Experts: Hunters may have hard time finding deer in ’06 season

“Every year, our hunters lose more and more access to [deer] because of development,” said Brian Eyler, deer biologist and statistician for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “The deer are still there, but they can’t get to them.”

Deer populations have declined only slightly in suburban Maryland, said Doug Hotton, deer project leader for the DNR.

This is in spite of the fact that the Chesapeake Bay watershed is losing about 100 acres daily, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for land and water conservation.

In the case of residential development, deforestation can help deer because they thrive in “edge” habitats, where woods are bordered by open land, said Hotton.

“At the same time, the hunters that used to hunt in those woods can’t hunt it any more,” he said.

“It removes a major mortality factor.”

Since hunters can’t shoot deer in many suburban areas, the DNR is encouraging counties to do more deer regulation locally.

Through the Howard County Deer Management Plan, deer populations are regulated in public areas like the Alpha Ridge Landfill.

Number of deer harvested

Anne Arundel:

» 2004-05 season: 2,635

» 2005-06 season: 2,627

Howard:

» 2004-05 season: 2,858

» 2005-06 season: 2,552

Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

2006-07 deer season

Bow season (antlered or antlerless)

» Oct. 23 to Nov. 24

» Dec. 11 to Dec. 15

» Jan. 1 to Jan. 4

» Jan. 8 to Jan. 31

Firearms season (antlered or antlerless)

» Nov. 11 - for hunters age 16 or younger

» Nov. 25 to Dec. 9

» Jan. 5 to Jan. 6

White-tailed deer muzzleloader season 2006-07

» Oct. 19 to Oct. 21 - antlered or antlerless

» Oct. 23 to Oct. 28 - antlerless only

» Dec. 16 to Dec. 30 - antlered or antlerless

Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources