DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police concluded an investigation Nov. 28 resulting in the arrest of three Delaware men on multiple deer hunting violations that occurred Nov. 22 in Kent County.

Riley C. Slater, 20, of Harrington, Bradley A. Andrews, 18, and Patrick Blades, 20, both of Greenwood, were charged with one count each of the following: harvesting an antlered deer without first purchasing an antlered deer tag, failure to tag antlered deer, failure to retain tag on antlered deer, failure to check antlered deer within 24 hours, removing antlered deer parts prior to checking, hunting antlered deer during archery season with a weapon other than a bow and arrow, unlicensed hunting, and illegal method of take. Slater was also charged with failure to complete mandatory hunter education.

As part of the investigation, two .22 caliber rifles, a .308 caliber rifle, and an antlered deer were seized. Rifles, including the .22 caliber and the .308 caliber confiscated in this case, are illegal to use for hunting deer in Delaware.

All three men were arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover. Andrews and Blades were released on $3,600 unsecured bond, pending a future court appearance. Slater was released on a $3,800 unsecured bond, pending a future court appearance.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

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

Contact: Lt. John McDerby 302-354-1386 or Sgt. Brooke Africa 302-382-7167, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 47, No. 253

DOVER – To help successful hunters whose generosity supports DNREC’s Sportsmen Against Hunger program and provide venison for needy Delawareans, the Division of Fish & Wildlife today announced the list of private butcher shops accepting donated deer during the state’s 2017/18 deer hunting season. All donated venison will be distributed to charitable groups participating in the program.

Last year, 18,154 pounds of venison from 631 deer donated by hunters was divided among 32 food pantries and shelters statewide, providing 72,616 meals. Since it began in 1992, the Sportsmen Against Hunger program has provided over 2 million meals for Delawareans in need.

Successful hunters can take their deer directly to participating private butcher shops, or they may drop off their deer at any of the DNREC-maintained walk-in coolers listed below.

Participating Butcher Shops

Sussex County

• Dave’s Cut ‘Em Up, 6854 Delmar Road, Delmar, DE 19940
  302.381.7257

Kent County

• Miller’s Butcher Shop, 577 Morgans Choice Road, Wyoming, DE 19934
  302.697.8278
• D&J Custom Cutting, 89 Myers Drive, Hartly, DE 19953
  302.492.0323

New Castle County

• Townsend Deer Butchering, 1300 Dexter Corner Road, Townsend, DE 19734
  302.378.3268

DNREC-Maintained Coolers for Donated Deer

Sussex County

• Assawoman Wildlife Area, 37604 Mulberry Landing Road, Frankford, DE 19945
• Gumboro Community Center, 36849 Millsboro Highway, Millsboro, DE 19966
• Redden State Forest Headquarters, 18074 Redden Forest Drive, Georgetown, DE 19947
• Trap Pond State Park, 33587 Bald Cypress Lane, Laurel, DE 19956

Kent County

• Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, 4876 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna, DE 19977
• Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area, 782 Kersey Road, Viola, DE 19979
• Mosquito Control Office, 1161 Airport Road, Milford, DE 19963

New Castle County

• Augustine Wildlife Area, 303 North Congress Street, Port Penn, DE 19731

Hunters donating deer at a DNREC-maintained cooler are asked to call the phone number posted on the cooler so that the deer can be transported for processing in a timely manner. Hunters are reminded that any deer dropped off at a cooler also must be field-dressed and registered by the hunter donating it, with the registration number written on the field tag attached to the animal. Coolers are checked frequently, with donated deer taken to the Sussex Correctional Institution’s deer butchering program or to participating private butcher shops for processing.

All deer harvested in Delaware, including donated deer, must be registered through the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Hunter and Trapper Registration (HTR) system. Deer hunters are encouraged to access the system online using a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt. Those who prefer to talk to a live customer service representative can call 855-DELHUNT (855-335-4868).

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click on 2017-2018 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and from license agents statewide.

For more information on the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, please visit Sportsmen Against Hunger, or contact Bill Jones, Kent County Regional Wildlife Manager, 302-284-4795. For deer information, please contact Deer and Furbearer Biologist Emily Boyd, at 302-735-3600.

Vol. 47, No. 244

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DOVER – With shorter days ahead – especially after the Nov. 5 change from daylight savings back to Eastern standard time – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds all Delaware motorists, especially 9-to-5 workers driving home at dusk, to be alert for deer crossing roadways.

“As we’re heading home, deer are just beginning their peak movement time,” said Emily Boyd, Division of Fish & Wildlife deer biologist. “From dusk to midnight and within a few hours of sunrise are when motorists need to be especially alert and watch for deer on the road. Also, fall is mating season for deer, known as the ‘rut.’ Deer are at their most active at this time, with bucks single-mindedly pursuing does – sometimes right into the path of your car.”

National statistics show that at least half of all deer-vehicle collisions occur the last three months of the year, with the highest number of deer struck on the roadways in November. State Farm Insurance recently reported that motorists made nearly 5,600 deer/vehicle collision insurance claims in Delaware between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, compared to 4,900 during the same time period in 2015-2016. Delaware ranks 24th this year out of the 41 states included in State Farm’s report on where deer-vehicle collisions are most likely to occur; neighboring Pennsylvania ranks third. Delaware is considered a medium-risk state with a 1-in-132 chance of a collision, compared to the national average of 1 in 162. Average property damage claims in deer-vehicle collisions run $4,179.

