Hindered by cold, wet and windy weather at the start of the state's two-week firearm deer hunting season, as well as an abundance of acorns, fewer deer were taken this year, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Though hunters took more than 36,000 deer during the two-week firearm season that ended Dec. 8, there was a nearly 20percent drop in the state's most populous region and a 12 percent drop throughout the rest of the state.
Brian Eyler, deer project leader for the DNR, said last month that officials hoped for a harvest of between 40,000 and 50,000 of the state's minimum estimated population of about 230,000 deer.
Given the nasty weather on the weekend after Thanksgiving -- the traditional first weekend of the firearm deer-hunting season -- as well as the plentiful acorn crop, Eyler was not surprised by the decrease.
"It's been an off year," Eyler said Friday. "When you have all that food in the woods, [the deer] don't have to move around a lot. The deer are out there, but they seem to be moving more at night."
There were 22,721 antlerless white-tailed deer and 12,329 antlered white-tailed deer taken, as well as 587 antlerless sika deer and 451 antlered sika deer taken. A total of 4,169 deer were harvested on Sundays.
There was a 19 percent decline in Region A, which consists of Garrett, Allegany and western Washington counties. A reported 4,018 deer were harvested, nearly 1,000 fewer than last year. In the RegionA harvest, there were 2,533 antlered deer taken but only 1,485 antlerless deer.
Region B, which comprises the rest of the state, dropped from 36,397 to 32,070deer taken. There were 10,247antlered deer and 21,823 antlerless deer taken.
The harvest by junior hunters also fell off by 13 percent, from 3,035 last year to 2,636 (1,451 antlered and 1,185 antlerless).
"It's not been a big surprise; we've been lagging before," Eyler said. "It's not the end of the world. We'll make up for it down the road."
A two-week season for using muzzleloaders to take deer was scheduled to begin Saturday.
-- Text TERPS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun Terps sports text alerts
(c)2012 The Baltimore Sun
Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.