A young angler shows off his catch at last year’s Youth Fishing Tournament. /DNREC photo.

Preregistration Open Now for Ages 4 to 15 to Fish at Three Ponds

Families are invited to bring their kids out to try casting a line for a big fish in three of the First State’s freshwater public ponds when the Fish and Wildlife Delaware Natural Resources Police hosts its 38th annual Youth Fishing Tournament from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, June 1, 2024. Held at Ingrams Pond in Sussex County, Akridge Scout Reservation in Kent County, and Lums Pond in New Castle County, the tournament is free of charge and will be held rain or shine. Preregistration is required by Friday, May 17.

Tournament weighmasters onsite at each pond weigh catches for participants ages 4 through 15 to determine each county’s top catch and age group titles, as well as the title of overall state winner. Trophies for the three county winners and the overall state winner will be presented at the Delaware State Fair in July.

Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Delaware Natural Resources Police, the Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament was established to introduce youth to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation. More information on the Youth Fishing Tournament can be found at de.gov/yft.

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 owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn. 

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

Renovated rifle/pistol range project and other sport shooting opportunities to be featured

Renovated shooting booths at DNREC’s Ommelanden Rifle/Pistol Range under the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Hunter Education Program

NEW CASTLE – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will hold an open house from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, July 13, to mark the official reopening of the recently-renovated rifle/pistol range at the Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, located at 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720. The family-friendly event will be held rain or shine.

With the goal of engaging hunters, shooting sports enthusiasts, and community members, the event will promote firearms safety and showcase the training center’s various sport shooting facilities. The event will feature displays from Delaware’s Hunter Education Program, as well as provide access to helpful resources on becoming a hunter or improving hunting skills. Local sporting goods and outdoor recreation vendors and food trucks also will be onsite, providing an opportunity for a day outing.

For more information, please call DNREC’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912. For general information about Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, visit Ommelanden Range.

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

Vol. 49, No. 183

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SLAUGHTER BEACH – The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife facility, will host its 10th annual Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crab Festival from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 18, to celebrate the spring arrival of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds. The center is located near Slaughter Beach at 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford, DE 19963. Admission is free. The festival will be held rain or shine, except in the case of severe weather or coastal flooding.

Visitors will enjoy fun festivities and educational activities, with food available for purchase. Youth and families attending the festival will receive an Estuary Eco-Challenge passport to be stamped as they participate in a series of Eco-Station activities. The Eco-Stations will provide visitors with opportunities to identify shorebirds, get close to live horseshoe crabs and other aquatic species, create a craft, learn about aquatic species that live in the Delaware Bay, and much more.

Visitors will have great viewing opportunities from the center’s large deck to see the interaction between horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including federally-listed threatened red knots, which depend on horseshoe crab eggs as food to help fuel their long journey from South America to their Arctic breeding grounds. DNREC’s Delaware Shorebird Project Team members will be on hand to identify the shorebirds along the shoreline surrounding the center.

Ample parking for the Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crab Festival will be available at the nearby Lacy E. Nichols Jr. Cedar Creek Boating Access Area located on Lighthouse Road, with a shuttle running to and from the center throughout the day.

Located on the edge of Mispillion Harbor at the intersection of the mouths of the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s DuPont Nature Center regularly offers a variety of interactive exhibits, school tours, and weekly educational programs. To view upcoming educational programs, visit de.gov/dnc. Spring and summer hours from May 1 through Aug. 31 are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information about the Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crab Festival, or about the DuPont Nature Center and its programs, please visit de.gov/dnc or call 302-422-1329.

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

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

Vol. 49, No. 120

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