Lottery Date Set for Waterfowl Blind Licenses

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service recently announced the start of the state's waterfowl blind-site licensing for this coming season.

The lottery licensing is scheduled for Aug. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Broadneck High School, 1265 Green Holly Dr., Arnold. On or after Aug. 3, licensing will take place only at the Tawes Building, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis.

Applicants should arrive at the school on Aug. 2 between 7:30 and 8 a.m. to be processed. A lottery will be held at 8:30 a.m. to determine the order of applicants for processing that day.

Those arriving after 8 a.m. will not be eligible for the drawing and will have to wait until all lottery applicants have completed their selection.

Once selected, applicants will be limited to eight minutes to select their blind sites; no more than two sites per hunter may be selected per day.

According to a DNR release, a 2010-2011 or 2011-2012 Maryland resident hunting license must be presented in order to participate in the lottery drawing and licensing process (except for landowners or people with the written permission of a landowner who desire to license their own property).

All applicants must present their Maryland driver’s license or other photo identification to prove residency and that they are the individual assigned to the required hunting license.

The 2011-2012 Maryland hunting license is now available at any DNR sport license agent, online at www.wildlifelicense.com/md or by phone at 1-800-918-2870.

Landowners wishing to license their own property should bring a copy of the property information and a tax map or other legible map showing the exact location of the shoreline to be licensed.

The preview maps of shoreline licensed by riparian landowners in this area will be available on July 15 at the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis and on DNR’s website at www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife.