Scout,

Oops! Me bad! My mistake. I didn't scroll down far enough. I stopped at the Junior Deer Hunting days. Wow! Maryland has generous deer limits!

You will find that the don't have a car season but, they should.