Maryland deer tagging laws

[lazarus]

The only time I was almost shot during deer season was on private land, surrounded by private land.

And by "almost" I mean the first couple rounds buzzed by me like pissed off hornets. The last round was a CRACK by my head. All the rounds came in before I realized what I was hearing. I heard the shot reports after I heard the rounds go by.

Leading up to seeing/shooting the buck, the fork they shot they bumped an entire herd and I had does running by me all around and I heard the single shot that dropped the fork. It was “danger close” and of course I was in the middle of at least 8 deer running all around me. All does. Since all I’d seen were does and I’d also heard 4 gun shots earlier in the same direction that sounded a lot like “if I shoot in to the woods enough times maybe I’ll hit something. Like branches or leaves or something” not like “I shot a deer and it needed a second shot” or even “I shot at a deer and missed and took a reasonable follow-up shot”. Well, anyway I was sure worried they didn’t realize or care antlerless were off limits that day and might be about to take a shot on a doe running by me without looking.

They were down in the saddle and probably slightly around the bend of the hill and not actually in line of sight. I didn’t actually see the fork they shot, but I’d bet it wasn’t more than 80yds from me at most and they couldn’t be more than 200 from me.

The buck I shot came trailing up the hill several minutes later as I dusted the leaves off from hitting the deck and also wishing it was an antlerless day. Well and thinking that was a cool experience having a bunch of deer running all around me with a couple stopping not more than 10yds from me to look at the thing they just ran past that had flopped to the ground. I’ve been closer to deer a number of times. But never felt like I was in the middle of a running herd or worried one might actually run in to me! Well, or worried I was going to accidentally get shot. And then a little while later slightly worried maybe I was going to intentionally get shot.

 

[lazarus]

Thats right. Sometimes I think its best just to not see anyone or have to deal with any others in or near the same place.
I'd rather see no deer than other hunters with non productive technique any day.
Ill have to get up with Lazarus one day and take him over to a place
if he wants to where he can have at em without worrying about some surly goons to have to deal with.
I think these days I get more of a kick seeing others especially those with a little heart get it on.
What he described is way out of line for how it should be and shameful of the type of so called sportsman that's out there these days.
"Lying to an officer is a crime".
Gimme a break....... learned behavior for sure, wonder where that came from.

Honestly public land is more of me trying to get out there feel like I am really hunting. My place is on 4.4 acres in HoCo and the neighbors mostly don’t like deer. So they are all okay with me bow hunting. I can easily harvest any reasonable number in a given season. But it sure doesn’t feel like hunting. I am trying to fix that some, but with a property this small, I don’t think I’ll get much beyond harvesting. Trying to connect with the one good sized 8-pt I’ve been seeing occasionally and the huge 9-pt I’ve seen a couple times.

But I’d like enough land some day to feel like I can hunt it.

And to be able to let other guys hunt it occasionally. I am not interested in entertaining idiots or unsafe people for sure. But I get a kick out of trying to get other people in to hunting and shooting (I’ve gotten a few people in to both). In a lot of ways I enjoy it more with adults than kids. I guess more because unless it’s my own, if the kids is getting in to it, it’s probably his dad, mom uncle or grand father getting them in to it. Not me. it’s lot harder to do showing them on public land and my place is too small and my ability to hunt it is mostly at the grace of my neighbors because of HoCo’s safety zone restrictions and the fact it’s even odds I might have to retrieve on their property. If I had a dozen or more acres I’d probably entertain helping someone out learning to hunt on my property.

I don’t need hunting to be social. But I almost always enjoy it more hunting with a friend or just a friendly stranger. For me I guess it’s as much about trading stories walking out in the evening or helping some other hunter drag their deer out of the woods as it is shooting a deer (I’ve done that three times this season, helping some guy I just met drag out a deer I mean). Plus I’ve found when you are super helpful to other hunters, they tend to like giving you hot tips on their second favorite productive spots (even if they are telling you it’s their best spot. We all know that isn’t true :-) ). But at the end of the day for me it’s because I like helping people and I’d rather spend an hour helping some guy drag his deer out and swap a few stories and have that Boone and Crocket buck walk past where I was going to setup than walk past a hunter who looked like they could use a hand and not offer to help.

I mean, I’d love to shot a B&C buck. Or just a tasty deer. And I enjoy heading in to the woods, whether it is my woods or some public land spot, completely alone. I am a very outgoing introvert. So hunting totally alone is something I need to do a fair amount to recharge my batteries (or just sitting in the woods or some cabin or tent with nothing but a book). But most of my best memories hunting were hunting with someone. Though my first deer, a really nice 8-pt, was when I was hunting all on my own and it is sure my best memory with a couple (to me) hilarious stories as part of it. Including getting stuck between two fallen trees and wondering if someone was going to find my body eventually.

