Meade Natural Heritage Association
Meade Natural Heritage Association (MNHA) partners with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to provide the public with high-quality outdoor recreational experiences at the Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR). MNHA manages hunting activities on the PRR to assist with the management of wildlife in accordance with the PRR Hunting Plan. Our unique partnership increases and improves hunting access and opportunities with an emphasis on under-represented groups including women, minority, youth, disabled, and veteran hunters.
The Latest News
PERMIT SALES! Permits go on sale on Saturday, August 3 at 9:00AM. We will be open every Saturday in August from 9-3. Buy your permit and head out to do a little scouting (scouting hours are 9-3). Applications are available on the Hunting Permits page. Fill them out before you come to the HCS and save your time for some scouting.
Youth Permits: Youth Permits are FREE with a paying parent/guardian. Part of our mission is to encourage young people to get into hunting so we made it easy for mom and dad to bring the whole family hunting. See the guidelines for details about youth hunters.
2024-2025 Guidelines. The 2024-2025 Guidelines are posted on the Hunting Guidelines page. We reorganized the guidelines so please read them carefully. We recommend downloading a copy to your phone so you can reference it in the field.
2024-2025 Deer Bag Limits. This year we have increased the bag limit to 2 antlered and 2 antlerless deer. See the guidelines for details.
2024-2025 Refuge Maps. Refuge maps are available on the Hunting Maps page. We will not be providing paper maps at the HCS. We recommend downloading a copy to your phone so you can reference it in the field.
Get your antler trophy added to Maryland's official record. On August 10, Bucks, Bears, and Stags - our first official Sponsor - will be at the HCS to measure your trophy. $25 / adult; $10 / youth. For details visit https://www.bucks-bears-stags.com.
Did you know that Patuxent Research Refuge is the largest public hunting area in Maryland's Central and Southern regions? Come check it out. Permit sales begin in August. If you're new to the PRR, check out this website and visit us in August. If you already hunt here, invite a friend to join. We hope to see you this Fall.
Next Maintenance day is Saturday July20. Please contact VolunteerCoordinator@mnha.net if you can help out.
MNHA Member Range Days. Keep your shooting skills sharp. Next range day is July 21. See the Membership Range Days for dates and details.
Equipment Safety Check. August is a great time to do a safety check of your equipment and make sure everything is in working order. Don’t wait until you’re in the woods at 0-dawn hundred to find out that your safety harness is worn out.
Spring Turkey. It was a great turkey season with 23 birds harvested. Check out the Turkey Trophy Case for pictures of these awesome birds. And don't forget to check out the Deer Trophy Case for pictures of some of the deer harvested this past season.
Volunteers Needed. We want your help to maintain and improve the refuge hunting habitat. Every third Saturday of the month (non-hunting season included) we help maintain the grounds of the refuge. This is a great opportunity to give back to the PRR and the MNHA hunting community, meet fellow hunters, and peek around to see what the animals are doing. Read more on the Volunteer Opportunities page or contact us at VolunteerCoordinator@mnha.net. If you can help, we created a SignUp Genius list available here. Please sign up electronically so we know who is coming.
End of year survey. Thank you for your feedback. We will provide a summary of survey results in the near future.
Non-Lead Ammunition. By fall of 2026, FWS will phase out use of lead ammunition for ALL hunting on the refuge (deer included). Check out our Non-Lead Ammunition page for information about why it's a good idea to switch now!
Reive's Pond Safety Alert. Reive's pond is located in area P near the intersection of South and Kingfisher Roads. Waterfowl hunting is prohibited. It is open for fishing except during muzzleloader and firearms seasons. Fishing persons are reminded that they should wear orange. Hunters please be cautious and give yourself extra room for safety.
Some quick facts about this season:
Species Visits Harvested Game
Deer 2662 95 (55 bucks, 40 does)
Waterfowl 575 226 (83 geese, 143 ducks)
Doves 3 5
Small Game 20 48 (45 squirrels, 3 rabbits)
Turkey 72 23
We'll post more statistics after we analyze the data (summer time).
Not receiving our emails? Please check your junk mail folder. If you don't see it there, send an email to VicePresident@mnha.net. We'll verify your email address and add you to the list.
Please visit and thank our sponsors!
MNHA Hunting Control Center
200 Bald Eagle Drive
Laurel, MD 20724
301-317-3819
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