Maryland may be a small state, but it boasts a wide variety of topography within its borders and an impressive diversity of wildlife, especially considering its location along the heavily populated eastern corridor of the United States. In eastern Maryland, you’ll find sand dunes and sea grass as well as salt marshes and cypress along the wildlife-rich Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Farther west are gently rolling hills and oak forests, which give way to pine groves and mountains as high as 3,360 feet in western Maryland near the border with West Virginia, where you can also find the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River. Maryland is probably best known for its tremendous waterfowl hunting. The rich history and tradition of duck and goose hunting in the Chesapeake Bay, and along the many waterways and marshes that feed it, infuses the hunting culture of the region. Twenty-five different waterfowl species are available to hunt in Maryland, and excellent waterfowl outfitters are found statewide. With a population of more than 200,000 whitetails, Maryland is also a great deer-hunting destination. In fact, several record-book whitetails have been taken in recent years. The mountainous areas of western Maryland have traditionally been the deer-hunting hotspots, and still lead the way in terms of numbers, but many of the largest bucks have been taken in the coastal areas in recent years. Harvest quotas are liberal, with most hunters allowed to take two bucks and several does. Licenses are available over the counter and there is a large amount of public land in the state. Western Maryland is home to a thriving population of black bears, offering hunters a chance to hunt Maryland's largest game animal in Garrett and Allegany counties. Bear licenses are available through a lottery. Learn more about hunting in Maryland at http://dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/Pages/default.aspx.