A massive flock of snow geese moves around Kent County’s coastal communities. The Snow Goose Conservation Order allows them to be taken from Feb. 10-April 10, excluding Sundays.

Reminder for the week: Snow Goose Conservation Order season provides additional hunting opportunities

DOVER – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 27-Feb. 2 made 1,713 public contacts and responded to 61 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 28 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation: Unlawful to provide a guided hunt on division lands, unlicensed hunting, hunting license forgery, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number, hunting migratory waterfowl without required state waterfowl stamp, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, and possession of unlawfully taken waterfowl.

Boating & Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets.

Public Safety: Striking an occupied dwelling with shot discharged from a firearm.

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area, unregistered motor vehicle on a state wildlife area, and criminal mischief.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters that the 2020 Snow Goose Conservation Order season to harvest snow geese will be closing for the youth waterfowl hunting day on Saturday, Feb. 8, reopening Monday, Feb. 10 through Friday, April 10, excluding Sundays.

The Snow Goose Conservation Order season allows use of unplugged shotguns and electronic calls, with no daily bag and possession limits. Legal shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Federal and state hunting regulations otherwise apply.

To participate in the Snow Goose Conservation Order season, hunters must obtain and keep in their possession while hunting snow geese a free Snow Goose Conservation Order permit number, available at https://egov.delaware.gov/htr. Individuals needing assistance in obtaining the permit number can call 302-735-3600 during business hours Monday through Friday.

Conservation Order participants are also required to have a valid Delaware hunting license or license-exempt number (LEN) or a Maryland resident hunting license (unless exempt in Maryland), a Delaware waterfowl stamp (unless exempt), and a Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. A federal waterfowl stamp is not required.

LEN and HIP numbers are available, and participants in the Conservation Order are required to report their hunting activity and success to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Wednesday, May 1, 2020, at the website above or by calling 855-DELHUNT (855-335-4868).

For more information on the Snow Goose Conservation Order, please call 302-739-9912 or visit https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.

Reminder for the week: Deer, duck, and dove hunting seasons ending

DOVER – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 20-26 made 1,177 public contacts and responded to 67 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 54 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation: Unlawful to provide a guided hunt on division lands, unlicensed hunting, hunting license forgery, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, hunting migratory waterfowl without required state waterfowl stamp, possession of unlawfully taken waterfowl, failure to check antlered deer within 24 hours, failure to purchase a hunter choice tag prior to killing an antlered deer, failure to tag antlered deer, possess/transport an unlawfully taken antlered deer, failure to tag antlerless deer, failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours, unlawful to purchase, sell, attempt to sell antlerless deer or antlerless deer parts, hunting deer with a firearm during archery season, unlawful use of dog training area*, and trespass to hunt.

Boating & Boating Safety: No boating safety certificate and no throwable preserver aboard as required for vessels 16 feet long or longer.

Public Safety: Failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season, possession, purchase, ownership, or control of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, possession of heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Other: Impede a lawful hunt, trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area, operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a state wildlife area, fictitious motor vehicle tags, driving with a suspended or revoked license, loitering, and criminal impersonation.

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters that deer, duck, and dove hunting seasons are coming to an end:

• Duck season ends Friday, Jan. 31
• Dove season ends Friday, Jan. 31
• Deer Archery and Crossbow seasons end Sunday, Feb.2
• Deer Muzzleloader season ends Sunday, Feb. 2 (archery equipment and crossbows can be used during muzzleloader season)

Although many hunting seasons are ending, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police encourage the public to report game law violations as soon as possible. Some illegal activities that should be reported include:

• The use of an artificial light to illuminate wildlife, also known as spotlighting, in any manner, including from a motor vehicle, for the purpose of hunting or observing
• Target shooting on state wildlife areas (target shooting on private property is allowed seven days a week, within the parameters of local, county, and state ordinances)
• Shots fired from or across a public road or right-of-way, or within 15 yards of a public roadway
• Carrying a loaded weapon in a vehicle or vessel in association with hunting

For more information on hunting – including hunter education, licensing, hunting and trapping seasons, limits, regulations, wildlife area information, and more, with sections devoted to deer, small game, turkey, and migratory birds – click on 2019-2020 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide. Wildlife area maps with area-specific regulations are available online at Wildlife Area Maps.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.

Reminder for the week: Be cautious when boating icy waters or walking on frozen waterways

DOVER – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To promote public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 13-19 made 1,709 public contacts and responded to 45 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 45 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation: Hunting at night, hunting illegally on a Sunday other than for deer, hunting on a refuge, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, hunting migratory waterfowl over illegal bait, unlawfully taken goose, hunting with an unplugged shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, removing antlered deer parts prior to checking, failure to tag antlerless deer, failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours, possession of unlawfully taken red fox, wildlife area map violation – not hunting in assigned waterfowl blind, no conservation access pass, and unlicensed hunting.

