Reminder for the week: After-hours entry to wildlife, fishing and boating areas limited

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, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between April 3-9 made 1,732 contacts with anglers, hunters, boaters and the general public, including 41 vessel boardings for boating safety, hunting and fishing regulation compliance checks, issuing 14 citations. Officers responded to 28 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On April 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers attended an event hosted by Senator Chris Coons and attended by the Namibian Ambassador H.E. Martin Anjaba at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington. The event highlighted issues of illegal international wildlife trade and poaching in Africa and included a screening of the film Warlords of Ivory, followed by a panel discussion.
• On April 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers attended a law enforcement job fair hosted by the Criminal Justice Department at the Delaware Technical College campus in Stanton.
• On April 8, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers displayed the Operation Game Theft trailer and a patrol boat and gave tracking demonstrations with K-9 River during the Ducks Unlimited Greenwing youth event at Owens Station near Greenwood.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Incidents of note:

• On April 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police cited an individual for loitering to engage or solicit another to engage in sex at Records Pond near Laurel. The individual was fined $107, including court costs and released.
• On April 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police cited an individual for loitering to engage or solicit another to engage in sex at the Garrisons Lake Boat Ramp near Dover. The individual was fined $107, including court costs and released.
• On April 8, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police cited two individuals for turkey hunting violations near Harrington. Robert W. Hawkins, 18, of Harrington, was cited for wild turkey method of take – unlawful to hunt with bait and for unlawful to hunt wild turkey without course of instruction. Hawkins was fined $684, including court costs and released. Domenick M. Skinner, 19, of New Castle, was cited for wild turkey method of take – unlawful to hunt with bait. Skinner was fined $342, including court costs, and released.
• Throughout March, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers conducted evening crime prevention operations in Kent and southern New Castle counties, targeting Division of Fish & Wildlife state wildlife areas, ponds and fishing and boating access areas in response to complaints of damaged state property, illegal drug use, littering and trespassing. Of the 26 citations issued during these operations, 22 were for trespassing after hours and four were for drug-related offenses. Citations were issued at: Woodland Beach Fishing Pier, Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area near Smyrna, Port Mahon boat ramp and fishing pier near Dover, Barkers Landing Boat Ramp near Magnolia and Milford Neck Wildlife Area and Haven Lake Boat Ramp near Milford. In addition, a woman was taken into custody by Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police at the Haven Lake Boat Ramp on an outstanding warrant for violation of probation, arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3 and transported to the Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown.

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

• Wildlife Conservation: Wild turkey method of take-unlawful to hunt with bait (2), and unlawful to hunt wild turkey without course of instruction (1).
• Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (2)*, and over the limit – freshwater trout (1).
• Public Safety: Loitering to engage or solicit another to engage in sex (2).
• Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (5), and damaging state property on a wildlife area (1)*.
  *Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

Are you AWARE?

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind visitors to division wildlife areas, fishing piers and boat launching facilities that these areas are closed to the public from sunset to sunrise unless a person is actively and lawfully engaged in fishing or hunting in accordance with state regulations and individual wildlife area rules. Anyone not meeting these requirements found in Division of Fish & Wildlife sites between sunset and sunrise faces fines up to $100 for trespassing after hours. Continuing operations are planned statewide to curb illegal activity on Fish & Wildlife properties.

For more information on individual wildlife areas, including the rules and regulations specific to each wildlife area, wildlife area visitors are encouraged to review Delaware wildlife area maps. These maps are available in hard copy at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps.

Operation Game Theft

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 de.gov/ogt.

Media Contact: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386

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