A Northern pintail drake, a duck also known to wildlife watchers and hunters as a “bull sprig” for its graceful and powerful flight. Delaware’s first season split for duck hunting runs from Oct. 21 to 29. /USFWS photo

Youth Waterfowl Hunt to Occur Oct. 15; Hunters Reminded That Deer Hunting is Allowed on All Sundays Through Jan. 31, 2023

Additional Delaware hunting seasons are set to open in October, including various deer firearm seasons, duck, snow goose and other migratory game birds – as well as the one-day youth-only waterfowl hunt on Saturday, Oct. 15, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Deer hunting is allowed on all Sundays through Jan. 31, 2023, using only those hunting methods legal for the respective established deer hunting seasons, with additional information available at de.gov/sundayhunt.

Hunting season dates and hunting hours for seasons opening in October:

• Snow goose: Oct. 1 through Jan. 31, 2023; Feb. 4, 2023 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Antlerless deer: Oct. 1 through 2, 17, 21 through 24 and 28 through 31, including Sundays (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset)
• Muzzleloader deer: Oct. 7 through 16, including Sundays (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset)
• Youth Waterfowl Hunt: Oct. 15 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Ducks, coots and mergansers: first season split Oct. 21 through Oct. 29 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)

Continuing hunting seasons include:

• Mourning dove: through Oct. 3 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Moorhen, gallinule, sora, Virginia rail, king rail and clapper rail: through Nov. 23 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Common snipe: through Nov. 26 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Archery and crossbow deer: through Jan. 31, 2023, including all Sundays (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset
• Gray squirrel: through Feb. 4, 2023 (½-hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset; closed during the November deer general firearm season)
• Coyote: through Feb. 28, 2023 (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset)
• Crows: through March 25, 2023, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Groundhog: through June 30, 2023 (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset)

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife offers many hunting opportunities on state wildlife areas. Wildlife area maps and rules are available at de.gov/wamaps, with information specific to Sunday deer hunting on state wildlife areas available at de.gov/sundayhunt.

A Delaware hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN) is required to hunt, and most waterfowl hunters are required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl (duck) stamp and a Federal Duck Stamp. Dove, goose and duck hunters also need a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, which can be obtained online at de.gov/digitaldnrec or by calling toll free 1-855-DEL-HUNT (1-855-335-4868). When using the online DNREC permitting system, hunters should either create a profile or use the “Quick Hunting Registration” option.

Registered motor vehicles used to access designated wildlife areas owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife are required to have and display a Conservation Access Pass (CAP). Hunters can opt to receive one free annual CAP with the purchase of any Delaware hunting license. To obtain a CAP, hunters will need the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned.

Delaware hunting licenses, Delaware waterfowl stamps and Conservation Access Passes can be purchased online at de.gov/digitaldnrec, at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901 or from hunting license agents statewide. Hunters obtaining a LEN are reminded that they should create a profile using the de.gov/digitaldnrec portal or obtain a LEN at a hunting license agent if they have not already done so. Federal Duck Stamps are available for purchase at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges and online at 2022/2023 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.

More information on hunting seasons and wildlife areas is available in the 2022/2023 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide at de.gov/hunting. More information on hunting licenses, the state waterfowl stamp and the Conservation Access Pass is available at de.gov/huntinglicense.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Richard Clifton, a wildlife artist from the Milford area, won the Delaware waterfowl stamp contest for the 10^th time with his painting of a wood duck in bottomland swamp. /DNREC photo

Two accomplished artists have again won top honors in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp art contests, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Best in Show in the DNREC-sponsored contests went to a painting of a wood duck in bottomland swamp by Richard Clifton of Milford, Del., which will grace the 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, and to a painting of a brown trout by Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., to be featured on the 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp.

The annual stamp art competition drew 13 entries for the 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and 12 entries for the 2023 Trout Stamp. The Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that submitted artwork must include the motif of a wood duck in bottomland swamp. Trout Stamp artwork entries could depict a rainbow, brown or brook trout.

As the 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp winner, Clifton receives a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of his first-place entry. Clifton, who resides on an historic family farm in the Milford area near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, is an avid hunter and self-taught wildlife artist who works in acrylics, with waterfowl among his favorite subjects. He has painted 53 winning duck/waterfowl stamps, including 10 Delaware Waterfowl Stamps, the 1996 Australian Duck Stamp, and the 2007/08 and 2021/22 Federal Duck Stamps. Clifton’s work has appeared on magazine covers, a commemorative beer stein, engraved on shotguns for Ducks Unlimited, which named him 2018 International Artist of the Year, and has been displayed at top wildlife art shows throughout the country, including the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition and the Easton Waterfowl Festival.

As the 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp winner, Klinefelter receives a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp artwork. Klinefelter, a graduate of Indiana University’s Herron School of Art, has painted professionally for more than 20 years, and has won numerous stamp art contests – including three Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Art contests and seven Delaware Trout Stamp Art contests. Klinefelter also received an honorable mention in the 2023 state trout stamp contest for his painting of a brown and rainbow trout, and an honorable mention in the 2023/24 waterfowl stamp contest.

Other winners were:

• 2023/24 Waterfowl Stamp – Second place: Guy Crittenden, Richmond, Va.; Third place: Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wisc.; honorable mentions: Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind.; Frank Dolphens, Jr., Omaha, Neb.; and Jonathan Milo, Monroe, Conn.
• 2023 Trout Stamp – Second place: Dennis Arp, Box Elder, S.D., rainbow trout; Third place: Tory Farris, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, brown trout; honorable mentions: Tory Farris, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, rainbow trout; David Weaver, Gettysburg, Pa., brook trout; and Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind., brown and rainbow trout.

