Welcome Sportsmen to the State of Maryland

Welcome, sportsmen, to the State of Maryland, home of the world renowned Chesapeake Bay with its thousands of miles of rivers, creeks, marshes, streams and open water. Whether your passion is hunting, fishing, boating or pursuing other outdoor activities, sportsmen agree Memories are Made in Maryland, the Land of Pleasant Living.

Imagine trolling for striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay – we call them rockfish here in Maryland, our State Fish – when suddenly a fifty pounder slams into your umbrella rig and you swear your Ugly Stick is about to break any moment.

Imagine setting up at dawn in anticipation of a flock of Canada geese, snow geese or canvasback ducks coming in with wings cupped for a heart-pounding wing shot.

Imagine hearing the ever-so-subtle rustling of leaves on the forest floor then spotting a 12-point buck coming your way as your body struggles to keep from shaking to pieces.

Imagine just cruising on the thousands of miles of rivers, creeks, marshes, streams and open water and observing the sights and sounds of nature as the sun rises and sets.

When the English Captain John Smith first discovered the Chesapeake Bay in 1608, he stated that “heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a habitat for mankind.” Almost 400 years later, Captain Smith’s observation still holds true for the sportsman, albeit the bag limits have changed somewhat.

And it is the responsibility of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation – a small group of Maryland sportsmen dedicated to upholding our traditional rights to hunt, fish and trap – to work with the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus – like-minded elected Senators and Delegates – in promoting State policies that protect these cherished rights.

Whether its securing Sunday hunting opportunities for the first time in 280 years, conserving pristine open space land for public hunting, or funding Maryland’s Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry Program through sportsmen’s license fees, the Foundation and the Caucus work hand in hand in helping to keep Maryland the paradise for sportsmen that Captain Smith first observed almost 400 years ago.

To learn more about the opportunities available to sportsmen in Maryland, please visit one of the noted websites. If you would like to financially help the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation fulfill its important mission, please send your donations to:

Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation

404 Friendship Drive
Centreville, Maryland 21617

MARYLAND AT A GLANCE-- America in Miniature

From Ocean City across the Chesapeake Bay to the Mountains of Western Maryland…Maryland’s Got It All!

In North America, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary, a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with a free connection to the open sea. It was created more than 10,000 years ago when glaciers melted and flooded the Susquehanna River Valley. Today, fresh water from land drainage measurably dilutes seawater within the Bay. The Bay watershed provides rich habitat for an abundance of life. In addition to resident species of fish and wildlife, the Bay supports a large winter population of migratory waterfowl and provides spawning, nursery and feeding grounds for ocean fish. This diversity results in 2,700 different species of plants and animals living in the Bay area.

Native Americans living along its shores gave the Bay an Algonquin name. Chesepiook, meaning “great shellfish bay” was used to signify the abundance of Bay crabs, oysters and clams. The Bay was the site of the First English settlement in Maryland and later saw the Civil War confrontation between the iron-clad Confederate Merrimac and the Union’s Monitor in 1862. Generations of watermen have made their living harvesting the bounty of the Bay, while recreational fishing, hunting and boating attract millions of people each year. Major annual seafood harvests include millions of bushels of crabs, oysters, clams and eels.

For ocean-going vessels, the Bay is navigable with two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean: north through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Cecil County, and south through the mouth of the Bay between the Virginia Capes.

The rivers, creeks and streams which flow into the Bay, the land surrounding them, and the Bay itself make up the Chesapeake watershed. Main tributaries – Susquehanna River, Potomac River, James River – contribute 80% of the Bay’s fresh water. Total tributaries: 419. Watershed area: 64,000 square miles in parts of six states – Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.