DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds hunters that a variety of game species are in season from now until February, and to be aware of other hunters who may be using diverse hunting methods while pursuing different game animals. Firearm small game hunters, squirrel hunters in particular, should know that they may find themselves sharing their hunting spots with camouflaged archery deer hunters in tree stands.

All hunters also are reminded of the requirement to wear no less than a total of 400 square inches of hunter orange on their heads, chests and backs during all firearms deer seasons, with the exception of those hunting migratory birds. Deer hunters concealed inside ground-level blinds also must place 400 square inches of hunter orange within 10 feet outside of the blind and at least 3 feet off the ground.

Ongoing or upcoming deer seasons:
• Archery/crossbow – thru Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 (No Sunday deer hunting allowed during archery and crossbow season except for designated Sundays during certain firearms seasons)
• Special antlerless – thru Saturday, Dec. 17
• Handgun – Saturday, Jan. 7-Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017 (No Sunday deer hunting allowed during handgun season)
• Shotgun – Saturday, Jan. 14-Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, including Sunday, Jan. 15
• Muzzleloader – Monday, Jan. 23-Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 (No Sunday deer hunting allowed during January muzzleloader season)

Ongoing or upcoming waterfowl/migratory game bird seasons include:
• Ducks – thru Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017
• Brant – thru Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017
• Snow geese – thru Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017
• Canada geese – Friday, Dec. 16-Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017
• Snow Goose Conservation Order – Monday, Feb. 6-Friday, Feb. 10, 2017 and Monday, Feb. 13-Friday, April 7, 2017
• Youth waterfowl day – Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017
• Mourning dove – thru Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017
• Woodcock and snipe – Wednesday, Dec. 14-Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017

Snow goose season is open on youth waterfowl day Feb. 11, but hunters must follow normal season requirements, including hunting hours 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset, plugged shotguns, no electronic calls and daily bag limit of 25.

Hunters who wish to participate in the Snow Goose Conservation Order must register for a free, annual permit after Jan. 1, 2017 and report their harvest after the season closes in April.

Ongoing small game and furbearer hunting seasons include:
• Quail – thru Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017
• Gray squirrel and pheasant – thru Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017
• Rabbit, raccoon, opossum, red fox and coyote – thru Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017

Hunters are reminded to check daily bag limits and possession limits, as well as types of firearms and ammunition permitted for the game they are planning to hunt. If hunting on public lands, hunters also should review wildlife area maps and rules, including legal shooting hours and dates, specific rules for each wildlife area and any permits they may need. Wildlife area maps and rules are available at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, or online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps.

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click on 2016-2017 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk and from license agents throughout the state.

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

Vol. 46, No. 422

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Reminder for the week: Public urged to report violations of hunting and wildlife regulations through Operation Game Theft

DOVER – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Nov. 28-Dec. 4 made 804 contacts with anglers, hunters, boaters and the general public, including 50 vessel boardings for boating safety and fishing regulation compliance checks, issuing 59 citations. Officers responded to 29 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Incident of note:
• On Dec. 1, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested a commercial waterman from Lewes, for 33 counts of improperly marked commercial conch pots. During a routine check of commercial conch pot compliance in the Delaware Bay, near Lower Middle Shoal, officers located 98 pots belonging to the individual that were illegally marked. He was arraigned at Kent County Justice of the Peace Court 7 and released pending a future court appearance at Kent County Court of Common Pleas.

The following press release was issued related to this week’s citations:
• Kent County man arrested for multiple firearm hunting related and drug violations

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

Wildlife Conservation: Trespass to hunt (1), possess an illegally taken antlered deer (2), possess an illegally taken antlerless deer (2), and cut live trees or shrubs on state forest property (1).

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (1), and possession of undersized striped bass (1).
Commercial: Improperly marked conch pots (33).

Public Safety: Possession of a firearm by a person prohibited (4), possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited (3), possession of ammunition by a person prohibited (3), possession of marijuana (1), possession of drug paraphernalia (1), possession of a prescription drug not a controlled substance without a prescription (1), criminal impersonation (1), impersonate a police officer (1), forgery 2nd (1), reckless driving (1), and driving while suspended or revoked (1).

