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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0780*
HOUSE BILL 780
M2 6lr1892
HB 654/25 – ENT CF 6lr3293
By: Wicomico County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Wicomico County – Sunday Hunting Time Restrictions – Repeal 2
FOR the purpose of repealing certain time restrictions that apply to the hunting of game 3
birds and mammals on certain Sundays on private property and public land 4
designated for Sunday hunting in Wicomico County; and generally relating to 5
Sunday hunting in Wicomico County. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Natural Resources 8
Section 10–410(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Natural Resources 14
10–410. 15
(a) (1) (i) The Department may allow a person to hunt on each Sunday of 16
the game bird and game mammal seasons in: 17
1. Allegany County; 18
2. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Calvert 19
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 20
3. Subject to subparagrap h (iii) of this paragraph, Caroline 21
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 22
2 HOUSE BILL 780
4. Cecil County; 1
5. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Charles 2
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 3
6. Subject to subparagraph (iv) of this paragraph, Dorchester 4
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 5
7. Garrett County; 6
8. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Queen 7
Anne’s County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 8
9. St. Mary’s County; 9
10. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 10
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 11
11. Washington County; 12
12. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 13
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 14
13. [Subject to subparagraph (v) of this paragraph,] Wicomico 15
County[, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m]. 16
(ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 and 12 of this 17
paragraph do not apply: 18
1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 19
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 20
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 21
(iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)2, 3, 5, and 8 of this 22
paragraph do not apply: 23
1. On each Sunday during the deer firearms season; 24
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 25
Sundays in November during the deer bow hunting season; and 26
3. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 27
(iv) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)6 of this paragraph 28
do not apply: 29
HOUSE BILL 780 3
1. On each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from the first 1
Sunday in October through the second Sunday in January, inclusive; and 2
2. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 3
[(v) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)(13) of this 4
paragraph do not apply: 5
1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 6
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 7
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season.] 8
(2) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the 9
deer hunting seasons from the first Sunday in October through the second Sunday in 10
January, inclusive, in: 11
(i) Carroll County; and 12
(ii) Frederick County. 13
(3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the Department 14
may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from 30 15
minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. in: 16
1. Kent County; 17
2. Montgomery County; and 18
3. Talbot County. 19
(ii) The time restrictions under this paragraph do not apply: 20
1. To a participant in a junior deer hunt authorized under 21
this subtitle; 22
2. On one Sunday designated by the Department during the 23
deer firearms season; 24
3. In Kent County, on each Sunday during the deer bow 25
hunting season and the deer muzzle loader season; 26
4. In Montgomery County, on one Sunday designated by the 27
Department during the deer bow hunting season; and 28
5. In Talbot County, on the last three Sundays in October 29
and the first two Sundays in November during the bow hunting season. 30
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(4) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer 1
firearms season: 2
(i) On each Sunday in Harford County; and 3
(ii) On the first Sunday in Anne Arundel County. 4
(5) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer bow 5
hunting season on: 6
(i) The last three Sundays in October and the first two Sundays in 7
November in Harford County; and 8
(ii) The first Sunday in November in Anne Arundel County. 9
(6) The Department may allow a person to hunt turkey on each Sunday of 10
the spring turkey hunting season in: 11
(i) Carroll County; 12
(ii) Kent County; and 13
(iii) Talbot County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 14
(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the Department 15
may allow a person with a deer management permit to shoot deer on any Sunday 16
throughout the year in accordance with the terms of the permit. 17
(8) The Department may allow a person using a State certified raptor to 18
hunt game birds or mammals on each Sunday during the open season for the game birds 19
or mammals. 20
(9) The Department may allow an unarmed person participating in an 21
organized fox chase to chase foxes on Sunday. 22
(10) The Department may allow a person shooting pen –reared game birds 23
or tower–released flighted mallard ducks to hunt on Sunday at a regulated shooting ground 24
in accordance with § 10–906 of this title. 25
(11) The Department may allow a person who is 16 years old or younger to 26
hunt on Sunday if participating in a junior hunt established by the Department in 27
accordance with this subtitle. 28
(12) Except as provided in paragraphs (8) through (10) of this subsection and 29
subject to paragraph (7) of this subsection, a person may not hunt on Sunday in: 30
HOUSE BILL 780 5
(i) Baltimore City; 1
(ii) Baltimore County; 2
(iii) Howard County; or 3
(iv) Prince George’s County. 4
(13) A person may not hunt migratory game birds on Sunday. 5
(14) A person may not hunt on public land within the State park system on 6
Sunday. 7
(15) (i) The Department may not allow a person to hunt on public land 8
designated for hunting by the Department on Sunday except in: 9
1. Allegany County; 10
2. Cecil County; 11
3. Garrett County; 12
4. St. Mary’s County; 13
5. Washington County; 14
6. WICOMICO COUNTY; 15
7. Dorchester County, for turkey during the spring turkey 16
hunting season; 17
[7.] 8. Frederick County, for deer from the first Sunday in 18
October through the second Sunday in January of the following year, inclusive; 19
[8.] 9. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 20
County, on public land leased to a hunt club from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 21
a.m.; AND 22
[9.] 10. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, 23
Worcester County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.[; and 24
10. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Wicomico 25
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.] 26
(ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph [(i)8 and 9] (I)9 AND 27
10 of this paragraph do not apply: 28
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1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 1
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 2
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 3
[(iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 of this paragraph 4
do not apply: 5
1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 6
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 7
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season.] 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
1, 2026. 10