A mother and son enjoy a successful “Take A Kid Fishing!” outing at Dover’s Silver Lake. /DNREC photo

Full Schedule of Fun Fishing Adventures Ahead for Young Anglers

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control invites budding anglers ages 6 through 15 along with their parents, grandparents or guardians to join DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife aquatic resource educators and learn how to fish at an upcoming “Take a Kid Fishing!” event.

“Take a Kid Fishing!” outings are offered by DNREC from spring into summer, primarily at the DNREC Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC) near Smyrna but also at other locations throughout the state. The events are free of charge to all participants. All fishing equipment also is provided at no charge for use at the events. To ensure that enough supplies are on hand for each Take-A-Kid Fishing! adventure, preregistration is required at de.gov/takf.

Take A Kid Fishing! events will be held as follows throughout spring and summer:

• Tuesday, April 22, 9 a.m. to noon, AREC, Smyrna
• Thursday, April 24, Noon to 3 p.m., AREC, Smyrna
• Thursday, May 29, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Silver Lake Park, Dover
• Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. to noon, AREC, Smyrna
• Thursday, June 12, 9 a.m. to noon, AREC, Smyrna
• Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. to noon, AREC, Smyrna
• Thursday, June 26, 5-7:30 p.m., AREC, Smyrna
• Sunday, June 29, 9 a.m.-noon, Bellevue State Park, Wilmington
• Thursday, July 10, 9 a.m.-noon, AREC, Smyrna
• Thursday, July 17, 5-7:30 p.m., AREC, Smyrna
• Saturday, July 19, 9 a.m.-noon, Lums Pond State Park, Bear
• Thursday, July 24, 5-7:30 p.m., Silver Lake Park, Dover
• Saturday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m.-noon, AREC, Smyrna

“Take a Kid Fishing!” teaches young anglers fundamental fishing skills and conservation concepts, including catch-and-release. Along with the angling experience, the free fishing events also feature activity stations and prizes. Parents, grandparents and guardians are encouraged to pack refreshments and a picnic lunch when taking part in in a Take A Kid Fishing! event.

Individuals 16 years of age and older who accompany “Take a Kid Fishing!” participants and engage in fishing themselves must have a current Delaware fishing license and a Delaware Fisherman Information Network (FIN) number. Delaware recreational fishing licenses are sold online and by license agents statewide. License-exempt anglers, including Delaware residents 65 and older, may obtain a free FIN number online or from a license agent where recreational fishing licenses are sold. Online services available at DigitalDNREC include fishing license sales, FIN number access, and a list of participating license agents. Young people under age 16 are exempt from license and FIN requirements.

More information for anglers young and older, including the 2025 Delaware Fishing Guide, can be found on the DNREC website. The guide is also available in 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 more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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DuPont Nature Center offers visitors a closeup look at the center’s resident diamondback terrapin. These turtles are at risk from pollution by ingesting potentially harmful microplastics, habitat loss and as bycatch by recreational anglers and crabbers. /DNREC Photo

Visitors to the DuPont Nature Center near Milford are invited to celebrate Earth Month by attending special programs in April while enjoying the views of Mispillion Harbor and learning more about the Delaware River and Bay. A facility of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the center will host three public events for Earth Month free of charge, with no registration required:

• Earth Day Slaughter Beach Cleanup, Tuesday, April 22 (Earth Day), 10 a.m. The DuPont Nature Center will host its annual Earth Day Cleanup at Slaughter Beach, encouraging volunteers to walk the beach and help our environment. The cleanup will start at the Slaughter Beach Pavilion, 359 Bay Avenue, Milford. Trash bags, gloves, and a limited amount of trash pickers will be available.

• Delaware Wildlife Action Plan, Wednesday, April 23, 4 p.m. In honor of Earth Month, DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Environmental Program Manager Anthony Gonzon will present a lecture on the Delaware Wildlife Action Plan. This plan plays a critical role in our understanding of, and protection for our state’s threatened and endangered species, and the work DNREC does to support them.

• Storybook Saturday, Saturday, April 26, 11 a.m. Bring the kids for a special Earth-Day themed Storybook Saturday program at the center. Participants will enjoy reading a fun book that connects to the importance of protecting our planet and then making a craft with recycled materials.

For more information about these programs, or the DuPont Nature Center, call 302-422-1329. To join DNREC in celebrating Earth Day throughout the month of April, visit de.gov/earthday.

Located east of Milford near Slaughter Beach and operated by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, the DuPont Nature Center overlooks Mispillion Harbor, where the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek meet to flow out into the Delaware Bay. Open April through September, the center offers field trips, tours and other educational programs and events for schools, community groups, families and the general public. The surrounding estuary habitat includes more than 130 species of birds, fish, shellfish, and other animals, including horseshoe crabs and shorebirds.

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 Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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Kimberly Pokoiski bagged a Delaware gobbler during a previous turkey season – this year’s season runs from April 12-May 10 /Photo by Paul Skibicki

Hunters Who Bag a Gobbler Will now Record Data Online or by Phone Rather Than at Check Stations as in Past Years

When Delaware’s 2025 spring wild turkey season opens with a special two-day hunt Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 for youth and non-ambulatory hunters, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will be launching a new registration system for hunters who harvest gobblers in the First State. Additionally, turkey hunting will be allowed on Sundays for the first time since the season was opened in 1991.

