Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Weekend Event to be Held Oct. 7 to 9 at Camp Barnes

(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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DNREC to Reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park Sept. 1

Bayside Beach to Remain Closed for Shorebird Migration Through Oct. 1

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half-mile along the bay shoreline on Thursday, Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

The area to reopen includes a stretch of ocean beach and dunes that was previously closed on March 1. Since 1993, The Point has closed annually each March for the benefit of threatened and endangered beach-nesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other species.

The DNREC Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have worked together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beach-nester and migratory shorebird populations.

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983, or stop by the park office.

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 Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission to Hold Virtual Public Hearing on Horseshoe Crab Draft Addendum VIII

The public is invited to join the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) for a virtual public hearing conducted by the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8. The hearing will gather public input on the ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Draft Addendum VIII, which considers adopting the changes to the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework recommended in the 2021 ARM Framework Revision and allowing its use in setting annual bait harvest specifications for Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs.

The ASMFC, of which Delaware is a member state, initiated Draft Addendum VIII in January 2022, after it accepted the 2021 Revision of the ARM Framework and Peer Review Report for management use. The 2021 ARM revision utilizes the best-available science and includes improvements to the ARM framework’s population models for horseshoe crabs and red knots. It incorporates more sources of horseshoe crab removal data, including mortality due to the biomedical industry and commercial discards from other fisheries. The ARM framework is an ecosystem-based approach to manage the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab population to ensure enough eggs to support the migratory red knot population during their annual spring stopover.

Information about the ASMFC virtual public hearing is available from the DNREC events calendar at de.gov/dnrecevents. Or, the public may access detailed instructions to join, how to provide comments and download the Draft Addendum VIII from asmfc.org.

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

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Numerous Delaware Hunting Seasons to Open in September, Including Archery Deer, Resident Canada Goose, Teal

Above: A pair of greenwing teal. The Delaware hunting season for some waterfowl, including resident Canada geese and teal, opens in September. Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Many Hunting Opportunities Available to Public at State Wildlife Areas

Delaware hunters can start their 2022/2023 hunting season Thursday, Sept. 1 with the opening of mourning dove, archery and crossbow deer, coyote and resident Canada goose hunting seasons, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Teal season opens Saturday, Sept. 10 and gray squirrel season opens Thursday, Sept. 15.

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

Resident Canada goose: Sept. 1 thru 24 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
Dove: Sept.1 thru Oct. 3 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)*
Archery and Crossbow Deer: Sept. 1 thru Jan. 31, 2023, including Sundays (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset)
Coyote: Sept. 1 thru Feb. 28, 2023 (½- hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset)
King, Clapper and Virginia Rails, Sora, Moorhens and Gallinules: Sept. 3 thru Nov. 23 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
Common Snipe: Sept. 9 thru Nov. 26 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset)
Teal: Sept. 10 thru 28 (½-hour before sunrise to sunset, limited to the designated teal zone south of the C&D Canal to Lewes and east of Routes 13, 113/113A and 1)
Gray Squirrel: Sept. 15 thru Feb. 4, 2023 (½-hour before sunrise to ½-hour after sunset; closed during the November deer general firearm season)

*Reminder: Non-toxic shot must be used for dove hunting on state wildlife areas during the month of September; lead shot is not permitted. Hunting hours may differ at specific dove fields on certain state wildlife areas.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife offers many early season 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 posted at de.gov/sundayhunt. Additional information on September migratory bird hunting opportunities and associated rules on state wildlife areas is available online at de.gov/migratorybirdhunting.

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 teal 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 or from hunting license agents statewide. Hunters obtaining a LEN are reminded that they should create a profile at de.gov/digitaldnrec or obtain a LEN from 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 & 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.

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

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Air Permitting Training Session Scheduled for Sept. 20

Application Process and Inspections to be Covered

Business owners, consultants and others interested in learning about Delaware’s air quality permitting application process are invited to a virtual training session from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Sept. 20 hosted by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Certificates for professional development hours can be earned by participants.

The virtual session, presented by the DNREC Division of Air Quality, will focus on the permitting process, from pre-application meetings to permit issuance, and facility/site inspections. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required by DNREC close of business (4:30 p.m. EDT) Friday, Sept. 16. Registration and DNREC contact information can be found at de.gov/aqtraining.

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 Air Quality monitors and regulates all emissions to the air. 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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