Squirrel hunters have been in the woods since Sept. 5, and rabbit hunters get their turn on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is urging hunters of every experience level to give small game a try, pointing to long seasons, generous limits and animals found in nearly every corner of the state, including Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties.
The daily limit is six squirrels and four rabbits, and both seasons run through Feb. 28. The Delmarva fox squirrel is not fair game; the species remains protected while its population recovers, so hunters need to be sure of what is in their sights. DNR’s tip for squirrels is to scout for mast-producing trees such as oaks and hickories, while rabbit hunters do best along brushy, weedy field edges and hedgerows.
“Pursuing small game is a great way to introduce new hunters to the sport,” said Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer, according to the department.
Other upland species keep a longer or different calendar. DNR’s 2026-28 regulation proposals list pheasant from Nov. 7 through Feb. 28 at two a day, bobwhite quail from Nov. 7 through Jan. 15 at six a day, and ruffed grouse from Oct. 3 through Dec. 31 at two a day. The quail closure on DNR land applies east of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, so it does not cover Southern Maryland’s western-shore public areas. The fall turkey season, Oct. 31 through Nov. 8, applies only to Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties, with a limit of one bird. Local turkey hunters will have to wait for spring, a season the Chronicle covered after the numbers came in.
Where to go
Public ground is the main question for many Southern Maryland hunters, and not every well-known tract allows small game. In Charles County, Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area, about 5,190 acres near La Plata, is open for all legal game in season Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. DNR also holds a lottery-stocked pheasant hunt there each November for youth, apprentice and lapsed hunters, with leftover birds open to general hunting afterward. In St. Mary’s County, St. Mary’s River State Park has roughly 2,200 acres of general hunting where rabbit and squirrel are listed as huntable. In Calvert County, Calvert Cliffs State Park opens its hunting area to squirrels and rabbits, and hunters must sign in at the hunter parking area.
Others are narrower than their reputations. DNR’s Parkers Creek Wildlife Management Area in Calvert is deer only, and DNR’s public-lands hunting program summary limits Chapman State Park to deer and waterfowl in the Mount Aventine area and Zekiah Swamp to waterfowl blinds. County parks are no help either: Charles County says hunting and firearms are not permitted in county-operated parks. Hunters should call the Myrtle Grove office at 301-743-5161 or check the park pages for current rules before going.
Sunday hunting is where the three counties part ways. According to DNR’s hunting seasons calendar, small game may be hunted on Sundays in St. Mary’s County on private and designated public land during the normal hours, while in Calvert and Charles counties Sunday hunting is limited to private land, from half an hour before sunrise to 10:30 a.m.
Licenses and safety
Most hunters need a Maryland hunting license, and first-timers must show a Certificate of Competency in Firearms and Hunting Safety. According to DNR’s licensing page, a regular resident license for ages 16 to 64 costs $35, a junior license for those under 16 is $15 and a senior license is $5. An apprentice license ($15 for residents) lets a new hunter try the sport while supervised by a licensed Maryland resident age 18 or older, after completing the online safety course. A full-season license generally covers small game without additional stamps; the migratory bird stamp applies to doves, woodcock and waterfowl rather than squirrel and rabbit. Licenses, stamps and permits are sold through the MD Outdoors website and its new free mobile app, from licensing agents, or by calling the Licensing and Registration Service at 866-344-8889.
The safety rule most small game hunters overlook is the orange. Under DNR’s fluorescent orange requirements, anyone hunting wildlife, and anyone accompanying or assisting, must wear fluorescent orange or pink: a solid cap, a vest or jacket with at least 250 square inches of solid color on both the front and back, or a camouflage garment above the waist that is at least half orange or pink. The exemptions are specific, covering brant, coot, crow, dove, furbearers, rails, snipe, waterfowl and wild turkey, and squirrel and rabbit are not on that list. Because deer seasons overlap the small game calendar into winter, wearing orange is the safe habit regardless.
