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Department of Natural Resources Police aren't sure why they're seeing a 13 percent spike in the number of reported deer hunting violations and a 27 percent rise in fishing violation complaints statewide.

Some speculate that the down economy is forcing more people to take up illegal hunting and fishing in an effort to put food on the table, but said Sgt. Art Windemuth of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, he'd have to analyze several years' worth of data before he could draw any conclusions.

In the meantime, he is being kept busy enough with the current crop of complaints and violations.

Among the 1,065 complaints of deer hunting violations tallied through Dec. 2 was a 17 percent rise in reports of hunting out of season, Windemuth said.

And, officers in the field say they are running into a lot more nighttime hunting of deer, which is illegal, he added.

Those poaching deer at night usually have purchased a license, Windemuth said, noting that the cost — $24.50 for a basic regular resident license — is minimal compared to the fines for not having one, which can run many times that amount.

Violations usually are of the types "that will put more meat in the freezer," such as poaching, he said.

Likewise, fishing violation reports rose 27 percent — to 489 — and crabbing violation reports were up 41 percent — to 551 — for the year as of Dec. 2, Windemuth said.

A breakdown of how many reports resulted in citations was not available at press time.

But with 247 sworn officers, DNR has 33 fewer men and women to handle the problem than they did last year because of budget cuts.

Whether it's tied to an uptick in hunting or not, business at gun shops is brisk, despite periodic shortages in many types of ammunition, shop owners report.

"Sales are up and ammo is still in real short supply," said Alan Rolinec, who owns the Gun Rack in Burtonsville.

All told, the number of Maryland hunting licenses issued to date appears to be on a similar pace to 2008, said Bob Beyer, associate director of Wildlife and Heritage Services for DNR. For 2009, more than 81,000 licenses were issued to residents ages 16 to 64.

The Gun Shack in Mount Airy is sold out of some popular deer hunting ammunition and would have been out of it earlier if they had not stocked extra in the spring, owner Susie Bailey said.

Shortages have run in cycles, Bailey said, but seem to be driven, in part, by customer worries about shortages.

Rolinec said the sales peaked after the election of President Barack Obama, when his shop set 20-year sales records. Still, sales have remained high despite shortages driven by demand, including for troop deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.

"The people who used to come in and buy one box are buying five or six so they will have it," Bailey said.

And many are paying more to have ammo on hand, she said.

When cheaper target rounds have been hard to come by, customers have bought more expensive "home protection" rounds, Bailey said.

While people are buying more ammo, some are not shooting as much, according to gun club officials.

Target shooting at Synepuxent Rod and Gun Club near Berlin is down one-third and membership has dropped by more than half, from 248 to 123 since last year, said the club's William H. Kelly.

Kelly says he's not seeing as many hunters in Worcester County's woods and fields either.

Although a hunter might bag a deer, putting venison on the table often means spending another $75 to have a butcher cut and wrap it, Kelly said.

The expense can be an obstacle, Kelly said, particularly for people who are losing jobs at two Perdue poultry plants that are closing in Showell and Bishopville.

"Some people can't afford to take the time from work to go hunting," said John Grainger, president of Stoney Creek Fishing and Hunting Club in Pasadena.