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*sb0879*
SENATE BILL 879
M2 6lr2286
CF HB 1324
By: Senator Attar
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 5, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Baltimore City – Natural Resources – Sunday Deer Hunting and Archery 2
Hunting Safety Zones 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to allow a person to 4
hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer bow hunting season in Baltimore City; adding 5
Baltimore City, subject to a certain exception, to the list of jurisdictions in which the 6
safety zone for archery hunters extends a certain distance from certain structures; 7
and generally relating to hunting in Baltimore City. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Natural Resources 10
Section 10–410(a) and (g)(3)(i) and 10–906(b)(3)(i) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Natural Resources 15
Section 10–410(g)(1) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Natural Resources 20
Section 10–410(g)(3)(i) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
2 SENATE BILL 879
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – Natural Resources 4
10–410. 5
(a) (1) (i) The Department may allow a person to hunt on each Sunday of 6
the game bird and game mammal seasons in: 7
1. Allegany County; 8
2. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Calvert 9
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 10
3. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Caroline 11
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 12
4. Cecil County; 13
5. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Charles 14
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 15
6. Subject to subparagraph (iv) of this paragraph, Dorchester 16
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 17
7. Garrett County; 18
8. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Queen 19
Anne’s County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 20
9. St. Mary’s County; 21
10. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 22
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 23
11. Washington County; 24
12. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 25
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 26
13. Subject to subparagraph (v) of this paragraph, Wicomico 27
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 28
SENATE BILL 879 3
(ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 and 12 of this 1
paragraph do not apply: 2
1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 3
2. On the last three Sundays in Oct ober and the first two 4
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 5
(iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)2, 3, 5, and 8 of this 6
paragraph do not apply: 7
1. On each Sunday during the deer firearms season; 8
2. On the last thre e Sundays in October and the first two 9
Sundays in November during the deer bow hunting season; and 10
3. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 11
(iv) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)6 of this paragraph 12
do not apply: 13
1. On each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from the first 14
Sunday in October through the second Sunday in January, inclusive; and 15
2. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 16
(v) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)(13) of this 17
paragraph do not apply: 18
1. On the first 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
(2) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the 22
deer hunting seasons from the first Sunday in October through the second Sunday in 23
January, inclusive, in: 24
(i) Carroll County; and 25
(ii) Frederick County. 26
(3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the Department 27
may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from 30 28
minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. in: 29
1. Kent County; 30
4 SENATE BILL 879
2. Montgomery County; and 1
3. Talbot County. 2
(ii) The time restrictions under this paragraph do not apply: 3
1. To a participant in a junior deer hunt authorized under 4
this subtitle; 5
2. On one Sunday designated by the Department during the 6
deer firearms season; 7
3. In Kent County, on each Sunday during the deer bow 8
hunting season and the deer muzzle loader season; 9
4. In Montgomery County, on one Sunday designated by the 10
Department during the deer bow hunting season; and 11
5. In Talbot County, on the last three Sundays in October 12
and the first two Sundays in November during the bow hunting season. 13
(4) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer 14
firearms season: 15
(i) On each Sunday in Harford County; and 16
(ii) On the first Sunday in Anne Arundel County. 17
(5) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer bow 18
hunting season on: 19
(i) The last three Sundays in October and the first two Sundays in 20
November in Harford County; and 21
(ii) The first Sunday in November in Anne Arundel County. 22
(6) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ALLOW A PERSON TO HUNT DEER ON 23
EACH SUNDAY OF THE DEER BOW HUNTING SEASON IN BALTIMORE CITY. 24
(7) The Department may allow a person to hunt turkey on each Sunday of 25
the spring turkey hunting season in: 26
(i) Carroll County; 27
(ii) Kent County; and 28
SENATE BILL 879 5
(iii) Talbot County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 1
[(7)] (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the 2
Department may allow a person with a deer management permit to shoot deer on any 3
Sunday throughout the year in accordance with the terms of the permit. 4
[(8)] (9) The Department may allow a person using a State certified 5
raptor to hunt game birds or mammals on each Sunday during the open season for the 6
game birds or mammals. 7
[(9)] (10) The Department may allow an unarmed person participating in 8
an organized fox chase to chase foxes on Sunday. 9
[(10)] (11) The Department may allow a person shooting pen –reared game 10
birds or tower–released flighted mallard ducks to hunt on Sunday at a regulated shooting 11
ground in accordance with § 10–906 of this title. 12
[(11)] (12) The Department may allow a person who is 16 years old or 13
younger to hunt on Sunday if participating in a junior hunt established by the Department 14
in accordance with this subtitle. 15
[(12)] (13) Except as provided in paragraphs [(8)] (9) through [(10)] (11) of 16
this subsection and subject to paragraph [(7)] (8) of this subsection, a person may not hunt 17
on Sunday in: 18
(i) [Baltimore City; 19
(ii)] Baltimore County; 20
[(iii)] (II) Howard County; or 21
[(iv)] (III) Prince George’s County. 22
[(13)] (14) A person may not hunt migratory game birds on Sunday. 23
[(14)] (15) A person may not hunt on public land within the State park 24
system on Sunday. 25
[(15)] (16) (i) The Department may not allow a person to hunt on public 26
land designated for hunting by the Department on Sunday except in: 27
1. Allegany County; 28
2. Cecil County; 29
3. Garrett County; 30
6 SENATE BILL 879
4. St. Mary’s County; 1
5. Washington County; 2
6. Dorchester County, for turkey during the spring turkey 3
hunting season; 4
7. Frederick County, for deer from the first Sunday in 5
October through the second Sunday in January of the following year, inclusive; 6
8. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 7
County, on public land leased to a hunt club from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 8
a.m.; 9
9. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 10
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 11
10. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Wicomi co 12
County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 13
(ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)8 and 9 of this 14
paragraph do not apply: 15
1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 16
2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 17
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 18
(iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 of this paragraph 19
do not apply: 20
1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 21
2. On the last three Sundays in Oc tober and the first two 22
Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 23
(g) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a 24
person, other than the owner or occupant, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal may 25
not shoot or discharge any firearm or other deadly weapon within 150 yards, known as the 26
“safety zone”, of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by 27
human beings, or shoot at any wild bird or mammal while it is within this area, without 28
the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant. 29
(3) (i) For archery hunters in Allegany County, BALTIMORE CITY, 30
EXCEPT IN LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 43A, Calvert County, Carroll County, Cecil County, 31
Frederick County, Garrett County, Harford County, Montgomery County, St. Mary’s 32
SENATE BILL 879 7
County, Washington County, Worcester County, or Wicomico County, the safety zone 1
described in paragraph (1) of this subsection extends for 50 yards from a dwelling house, 2
residence, church, or any other building or camp occupied by human beings. 3
10–906. 4
(b) (3) (i) As part of the application for a regulated shooting ground permit, 5
a person may apply to the Department for authorization to allow hunting on Sunday as 6
provided under [§ 10–410(a)(10)] § 10–410(A)(11) of this title. 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 8
1, 2026. 9
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.