Sunday turkey hunting is allowed on private lands with landowner permission and on State Wildlife Areas. Hunting on Sunday is not permitted on State Forests or Delaware’s National Wildlife Refuge complex, Bombay Hook NWR and Prime Hook NWR. Turkey hunters should note that the annual Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide indicates the special hunt for youth and non-ambulatory adult hunters is only open on Saturday, April 5 but as the special hunt covers two days, it will also be open Sunday, April 6 on private lands, with landowner permission, and on State Wildlife Areas open to turkey hunting.

Youth participating in the two-day hunt must be 10 to 15 years old and accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware-approved turkey hunter safety class and who possesses a Delaware hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN). Accompanying adults may not hunt during the special youth-day hunt. Regular-season turkey hunters under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult of 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware-approved turkey hunter safety class and who possesses a Delaware hunting license or LEN. Non-ambulatory hunters who participate in the special two-day hunt must use a wheelchair for mobility.

The regular turkey season runs from April 12 through May 10, and over the course of it, hunters for the first time will register their turkeys online through the Digital DNREC app, or by calling 855-DEL-HUNT (855-335-4868), rather than taking their harvest to traditional check stations throughout the state. “We want to express our gratitude to all of the shops and private businesses that helped us with the registration process over the years since Delaware’s first turkey hunting season in 1991, and got us to the point where we were able to modernize the check-in process,” said DNREC Wildlife Section Administrator Joe Rogerson.

The new process, also to be deployed for the special youth and non-ambulatory hunter day, is identical to that for hunters registering white-tailed deer in Delaware, Rogerson said: “Online registration has proven to be more efficient with deer and will enable faster data recording with turkeys, too, giving hunters more time to tell their friends and family of how they achieved the most challenging of outdoor recreation successes in Delaware – bagging a big gobbler.”

Hunters can register their turkey after logging into their Digital DNREC account – or may expedite recording their information by clicking the Quick Hunting Registration link at the Digital DNREC app.

Additionally, Delaware turkey hunters are reminded that the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has implemented new turkey harvest reporting procedures for the 2025 season. Hunters are now required to complete their turkey harvest report card prior to moving their bird from the location where it was harvested. Further change requires all first-time turkey hunters in Delaware age 13 or older to successfully complete a DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife-approved turkey education course. Hunters who have completed the course receive the turkey harvest report card when purchasing their license or obtaining their License Exempt Number (LEN). Any hunters who took the turkey education course but did not receive a turkey harvest report card when obtaining a license or LEN are asked to contact the DNREC Hunter Education Office at 302-735-3600 ext. 1. For more information about turkey hunting and the registration procedures, hunters should refer to the Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide.

Record numbers of turkey hunters are expected to pursue Delaware gobblers this year after an all-time high of 834 valid turkey hunting applications were submitted for the 2025 spring turkey hunting permit lottery – with another high of 544 permits available to hunters for the upcoming season. For more information about hunting on State Wildlife Areas, wild turkey hunting in Delaware or the annual turkey hunting permit lottery, visit de.gov/hunting.

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 Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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Open April through September, the DuPont Nature Center draws visitors to enjoy views of the Mispillion Harbor and its wildlife. /DNREC Photo

Division of Fish and Wildlife Facility Offers New Educational Exhibits
and Commanding Views of the Mispillion Harbor

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will welcome visitors to the DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve when the center reopens for the 2025 season Wednesday, April 2. The DNREC facility managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following days:

• April: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only
• May through August: Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, closed on Sundays and Mondays
• September: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only (The center is closed from October through March.)

In the spring, the DuPont Nature Center’s large deck overlooking the harbor offers wildlife watchers an unparalleled view of the spectacle of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including federally listed threatened red knots that depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey to the Arctic. More information on horseshoe crab and shorebird viewing is available from the DuPont Nature Center at de.gov/dnc.

Inside the center, visitors will find exhibits that describe the environmental and historical importance of the Mispillion Harbor and view saltwater tanks showcasing a diversity of aquatic species. This year, the center will be showing off brand new exhibits to engage visitors, helping guests connect even closer with our local aquatic species. Along with educational exhibits, the center hosts a variety of programs that focus on the Delaware Bay ecosystem and the wildlife that can be found there.

The center also offers live views of nesting osprey and wildlife visiting the area through its osprey cam and Mispillion Harbor cam. Both live cams can be viewed at de.gov/dnc.

DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center is located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. Admission to the center is free and open to the public. For general information about the center, call 302-422-1329 or visit de.gov/dnc. For inquiries about the center’s programs and operations, email patrick.ruhl@delaware.gov or call 302-422-1329.

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 Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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The ASMFC’s Horseshoe Crab Management Plan is to be discussed at a March 27 public meeting /US Fish and Wildlife Service photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, through the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, will host a public meeting on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) horseshoe crab management plan Thursday, March 27. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center, 3018 Bayside Drive, Dover, DE 19901. Information about attending the meeting virtually can be found on the ASMFC website.

The ASMFC seeks public input on proposed changes to the plan that would allow the ASMFC Management Board to set specifications for male-only harvest of horseshoe crabs for multiple years. Also to be discussed are options for managing male-only harvest limits, seasonal harvest restrictions, and horseshoe crab harvest caps for Maryland and Virginia.

The proposed changes came out of an ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Management Objectives workshop in Lewes last year that brought together stakeholders – including commercial harvesters, conservationists, biomedical representatives, and fishery managers – to explore management objectives for the Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crab fishery.

For more information about the public meeting, call the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

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 Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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