Attentive driving is the best way to avoid deer collisions. Keep these tips in mind, as suggested by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, Delaware police agencies, auto insurance companies, and the Division of Fish & Wildlife:

• Turn your headlights on at dawn and dusk and keep your eyes on the road, scanning the sides of the road as well as what’s ahead of you.
• When there is no oncoming traffic, switch to high beams to better reflect the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.
• To reduce your risk of injury in a collision, always wear your seatbelt.
• Be especially aware of any distractions that might take your eyes off the road, even if only momentarily, such as cell phones, adjusting the radio, eating, or passenger activities.
• Watch for “Deer Crossing” signs that mark commonly-traveled areas, and be aware that deer typically cross between areas of cover, such as woods or where roads divide agricultural fields from woods.
• If you see a deer crossing the road ahead, slow down immediately and proceed with caution until you are past the crossing point. Deer usually travel in groups, so if you see one deer, there are likely to be others.
• Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten deer away. Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer, as these devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
• Do not swerve to miss a deer – brake and stay in your lane. Losing control of your vehicle, crossing into another lane, hitting an oncoming vehicle or leaving the roadway and hitting another obstacle such as a tree or a pole is likely to be much more serious than hitting a deer.
• If you hit a deer, stop at the scene, get your car off the road if possible and call police. Do not touch the animal or get too close; an injured deer may bite or kick, causing serious injury.

For more information about white-tailed deer in Delaware, contact the Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Vol. 47, No. 237

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Delaware youth waterfowl hunting day set for Oct. 21, youth deer hunting day Nov. 4  

DOVER – To promote the sport and provide additional hunting opportunities, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has designated three upcoming Saturdays as youth hunting days on both public and private lands statewide. Youth waterfowl hunting days for youth hunters ages 10 through 15 will be Oct. 21 and Feb. 10, 2018. Delaware’s annual deer hunting day for youth hunters, as well as for non-ambulatory disabled hunters, will be Nov. 4.

Youth hunters must be of sufficient physical size and strength to safely handle a firearm and must be accompanied by an adult companion age 21 or older who possesses a valid Delaware hunting license or is legally exempt from purchasing a license. Only the youth hunter may possess a firearm. Youth hunters age 13 through 15 must have completed a hunter education course, possess a certification card and purchase a Delaware junior hunting license. Youth hunters age 10 through 12 must possess a license exempt number and may take hunter education.

To hunt on state wildlife areas that require a lottery, youth hunters do not need to purchase a deer stand/waterfowl blind permit to participate in the special youth-only days, but they are required to have this permit in order to hunt during all other deer and waterfowl seasons.

New this year, registered motor vehicles used to access designated public lands owned or managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife are required to display a conservation access pass (CAP). Hunters can opt to receive one free annual vehicle pass with the purchase of each Delaware hunting license. To obtain a free CAP, or to purchase an additional pass, hunters will need to have the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned.

Delaware hunting licenses, permits, and conservation access passes are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or make a purchase online, visit Delaware Licenses. Hunters not required to purchase a hunting license may obtain their license exempt number by visiting the Hunter and Trapper Registration System website or by calling 1-855-DEL-HUNT (1-855-335-4868).

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click on 2017-2018 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk and from license agents statewide. For information on specific wildlife areas, click Delaware Wildlife Area Maps. Printed maps also are available at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife also reminds hunters of all ages to take along their cameras for a great opportunity to take photos that might be entered in the Division’s annual Delaware Hunting Photo Contest, with the winner to be published in next year’s Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. Deadline for contest entries is Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. Information and forms are available online at Fish & Wildlife photo contest or may be requested by calling Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9910, or email jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.  

Vol. 47, No. 225

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Hunting opportunities offered at many state wildlife areas

DOVER – Delaware hunters will start their 2017/18 hunting season Friday, Sept. 1 with the opening of archery and crossbow deer season, and mourning dove and resident Canada goose seasons on private lands and state wildlife areas.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife offers many early-season hunting opportunities on state wildlife areas, with details and rules for hunting on them available online at Delaware’s September hunting seasons. Hunters can start adding teal to their bag on Friday, Sept. 8 when the special September teal season opens. Gray squirrel season opens Friday, Sept. 15.

Seasons opening in September, with dates and hunting hours listed, are:

• Doves: Sept. 1-30 (½ hour before sunrise to sunset)*
• Resident Canada geese: Sept. 1-25 (½ hour before sunrise to sunset)
• Teal: Sept. 8-26 (½ hour before sunrise to sunset).
• Archery and Crossbow Deer: Sept. 1-Jan. 31, 2018
• Gray squirrel: Sept. 15-Feb. 3, 2018

* Reminder: Non-toxic shot must be used for dove hunting on state wildlife areas during the month of September.

To hunt migratory game birds in Delaware, a Delaware hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN) is required, with waterfowl hunters age 16 through 64 also required to purchase a state waterfowl (duck) stamp. Teal, dove and goose hunters also will need a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. To register for a HIP number or LEN number, hunters can call toll free 1-855-335-4868 or go to Delaware Hunter and Trapper Registration.

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

Delaware hunting licenses, state waterfowl stamps, and Conservation Access Passes can be purchased online at Delaware Licenses, at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, or from hunting license dealers statewide. For hunters age 16 and older, a federal migratory bird hunting stamp also is required to hunt teal and geese; federal stamps are available at U.S. Post Offices and online at Federal duck stamps.

For more information on hunting, click 2017-2018 2017-2018 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide and Wildlife Area Hunting Maps. Hard copies of guide and newly-updated hunting maps are also available at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office. More information on hunting licenses, season details and conservation access passes also is available by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 47, No. 193

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