Public Safety: Failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana – civil, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area, camping in a state forest without a permit, possession of alcohol on a state forest, obstructing gate on state forest lands, criminal trespass 3rd, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area, loitering, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
With the cold weather, anglers, hunters, and winter outdoor enthusiasts are reminded of the potential hazards of ice and winter weather and encouraged to follow these safety tips:

• Waterfowl hunters using a boat should watch ice conditions and currents carefully to avoid becoming locked in by ice. Drifting ice in tidal marshes and waterways also can complicate rescue efforts.
• Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts should exercise extreme caution when venturing out onto ice, and should always take along someone who could provide or summon help in an emergency situation.
• Examine ice carefully before walking on it. Freshwater ice should be a minimum of 2 to 3 inches thick, clear, and solid, with no thin spots caused by springs or currents. Be wary of snow on the ice, which can hide weak spots. For ice fishing, ice should be at least 4 inches thick.
• Driving ATVs, snowmobiles, or passenger vehicles on ice is strongly discouraged. To support the weight of a vehicle, ice must be at least 7 to 10 inches thick. Without an extended period of extreme cold, ice is unlikely to reach this thickness in Delaware.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Media Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.

Reminder for the week: Save these dates for 2020!

DOVER – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police promote fish and wildlife conservation and boating and public safety through outreach, education, and law enforcement actions that increase public compliance with laws and regulations. From Jan. 6-12, officers made 1,287 public contacts and responded to 63 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources in the Community

• Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed their role and reviewed safe hunting practices, hunting laws, and what to expect when checked by an officer in the field with attendees of a Hunter Education Class held at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 37 citations involving various violations for the purposes of:

Wildlife Conservation: Setting traps without required permanent tag, failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, and trespass to hunt.

Public Safety: Possession, purchase, ownership, or control of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, operating a motor vehicle without insurance*, driving without using headlights, possession of marijuana – civil*, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area*, damaging state property on a wildlife area*, operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a state wildlife area*, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area*, operating a motor vehicle without registration in possession*, driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving with an expired license, and possession of alcohol on a state forest.

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated Michael N. Castle Trail.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind the public to save the following 2020 dates for events that promote and provide opportunities for family outdoor recreation:

Annual Youth Fishing Tournament – Saturday, June 6, 2020
National Fishing and Boating Week – June 6-14, 2020

More information will be provided closer and prior to the events.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.

Reminder for the week: Waterfowl hunters, check your gear for prohibited lead shot, ensure your boats are weather and safety ready

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Dec. 2-8 made 2,239 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 12 citations. Officers responded to 44 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. A Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Dec. 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed their role and reviewed safe hunting practices, hunting laws, and what to expect when checked by an officer in the field with attendees of a Hunter Education Class held at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

• On Dec. 4-5, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers and Wildlife Section staff responded to reports of black bear sightings in and near Wilmington, and worked with multiple agencies with the intent of capturing and relocating the bear. The bear evaded capture and appears to have left Delaware as there have been no recent documented sightings.

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

Wildlife Conservation: Possession of unlawfully taken game – antlerless deer (1), failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours (1), failure to tag antlerless deer (1), removing antlerless deer parts prior to checking (1), and trespass to hunt (1).

Fisheries Conservation: Commercial: Failure to tag oysters (1).

Public Safety: Possession, purchase, ownership, or control of a firearm, deadly weapon, or ammunition by a person prohibited (3) and failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season (1).

Other: Driving with a suspended or revoked license (1) and driving at an unreasonable speed (1).

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. The public are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or through the DENRP Tip app on a smartphone, which can be downloaded free of charge by searching “DENRP Tip” via the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app. Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
With the last 2019 regular waterfowl hunting season split opening today, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind waterfowl hunters to continue to check their hunting gear bags, coats, boats, and any other gear to make sure they are not carrying lead shot.

Non-toxic shot, as approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is required for all waterfowl hunting within the State of Delaware. There are no exceptions. For a list of currently approved non-toxic shot types visit http://flyways.us/faq/what-type-shot-approved-non-toxic-us.

Also, if you are waterfowl hunting from a boat, please ensure that you have all the required safety equipment and cold weather equipment and supplies on board.

For more information on waterfowl hunting and boating safety requirements in Delaware, click on 2019-2020 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.