At some point when my kids are older I’ll maybe have the time to really learn some public land spots. But I came to hunting late. I think this is season 6 for me? Or 7. It’s blurring a little. But I am 38 now. Been successful every single season (only had this place the last three seasons. Before that I was on an acre. So no hunting there). And my kids are finally getting to the age I’ll help my oldest get his hunting license this coming fall (he is 13 now). If my property was bigger I probably have helped him get it a year or two sooner. But he is uncomfortable as hell shooting a cross bow and for sure can’t use a rifle or shotgun on my property. His level of patients is finally at the point he could probably sit still enough to deer hunt not in a blind. He is way more interested in shooting than hunting. My 11yr is a lot more in to hunting (he helps me track and dress all my deer here) so I’ll probably help him get his license the year after. He is huge in to fishing and doesn’t mind shooting. My daughter is 9 and she shows no interest in shooting or hunting right now, but that might change.

So even the public land spots I am most familiar with, like Patuxent, I’ve got maybe a cumulative 30 days in the field over a number of years. Others I might have been there one time. My patients and skills have been steadily improving where needing to know a spot has gotten a little less important because I feel like it’s faster for me to read signs, have a feel for what deer behavior is like better in what part of the hunting season, etc. but knowing a spot still helps a ton.

 

[outrider58]

Thats right. Sometimes I think its best just to not see anyone or have to deal with any others in or near the same place.
I'd rather see no deer than other hunters with non productive technique any day.
Ill have to get up with Lazarus one day and take him over to a place
if he wants to where he can have at em without worrying about some surly goons to have to deal with.
I think these days I get more of a kick seeing others especially those with a little heart get it on.
What he described is way out of line for how it should be and shameful of the type of so called sportsman that's out there these days.
"Lying to an officer is a crime".
Gimme a break....... learned behavior for sure, wonder where that came from.

I know he would really appreciate that. He's a decent hunter. he's a very conscientious hunter. I had him out to my old honey-hole once where he took a button buck.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I know he would really appreciate that. He's a decent hunter. he's a very conscientious hunter. I had him out to my old honey-hole once where he took a button buck.

Ill message him and give him some contact info later today.
Theirs a number of weeks left and some good ones running around yet.
Help /support nearby-place to take a break or rest.
A good nice place with no worries.

 

[lazarus]

https://www.eregulations.com/maryland/hunting/deer-turkey-tagging-checking

24 hours. But you need to either tag it OR get a confirm #before moving it.

Your confirm number consists of:
* first 4 digits are unique to you (1563) tied to your DNR id.
* next 4 digits are the date (say 1213)
* final 4 digits are location and harvest information. So if you killed it in Montgomery county, it could be "6MO3", which means Montgomery County. I am pretty sure that the last digit ("3") indicates doe/buck (even numbers are does, odd #s bucks), and the first digit "6" is the number of that type killed that day (so 6 bucks killed on 1213). All my does end in 2,4,6. All my bucks end in 1.

so 156312136MO3 would be a confirm number. They will be able to tie it to the specific land code and other info you entered (doe/buck, # antler points, time you called it in, etc.).

SO for example, if you claim to kill a deer on xxxx date, they can look and see if they have a confirm number YYYYxxxx where YYYY is unique to your DNR ID. If you say you killed it on land code in county ZZ, they can look and find a confirm YYYYxxxx?ZZ? If its a buck I am pretty sure it will be YYYYxxxx?ZZ1

etc.

Edit: and yes I am a nerd for decoding the confirm numbers.

At least according to my harvest records all my antlered bucks are 1, all my does 2 and my button bucks are 6. I don't have any 4s or other trailing numbers. I didn't look to see if sufficient points on an antlered buck indicates a different number in there or not as I've got one spike in there a few years ago, but otherwise all of mine have been 3+ on at least one antler.

 

[Maki]

Honestly, look into getting some sort of a body cam, or hell, even something like a go pro that you can flip on real quick when people approach you like that. Guys like that are shitty all around and it's only a matter of time until they shoot someone.

On that note, I hunt family property and we sometimes have 20+ family/friends that join us. Our rule is that the person that dropped it last is the tag owner. Granted, when the deer get processed, everyone that helps out gets a portion. We usually move the deer to the main building on the property where all the paperwork is filled out (mostly cause cell service SUCKS anywhere else there).

 

[Harrys]

This was all on public land. GRSF

I had almost the same thing happen many years ago. Shot a deer and went back to camp to get a bud to help drag it. As we were going in a guy coming out with my deer.

Lessons Learned:

Tag the deer immediately, gut it immediately, take pictures, and carry a deer sled with you on your backpack it works great. https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...d320&msclkid=48eb44bf730e167fcd722507d17bd320

Like someone said the last to shoot it by law it is their deer unless you have proof of tagging and they removed it. For bucks I notch the antlers and place the tag next to the notches take a picture. For does I split the tongue and take a picture with the tag. DNR is on speed dial and take a picture of their vehicle tags and them with the deer.

 

[remrug]

I can't understand why anyone would want to take deer shot by someone else.

