Maryland First Day Hikes

The Maryland Park Service will sponsor guided hikes in 19 State Parks on New Year’s Day 2013 as part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes.

The nationwide program offers participants an opportunity to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family.

First Day Hikes in Maryland are family-friendly, easy to moderate, guided hikes led by Maryland State Park staff and volunteers.

Among the locations for First Day Hikes are:

 - Cunningham Falls, the longest cascading waterfall in Maryland
 - historic Turkey Point Lighthouse at Elk Neck State Park

 - Pocomoke River State Park on the Eastern Shore

 - Orange Trail at Cedarville State Forest

For a complete list of First Day Hikes in Maryland, including locations, difficulty, length and specific starting times, visit dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/firstdayhikes.asp

source: MD DNR

Ocean City Striped Bass Fishing Violations

In December, Maryland Natural Resource Police charged several anglers with striped bass violations in Ocean City, MD.

A number of incidents involved citations for possessing and transporting striped bass from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The EEZ waters are defined as federal waters extending form 3-200 miles offshore.

2012 Maryland Deer Season Results

According to preliminary data from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland hunters reported taking 36,088 deer during the 2012 firearm deer season.

The two-week firearm harvest included:

12,329 antlered and 22,721 antlerless white-tailed deer

451 antlered and 587 antlerless sika deer

The harvest was 13 percent lower than the 2011 firearm season, when 41,421 deer were taken. Bad weather on key hunting days and an abundance of acorns were cited by DNR as being possible factors in the reduced harvest.

In Maryland, some hunters are speculating that deer populations could be impacted by diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).