Artwork in each contest was judged by a different set of five judges, with each judge separately evaluating and scoring the respective contest artwork in person.

The winning 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2023, and the winning 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available for purchase Jan. 1, 2023.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3.6 million has been raised. A Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and hunting license are required for most waterfowl hunters.

Delaware began requiring trout stamps for anglers in the 1950s, and a Delaware Trout Stamp and a general fishing license are required for most anglers to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Funds from the sale of the stamps are used to purchase trout to stock in select streams in northern New Castle County and in two downstate ponds.

Delaware hunting and fishing licenses along with state waterfowl and trout stamps are sold online through the DNREC e-permitting system and by license agents statewide. Agents who sell hunting licenses also sell state waterfowl stamps that are required in addition to a license for hunting ducks and geese in Delaware. Agents who sell fishing licenses also sell trout stamps required in addition to a license to fish for trout in Delaware.

To learn more about Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest, visit de.gov/waterfowlstamp. More information about the Trout Stamp contest can be found at de.gov/troutstamp.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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A Delmarva fox squirrel at the Assawoman Wildlife Area wearing a telemetry collar for remote tracking /DNREC photo

Gray Squirrel Hunting Season to Open Sept. 15

With the opening of gray squirrel hunting season on Sept. 15, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds Delaware hunters to be vigilant and not to harvest state-endangered Delmarva fox squirrels. Delmarva fox squirrel populations are found in Sussex County at and near the Nanticoke Wildlife Area, Assawoman Wildlife Area, Trap Pond State Park, Redden State Forest and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

Hunting for and harvesting of Delmarva fox squirrels is prohibited. It is important that hunters note the differences between the fox squirrel and the more commonly-seen eastern gray squirrel. Delmarva fox squirrels are much larger than gray squirrels and have lighter silver-gray fur with little to no brown, longer, fuller tails and short, rounded ears compared to gray squirrels.

Delmarva fox squirrels remain rare in Delaware, with the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife working to reestablish the species by relocating Delmarva fox squirrels from robust populations in Maryland to suitable habitat in Delaware.

More information about Delmarva fox squirrels, including photographs comparing Delmarva fox squirrels and eastern gray squirrels, and answers to frequently asked questions, can be found at de.gov/foxsquirrel.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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The White Clay Fly Fishers Club has partnered with the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife to offer an introduction to fly fishing with free three-hour lessons on Saturday, Sept. 24 and Saturday, Sept. 31 at DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center, 2520 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna. /Submitted photo

Advanced Registration Required

Anglers interested in learning about and gaining skills in the increasingly popular sport of fly fishing are encouraged to register for free, introductory fly-fishing lessons, hosted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has teamed up with experienced anglers from the White Clay Fly Fishers Club who will be on site to provide instruction.

The two-part course for individuals 16 years of age and older will be presented in two three-hour Saturday sessions on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Aquatic Resources Education Center, 2520 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna, DE, 19977.

This course is offered free of charge to all participants, with advanced registration required at de.gov/arec. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fly rod, but instructors will also have loaner equipment available for program participants to use during the course.

Most individuals 16 years of age and older who participate in this program must have a current Delaware fishing license. License-exempt anglers, including Delaware residents 65 and older, must obtain a free FIN number to fish. Delaware recreational fishing licenses are sold and free FIN numbers are available online at de.gov/fishinglicense and from authorized license agents statewide as listed online.

Information on fishing in Delaware can be found in the 2022 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide is also available in a printed form from authorized license agents throughout the state.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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(Delaware’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program offers a wide range of hands-on courses for learning outdoor sports and activities. DNREC photos)

Wide Range of Courses From Archery to Wildlife Trapping; Registration Deadline is Sept. 23

Delaware’s 2022 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program is set for the weekend of Oct. 7 to 9 at Camp Barnes near Frankford, with a pre-registration deadline of Friday, Sept. 23, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The 2022 event marks the 23rd year that Delaware has hosted the program sponsored by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.

BOW offers a variety of 3.5-hour courses taught by DNREC staff and volunteer instructors, who share their expertise and provide instruction in a safe, supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. The cost of participating in the full BOW weekend is $215, which includes meals, lodging, instruction in and use of necessary equipment and supplies.

Participants can choose from a wide range of hands-on courses. This year’s BOW offerings include Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing, Build Your Own Bluebird Boxes, Coastal Forest Habitat Hike, What’s That Bug?!, Oyster Shucking and Cooking, Intro to Archery, Wetland Wonders Workshop, Intro to Birding, Kayaking, Cooking Your Catch (fish preparation and cooking), DIY Survival Bracelets, and Intro to Wildlife Trapping.

A specialty course this year at BOW is a mentored crossbow deer hunt, limited to six participants. The course involves learning how to safely use a crossbow and taking part in the mentored deer hunt at nearby Assawoman Wildlife Area. Participants in the hunt are required to have a Delaware hunting license and hunter education certification prior to the event. Each hunter will be partnered with a mentor during the managed hunt.

BOW registrations must be received by Friday, Sept. 23. More information about Delaware BOW weekend and including online registration, can be found at de.gov/bow.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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