You may hunt sea ducks (scoters, oldsquaw and eiders) during the regular duck season (see Guide to Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons - available in the
Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping - for season dates and bag limits) in the areas indicated on the Maryland Waterfowl Hunting Zones Map. See
Table 1 below for the written area description.
While hunting in the Sea Duck Zone:
- Nonresidents must be accompanied by a Maryland resident at all times.
- You must remain at least 800 yards from all shore, including shore emerging at low tide.
- You must remain at least 500 yards from any road, bridge or causeway and 250 yards from any other person hunting waterfowl.
- Hunters may pursue and shoot crippled waterfowl in a vessel (boat) under power in the Special Sea Duck Zone.
Note: Additional maps showing details of sections of the Sea Duck Zone can be found at the bottom of this page.
Table 1. Written Description of the Special Sea Duck Zone (Code of Maryland Regulations 08.03.07.04).
A. In the Sea Duck Zone, a person may hunt sea ducks (scoter, old squaw, and eider ducks) by shooting from a boat or floating blind which is anchored, drifting, sculled or paddled or while standing in the water on the natural bottom in the following areas:
- The part of the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay described as follows: Keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Turkey Point, Cecil County, and the easternmost tip of Sandy Point, Harford County; keeping to the southeast of a line drawn from the southernmost tip of Abbey Point, Harford County and the easternmost tip of Lego Point, Harford County; keeping to the south of a line drawn from Rickett Point, Harford County and the southernmost tip of Lower I Point, Baltimore County; keeping to the east of a line drawn from the southernmost tip of North Point, Baltimore County to the northernmost tip of Rock Point, Anne Arundel County; keeping to the east of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Mountain Point, Anne Arundel County to the northernmost point of Persimmon Point, Anne Arundel County; keeping to the southeast of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Hackett Point, Anne Arundel County and the southernmost tip of Greenbury Point, Anne Arundel County; keeping to the east of a line drawn from the southernmost tip of Greenbury Point, Anne Arundel County to the easternmost tip of Tolly Point, Anne Arundel County; keeping to the southeast of a line drawn from the easternmost tip of Thomas Point, Anne Arundel County and the easternmost tip of Saunders Point, Anne Arundel County; keeping to the northeast of a line drawn from the southernmost tip of Dutchman Point, Anne Arundel County to the northernmost tip of Curtis Point, Anne Arundel County; keeping to the northeast of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Drum Point, Calvert County and the northern¬most point of Hog Point, St. Mary's County; keeping to the east of the western shore of St. Mary's County to Point Lookout, St. Mary's County; keeping to the southwest of a line drawn between the westernmost tip of Pry Island, Somerset County and the southernmost tip of Holland Island, Dorchester County; keeping to the southeast of a line drawn between the center of Norman Cove, Dorchester County and the southernmost tip of Lower Hooper Island, Dorchester County; keeping to the west of a line drawn between Quick Flashing Red Bell Buoy No. 10 and the southernmost tip of Black Walnut Point, Talbot County; keeping to the northwest of a line drawn between the westernmost tip of Howell Point, Kent County and the westernmost tip of Grove Point, Cecil County; and keeping to the southwest of a line drawn between the northwesternmost tip of Wroth Point, Cecil County and the southernmost tip of Turkey Point, Cecil County;
- That part of the open waters of the Middle River in Baltimore County described as follows: Keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Lower I Point and the southernmost tip of Bowley Point; and keeping to the north of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Wells Point and the northernmost tip of Miller Island;
- That part of the open waters of the Potomac River in St. Mary's and Charles Counties described as follows: Keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Kits Point, St. Mary's County and the southernmost tip of Deep Point, St. Mary's County; keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southern¬most tip of Huggins Point, St. Mary's County and the southernmost tip of St. Clements Island, St. Mary's County; keeping to the southwest of a line drawn between the northwesternmost tip of St. Catherine Island, St. Mary's County and the southernmost tip of Cobb Island, Charles County; keeping to the south of a line drawn true east across the mouth of Port Tobacco River from the easternmost tip of Windmill Point, Charles County to where that line intersects the shoreline above Mt. Air Road, Charles County; and keeping to the south of a line drawn between the westernmost tip of Sandy Point, Charles County and the mouth of Chopawamsic Creek, Stafford County, Virginia;
- That part of the open waters of the Chester River in Queen Anne's and Kent Counties described as follows: Keeping to the west of a line drawn between the northernmost tip of Coursey Point, Queen Anne's County and the southernmost tip of Cedar Point, Kent County;
- That part of the open waters of Eastern Bay and Miles River in Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties described as follows: Keeping to the southeast of a line drawn between Romancoke pier, Queen Anne's County and Bodkin Island, Queen Anne's County; keeping to the south of a line drawn between Bodkin Island, Queen Anne's County and the southwesternmost tip of Parsons Island, Queen Anne's County; keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southern¬most tip of Narrow Point, Queen Anne's County and the southernmost point of Brian Point, Queen Anne's County; and keeping to the north of a line drawn between Bennett Point, Queen Anne's County and Tilghman Point, Talbot County;
- That part of the open waters of the Choptank River in Talbot and Dorchester counties described as follows: Keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Blackwalnut Point, Talbot County, thence to the southernmost tip of Bar Neck, thence to the southernmost tip of Change Point, thence to the southernmost tip of Nelson Point, thence to the southernmost tip of Benoni Point, thence to the southernmost tip of Chlora Point; keeping west of a line drawn from the southernmost tip of Chlora Point, thence to the northernmost tip of Castle Haven, Dorchester County; keeping north of a line drawn from the northernmost tip of Castle Haven, thence to the northernmost tip of Cook Point;
- That part of the open waters of the Little Choptank River, Dorchester County described as follows: Keeping to the west of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Casson Point and the northernmost tip of Susquehanna Point;
- That part of the open waters of Tangier Sound, Fishing Bay, Monie Bay, Manokin River, Big Annemessex River, and Kedges Straits in Dorchester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties described as f'ollows: Keeping to the south of a line drawn between the western¬most tip of Roasting Ear Point, Dorchester County and the mouth of McCreadys Creek, Dorchester County; keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southernmost tip of Frog Point, Dorchester County and the southernmost tip of Nanticoke Point, Wicomico County; keeping to the south of a line drawn between the southern¬most tip of Nanticoke Point, Wicomico County and the westernmost tip of Wingate Point, Somerset County; and keeping to the south of a line drawn between St. Pierre Island, Somerset County and the northernmost tip of Cormal Point, Somerset County;
- The open waters of Pocomoke Sound, Somerset County and in Chincoteague Bay, Newport Bay and Isle of Wight Bay, Worcester County; and
- The waters of the Atlantic Ocean opposite the Maryland Shore.
