Youth hunters, military veterans and active-duty personnel across Maryland gain access to dedicated waterfowl hunting days on Nov. 1, 2025, and Feb. 7, 2026, state officials announced. The initiative targets ducks, geese and coots on public and private lands, aiming to introduce newcomers to the state’s outdoor heritage while honoring service members. Karina Stonesifer, director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service, emphasized the program’s dual focus. “We encourage experienced waterfowl hunters to share waterfowling traditions and the legacy of conservation with youth and veteran hunters,” Stonesifer said. “The more new hunters we can immerse in our outdoor heritage, the more people will appreciate and conserve the diverse wildlife habitats that Maryland offers. At the same time we are pleased to offer this opportunity to our military veterans in appreciation for their service.”
Eligibility covers hunters 16 years old or younger, veterans as defined under section 101 of title 38, United States Code, and Armed Forces members on active duty, including National Guard and Reserves personnel excluding training status. Youth participants require accompaniment by an unarmed adult at least 21 years old or by qualifying military personnel also hunting. All must hold Maryland hunting licenses or qualify for exemptions, plus Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamps. Federal Duck Stamps apply to those 16 and older, though youth under 16 receive waivers. Adult mentors need both stamps. Hunters carry photo identification, and private land hunts demand written permission. Sundays remain closed to migratory game bird pursuits.
Bag limits mirror regular seasons with adjustments: six ducks daily, capped at four sea ducks including no more than three each of scoters, long-tailed ducks or eiders; four mallards with two hens maximum; three wood ducks; two each of black ducks, canvasbacks, redheads and scaup; three pintails; one each of fulvous tree duck, mottled duck or brant; and all other ducks filling the six-bird total. No season exists for harlequin ducks. Coots allow 15, light geese 25. Canada goose limits vary by zone: one in the Atlantic Population zone, five in the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population zone, covering Canada, cackling and white-fronted geese combined. Possession triples daily duck and coot bags. Shooting spans one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
These days align with broader 2025-2026 migratory bird frameworks, including Eastern and Western duck zones and goose hunt areas, as outlined in the Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping. Public access details appear on pages 60-63, spotlighting Wildlife Management Areas ideal for waterfowl. In Southern Maryland, options abound for participants from Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties. Cedar Point Wildlife Management Area in St. Mary’s County spans 8,400 acres along the Potomac River, featuring impoundments and tidal marshes prime for duck and goose pursuits, with designated waterfowl zones requiring no permits for youth days. Nearby, Chicamuxen Wildlife Management Area in Charles County covers 4,410 acres of mixed forest and wetland, supporting early-season goose hunts and providing boat ramps for marsh access.
Further south, Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area in Charles County offers 1,200 acres of tidal creek frontage, where hunters target sea ducks amid brackish waters, while Nanjemoy Creek Wildlife Management Area adds 3,000 acres of bottomland hardwoods and open fields along the Potomac, drawing resident geese. Calvert Cliffs State Park and Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area provide cliffside bluffs and creek inlets for blind-based hunts, with permits needed only for fixed sites during regular seasons but open freely on special days. These sites, managed under cooperative agreements, emphasize habitat diversity—from tidal flats to forested edges—that sustains migratory flocks wintering along the Chesapeake Bay flyway.
The program builds on Maryland’s deep waterfowling roots, dating to colonial eras when market gunners harvested thousands daily from the Chesapeake’s shallows. Today, regulated hunts fund conservation through stamp revenues, which since 1937 have restored over 6 million acres nationwide via the Pittman-Robertson Act. In Maryland, the Waterfowl Restoration Program offers tax credits for private wetland enhancements, bolstering habitats like those in Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge, a 1,000-acre expanse in Charles and Prince George’s counties dedicated to migratory birds and threatened species recovery. Local efforts, including Ducks Unlimited chapters in La Plata and Leonardtown, partner with landowners to plant cover crops and control invasives, ensuring flyways remain viable amid development pressures along Routes 4 and 5.
Accessing these opportunities simplifies with the MD Outdoors system, rolled out in June 2025. The platform and companion app enable online purchases, auto-renewals and digital storage of validations, replacing paper-heavy processes. Users buy licenses, stamps and report harvests via the app, available for iOS and Android, or at agents and by phone at 866-344-8889. The upgrade cuts wait times, allowing Southern Maryland residents quicker prep for hunts at spots like Indian Creek Natural Resources Management Area in Calvert County, a 2,500-acre preserve blending archery deer trails with waterfowl impoundments.
Such initiatives counter declining hunter numbers, down 20 percent statewide since 2000, by mentoring youth and veterans into the fold. In Southern Maryland, where waterfowling ties to crabbing and oystering traditions, these days foster intergenerational ties at community blinds near Solomons or Piney Point. Federal frameworks, per the 2025-2026 Migratory Bird Treaty Act seasons, endorse these youth-veteran slots to balance populations while promoting ethical practices.
For queries, contact the Wildlife and Heritage Service at 410-260-8540. Maps and full regulations reside in the hunting guide, downloadable at DNR sites.
