Just to confirm.
You must have guns unloaded and cased and can only cross the C&O canal at designated points. They are strict, they will ticket, and the fine stings. Also, if you insist on hunting on the MD side of the river, you cannot even store a backpack on shore, much less step foot on the bank while hunting. They are very serious about these rules and violating them does not bode well for hunter/non-hunter relations and future hunting privledges.