Baltimore City - Natural Resources - Archery Hunting Safety Zones
Summary
HB1324 amends Maryland’s Natural Resources law to authorize the Department of Natural Resources to allow deer hunting on each Sunday of the deer bow hunting season in Baltimore City. The bill also adds Baltimore City to the list of jurisdictions where archery hunters are subject to the reduced 50-yard safety zone around dwellings, churches, and other occupied structures, rather than the general 150-yard safety zone that applies to most hunting with firearms or other deadly weapons.
The measure is narrowly focused on hunting rules in Baltimore City and makes conforming changes to related provisions governing Sunday hunting and regulated shooting grounds. It does not broadly change statewide hunting policy, but it expands local Sunday deer bow hunting access and clarifies how archery safety-zone rules apply in the city. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill amends Sections 10-410 and 10-906 of the Natural Resources Article. Its main legal effect is to add Baltimore City to the jurisdictions where Sunday deer bow hunting may be permitted by the Department of Natural Resources and to include Baltimore City in the archery-hunting safety-zone exception that reduces the buffer from 150 yards to 50 yards. It also updates a cross-reference in the regulated shooting ground permit statute to reflect the renumbered Sunday-hunting authorization provision.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and moved through the legislature with overwhelming votes: 128-4 in the House and unanimous 44-0 and 42-0 votes in the Senate on subsequent readings. No committee transcript was provided, but the voting history suggests little organized opposition and a generally favorable view of the measure. The final enactment by the Governor indicates the bill was not controversial enough to prevent passage.
Contention
The principal policy issue is the balance between expanded hunting opportunities and local safety or nuisance concerns in an urban jurisdiction. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a targeted expansion of deer management tools in Baltimore City, while any opposition would most likely have centered on archery hunting near homes, churches, and other occupied structures and the appropriateness of Sunday hunting in a dense city environment. The narrow vote against the bill in the House suggests limited but present concern, though no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.