Natural Resources - Pursuing Wounded Deer After Legal Hunting Hours and Using a Light - Authorization
Summary
SB 100 authorizes a person who is licensed or otherwise authorized by the Department of Natural Resources to hunt deer to continue pursuing and kill a deer after legal hunting hours if the deer was wounded during lawful hunting hours. The bill creates a narrow exception to existing time restrictions for deer hunting, but only for the specific purpose of finishing a wounded animal that was hit during the legal hunt.
The bill also allows the hunter, while pursuing the wounded deer under this exception, to use a light or spotlight-type device, including a headlight, artificial light, battery-powered light, or similar device. It requires the hunter to use only the means otherwise authorized for the applicable hunting season or permit, and directs the Department of Natural Resources to adopt regulations to implement the new section. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
SB 100 adds a new section to the Natural Resources Article, creating an express statutory exception to Maryland’s general prohibitions on hunting deer outside legal hours and on using lights while hunting. It modifies the enforcement framework for deer hunting by allowing post-hours tracking and dispatch of wounded deer under defined conditions, while leaving the broader hunting-hour and lighting restrictions in place for other situations. The Department of Natural Resources must promulgate regulations, so the bill will also affect agency rulemaking and hunting compliance practices for deer hunters and wildlife enforcement personnel.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislative process. It received a favorable committee report with amendments and passed the Senate on third reading by a unanimous 46-0 vote, suggesting strong agreement that the measure addresses a practical hunting issue. No committee transcript was provided, but the voting history indicates little to no opposition.
Contention
The main policy issue is the balance between humane recovery of wounded deer and preserving restrictions designed to prevent nighttime hunting abuses. Supporters likely view the bill as a limited, common-sense exception that helps hunters ethically recover animals they have already wounded, while opponents of similar measures typically worry about enforcement difficulties, the potential for misuse of lights, and whether the exception could be used to circumvent existing hunting-hour rules. The bill’s narrow conditions and requirement that only season- or permit-authorized means be used appear intended to address those concerns.