 

[mikem623]

Will try to keep this short. Many years ago my Buddie shot a small buck in Greenridge. He gutted and tagged the deer. Left the deer in the bottom and came to find me to help him drag. When we came back, deer was gone and tag on the ground. We followed the drag trail and confronted the guys that had the deer. As you can guess we lost the deer. I swore to myself not to let this happen to me. Later read an article in a magazine on how to stop this problem. Suggestion was that after you tagged the deer, remove the tongue so you would have proof it was your deer. Used this method ever since when hunting public land. Never had to use it after getting a deer. This was long before cell phones.

 

[outrider58]

Will try to keep this short. Many years ago my Buddie shot a small buck in Greenridge. He gutted and tagged the deer. Left the deer in the bottom and came to find me to help him drag. When we came back, deer was gone and tag on the ground. We followed the drag trail and confronted the guys that had the deer. As you can guess we lost the deer. I swore to myself not to let this happen to me. Later read an article in a magazine on how to stop this problem. Suggestion was that after you tagged the deer, remove the tongue so you would have proof it was your deer. Used this method ever since when hunting public land. Never had to use it after getting a deer. This was long before cell phones.

That's a good ideer!

 

[lazarus]

That's a good ideer!

Ditto! Cut it out, bag it and throw it in your pack?

If the tongue fits…

(That’s what she said)

 

[cww]

I like it, very good idea, I will have to remember that if I am on public and to far to drag and carry gear at the same time.

 

[Doctor_M]

So you treat the deer like it was a mob informer... suggest breaking its knees too

 

[outrider58]

So you treat the deer like it was a mob informer... suggest breaking its knees too

...just don't put him to bed "with the fishes".

 

[lazarus]

...just don't put him to bed "with the fishes".

Actually that made me think "venison and rockfish entree" and now I am hungry.

 

[fabsroman]

There were two bullet holes in the deer. So, they were probably telling the "truth" and you were probably telling the "truth". The two "truths" together probably do not give the whole story. Might need an autopsy and forensic investigator to get the entire story.

Just let this stuff go unless it happens to be a world record setting buck. Firearms and arguing can end badly and no deer is worth that. Not even worth getting upset over it. I've given away so many deer to friends and the hungry, might as well just give another one away to another hungry person. The way I look at this sort of thing is that they obviously need the meat more than I do.

Move on with life and don't even dwell on this for another second.

 

[fabsroman]

Will try to keep this short. Many years ago my Buddie shot a small buck in Greenridge. He gutted and tagged the deer. Left the deer in the bottom and came to find me to help him drag. When we came back, deer was gone and tag on the ground. We followed the drag trail and confronted the guys that had the deer. As you can guess we lost the deer. I swore to myself not to let this happen to me. Later read an article in a magazine on how to stop this problem. Suggestion was that after you tagged the deer, remove the tongue so you would have proof it was your deer. Used this method ever since when hunting public land. Never had to use it after getting a deer. This was long before cell phones.

Think I would just cut off an ear.

 

[danimalw]

Think I would just cut off an ear.

How would you get the other guy to stand still long enough to turn him into a Van Gogh?

 

[rwsmith7]

Save yourself a ticket and also do this...

There are 2 options.

1) tag the deer before moving it. This is the traditional method.

2) Report the harvest electronically and get a confirmation number from DNR, before moving the animal. Some hunters are doing this so they can go straight to their processor.


Both are legal methods for transporting a harvest.

The above is true, but to save yourself a ticket, you also need to fill out the Harvest Record on your paper copy of your license for that animal (leave the confirmation number blank unless you did option 2 above and got a Confirmation number via the DNR APP or phone line while in the field). Several DNR LEO's have confirmed for me that this indeed is a requirement because Maryland uses the honor system for hunters to perform self check-in (unlike when I was a kid in MD and we physically had to take the deer to a check-in station). The Harvest Record requirement is to keep unethical hunters from field-tagging an antlered deer to be able to remove it from the woods and then to report it/check it in as an antlerless deer when getting the Confirmation Number. By having to fill-in the Harvest Record on your paper copy license that is also required to be in the hunter's possession, it requires the real/true harvest to be documented on the license immediately. Having just a field tag is only half the requirement - filling in your Harvest Record and having it available between the place of harvest and the parking lot and/or butcher shop will save you a citation and fine.

I hunt public land, too - unless I am with a hunting partner, the deer gets drug out behind me to avoid the exact situation the OP described. I use a heavy-duty weight-training sled harness for the drag and it works great - the tether line from the harness to the deer's neck fits nicely between the bottom of my climber when on my back. If you have a buddy or two with you, a deer sled or cart is an easier method - have someone stay with the harvest until the other(s) arrive with the sled/cart. Firearms season is the worst because it is the easiest and most popular season and unfortunately it brings out the bummers and the drakes of the hunting world.

 

[lemmdus]

1) Always keep your license and tags with a zip tie in your pocket
2) As soon as you get to the deer you just shot, tag it, under the law its yours
3) If someone says they're a cop, who give a s#@&T! No badge, then they aint. If they have a badge, that's nice enjoy the Policeman's Ball, bc even if they are, your tag is on it, its YOUR DEER!