A Message from the Director
of the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service

Just a few months ago we brought to a close another great season of hunting and trapping opportunities in Maryland. Highlights include some of the best Canada goose hunting the region has experienced in years, a great season of spring turkey hunting, a wonderful year for grouse and other small game hunters, and a Maryland first – more than 100,000 deer taken by Maryland hunters.

A decade ago no one would have guessed we would achieve those results; no one except the team of wildlife professionals at DNR. In fact, these outcomes were predicted many years ago by the men and women responsible for managing those species. Although Mother Nature is unpredictable and continues to challenge us, we remain a step ahead by using our best science to guide our decisions.

We also remain on the cutting edge of public communication strategies. Our team is dedicated to ensuring the public is fully informed on wildlife related issues. As a result, we insist on the use of public dialogue in a variety of venues. Not surprisingly, you will find wildlife experts engaging in thoughtful and informed exchanges through our customer-service email communication system and a variety of in-person public meeting opportunities throughout the year.

However, it may be unexpected to find DNR wildlife professionals are also active in places where you will rarely find government employees in their professional roles. Online message boards, chat rooms, blogs, and other social networking venues allow us to track up-to-the-minute public concerns on hot topics, dispel rumors, and even provide forums for input to regulatory proposals. Our presence in these forums often surprises those who use these venues. However, we believe there is immense value for our agency in learning from and interacting with the public on these sites. If you regularly use these forums, please welcome our staff and feel free to engage them and to solicit information from them. Likewise, please keep in mind that our staff members are often online after regular work hours and a thank you to them will go a long way.

Finally, this past year saw a lengthy debate about hunter safety due to an unfortunate and likely preventable incident in central Maryland. While no one was injured, the shattering of a day-care window by a hunter’s slug stirred a spirited debate about safety zones and hunting safety. In spite of such occurrences, hunting remains one of the safest outdoor activities in Maryland. Hunting incidents are rare and far-between and therefore they are usually the subject of intense media and public attention. The event this fall was no exception. But for the thoughtful interaction between the local government officials, their community and key stakeholders, hunting could have easily been all but eliminated in one county.

One element that distinguishes hunting from other outdoor activities is the fact it is solitary and spectator-free. The individual hunter is responsible for the outcome of his or her actions. When contemplating pulling the trigger or loosing an arrow, remember, while no one may be watching now, the truth is that everyone is ‘watching’ and any bad outcome poses the risk of foreclosing future hunting opportunities for others. Please, remember the fundamental safety principles we were all taught by our mentors and Hunter Education instructors. Carry those commandments with you every time you go afield and keep them in mind before you pull the trigger.

See you in the field!
Paul