What hunters look for in Maryland
Goose and duck hunters look for grain fields and tidal marsh along the Chesapeake Bay, where Canada geese, puddle ducks and divers come down the Atlantic Flyway. Whitetails are abundant statewide and especially heavy on the farmland of the Eastern Shore, and the lower Shore's marshes hold sika deer, an Asian species hunters prize as a unique quarry.
The Eastern Shore marshes and farmland, the central Piedmont farm country, and the Appalachian ridges of Garrett and Allegany counties are the principal hunting areas, with mountain deer, black bear and Eastern turkey in the west.
When hunters want to be on your land
Archery deer typically opens in early September and runs into January, with firearm and muzzleloader seasons in the fall. Waterfowl follows the Atlantic Flyway through the winter, spring turkey generally runs in April, and bear hunting in the western counties is limited-entry.
Seasons, licenses and regulations are set by the state and change every year; treat this as background, not official information. Some states also have rules for landowners who lease hunting rights.
Official source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Leasing your Maryland land, answered
- Who would be hunting my land in Maryland?
- A HuntingLeaseUSA member with a paid membership, booking under their own name, not an anonymous reply to a classified ad. In Maryland, the hunters who lease private land are mainly goose, duck and deer hunters. On a season lease, one party holds the ground for the season, bound by your rules.
- How do I get paid for a hunting lease in Maryland?
- The hunter pays us when they book, so you never chase anyone for money. We keep our fee and pay your share to your bank account on our regular payout run after the month the access period starts. There is no fee to be listed.
- What about liability when hunters are on my Maryland land?
- The hunter who books signs the Access Agreement, with your rules in it, and the Liability Waiver at checkout, before they pay. Check with your own insurer or attorney about what applies to a landowner who leases hunting rights in Maryland.
Leasing land somewhere else? See every state.
How many acres, and what’s on it?
Tell us on a short call: what you grow, any tidal marsh or blind sites, and the geese, ducks and deer you have seen. We’ll go through how listing works and what comparable ground nearby has been leasing for. No account to create and no fee to be listed.