Reminder for the week: Conservation Order allows snow goose harvest

DOVER – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Jan. 18-24 made 715 contacts with anglers, boaters, hunters and the general public, including 41 vessel boardings for boating safety and fishing regulation compliance checks. Officers responded to 37 complaints and issued 32 citations, two of which were related to the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail, where there is an increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence.

Citations issued this week by offense category included the following, with the number of charges in parentheses:

Wildlife Conservation: Unlicensed hunting (3)*, participating in an unlawful deer drive on state lands (7), possession of unlawfully taken antlered deer (2), failure to tag antlered deer (2), failure to check antlered deer within 24 hours (2), and possession of prohibited lead shot while hunting migratory waterfowl (1).

Public Safety: Possession of a firearm/ammunition by a person prohibited (7), failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season (2)*, carrying a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle (1), and possession of drug paraphernalia (1).

Driving with a suspended or revoked license (1), failure to maintain lane position (1), and leaving the scene of an accident (1). (Natural Resources Police processed the preceding charges for Delaware State Police.)

Other: Blocking state forest access gate (1).

* One citation for each of these charges was issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

NOTE: Two DNREC press releases detailing charges included in this week’s blotter were recently issued:

• Georgetown man jailed on numerous charges including possession of multiple weapons by a person prohibited
• Milford man faces charges including weapons violations in connection with illegal deer drive near Bridgeville

Are you AWARE?
DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters that the 2016 Conservation Order to harvest snow geese will open Monday, Feb. 1 and run through Friday, Feb. 5, then will reopen Monday, Feb. 8 and run through Saturday, April 9. The Conservation Order will be closed on Saturday, Feb. 6, for a special statewide youth waterfowl hunting day.

To take advantage of the Conservation Order, hunters must obtain a free Snow Goose Conservation Order permit number, which must be in their possession while pursuing snow geese. Hunters also are required to report their participation and success to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Sunday, May 1. Participants must have a valid Delaware hunting license or a Maryland resident hunting license, a 2015-16 Delaware waterfowl stamp and a Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. A federal waterfowl stamp is not required.

To obtain a Snow Goose Conservation Order permit number or HIP number, and to report participation and success, please visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt. Hunters needing assistance in obtaining a permit number should call 302-735-3600 during business hours Monday through Friday.

The Snow Goose Conservation Order allows use of unplugged shotguns and electronic calls, with no daily bag and possession limits. Legal shooting hours start a half-hour before sunrise and are extended to a half-hour after sunset. Federal and state hunting regulations otherwise apply.

Most state wildlife areas will be open to hunting during the Conservation Order beginning Monday, Feb. 1. Wildlife areas in New Castle and Sussex counties will be open on a first-come, first-served basis with no registration required, except Assawoman Wildlife Area where hunters must self-register at the Assawoman check station. In Kent County, individual sign-in will be required at Woodland Beach, Little Creek and Ted Harvey wildlife areas. Sign-in will not be required at Blackiston, Milford Neck or Norman G. Wilder wildlife areas.

To avoid conflicts with the spring 2016 wild turkey season, snow goose hunting will be prohibited on state wildlife areas after Friday, April 8. Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges are not participating in the Conservation Order. For more information, please call 302-739-9912 or visit www.fw.delaware.gov.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Media Contacts: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 27

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