The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that the 2026 lottery for State Wildlife Area Spring Turkey Season hunting permits has once again drawn the largest applicant pool since the State’s first turkey hunting lottery was held in 1991. This year, 540 permits were available to 992 hunters who applied for them ahead of the upcoming spring season.

The DNREC Wildlife Section ran the annual turkey hunting lottery Jan. 21 – making permits available for all the state’s 19 state wildlife areas and Delaware’s two National Wildlife Refuges, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook. Permits issued for these areas will cover one of four 2026 turkey season segments – with the season opening April 11 and ending on May 10.

Of the record number of applications – which came on the wings of last year’s record harvest of 801 gobblers –  869 were submitted by Delaware residents. The 123 non-residents applying for permits represented 22 states – further testimony to the First State’s growing reputation as a destination for taking a wild turkey. Of the permits awarded via the lottery, 481 permits (89.1%) went to resident hunters, with 59 permits (10.9%) going to non-resident hunters representing 14 states.

For this season’s lottery, Blackiston Wildlife Area near Clayton was the most popular turkey hunting venue selected, followed by Tappahanna Wildlife Area near Hartly, Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area near Townsend and the Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area near Petersburg in Kent County.

Permit applicants can find out from the Spring Turkey Season Hunting Permit Lottery webpage if they were selected for a 2026 permit – by checking their Delaware hunting license numbers against lottery results. Successful applicants also will be issued a permit letter by mail by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife over the next several weeks.

All first-time turkey hunters in Delaware ages 13 or older are required to successfully complete a DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife-approved turkey education course. Hunters who have completed the course receive a Turkey Harvest Report Card when they purchase their license or obtain their License Exempt Number (LEN). Any hunter who completed the course but failed to receive a Turkey Harvest Report Card should contact the DNREC Hunter Education Program at 302-735-3601 ext. 1.

Successful Delaware turkey hunters during the 2026 season are reminded that they must complete their turkey harvest report card prior to moving their bird from where it was harvested. Hunters who harvest a turkey this year must register it within 24 hours via the Digital DNREC portal or by calling 1-855-DEL-HUNT (1-855-335-4868). When registering their harvest, hunters are required to report beard and spur length for their bird, and to voluntarily provide the turkey’s weight if available.

For more information about hunting on State Wildlife Areas, wild turkey hunting in Delaware or the annual turkey hunting permit lottery, visit the de.gov/hunting webpage.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

###