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police encourage the public to report violations of Delaware’s hunting and wildlife regulations through Operation Game Theft (OGT), a fund established in 1980 by the Delaware General Assembly to assist in the apprehension and conviction of game law violators. Funded with all fines collected for violation of game laws in Delaware and with donations from various sources, OGT provides rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons involved in game law violations. The identity of those providing information is kept confidential, and rewards are paid in cash.

Following is a list of rewards paid by Operation Game Theft for information on violations covered under the fund:

Rewards of $100 – $1,000
• Commercialization of wildlife (sale of wildlife or wildlife parts)
• Killing an endangered/threatened species
• Any violation in which a Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officer is assaulted
• Fleeing to avoid prosecution for a wildlife violation
Rewards of $100 – $500
• Illegally hunting black ducks, canvasbacks, turkeys or Canada geese
• Poisoning wildlife
• Destruction of state wildlife areas or equipment
• Gross over-limits of wildlife
• Illegally hunting waterfowl or deer on state game refuges
• Willful obstruction of lawful hunting
• Illegally hunting/trapping out of season or at night
• Hunting during license revocation
• Possession, tending or setting killer traps with a jaw spread in excess of 5 inches
Rewards up to $100
• Fraudulent use of hunting license and/or fraudulently obtaining a hunting license
• Illegally hunting with a rifle
• Dumping trash on state wildlife areas

NOTE: An additional $100 reward will be paid by the Delaware Chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone illegally killing a wild turkey in Delaware.

Operation Game Theft’s primary focus is on catching and deterring those who illegally kill wildlife species, including ducks, geese, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer and endangered or threatened species. “While poaching is broadly defined as the illegal hunting or killing of wildlife, it actually robs natural resources from the people of Delaware, especially from the majority of hunters who hunt legally and ethically,” said Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police. “With the help of Delaware citizens, we can better battle poaching to conserve our wildlife resources.”

Residents and landowners in Delaware are encouraged to report any suspicious or illegal activity that they observe as soon as possible to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at Operation Game Theft. “To report a violation, please provide all the information you can. Details that might seem insignificant often help in solving cases,” Sgt. McDerby said. “And the sooner you can get the information to us, the better the chances are that we can catch violators.”

Useful details include:
• Time, date and location of the violation observed;
• Species and numbers of wildlife involved;
• How the animal was taken and its current location, if known;
• A vehicle description and tag number; and
• Age, height, weight, hair color, clothing and any other identifying features of the violator(s), if this information can be obtained safely without contacting, confronting or attempting to restrain the violator(s).

For more information, contact Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police at 302-739-9913 during weekday business hours or call the 24-hour line at 302-739-4580.

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. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Like 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.

Media contact: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386.

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Sunday deer hunting participation and harvest increasing

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds hunters of the two remaining Sunday deer hunting opportunities for the 2016/2017 hunting season. Deer hunting participation and harvest on those Sundays open to deer hunting continue to increase statewide and on Division of Fish & Wildlife public wildlife areas open to Sunday deer hunting, according to Director David Saveikis. Hunters have registered 900 harvested deer statewide during the first three of this hunting season’s five Sunday deer hunting days.

Only deer can be hunted on the following Sundays that occur during the remaining respective deer hunting seasons:
• Dec. 11 – special antlerless season
• Jan. 15, 2017 – shotgun season

Deer can be hunted on the Sundays listed above during the regular deer hunting hours of one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset on private lands with landowner permission and on Division of Fish & Wildlife public wildlife areas open to Sunday deer hunting.

All Division of Fish & Wildlife public wildlife areas are open for Sunday deer hunting on the above dates and times, with some portions of the following wildlife areas closed to Sunday deer hunting (see maps on the Sunday deer hunting webpage):

New Castle County
• Augustine Wildlife Area, near Port Penn
• C&D Canal Conservation Area, near St. Georges

Kent County
• Little Creek Wildlife Area, east of Dover
• Ted Harvey Conservation Area, southeast of Dover
• Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area, near Felton

Sussex County
• Assawoman Wildlife Area, near Millville
• Nanticoke Wildlife Area, Seaford/Bethel area
• Milford Neck Wildlife Area, near Milford

All DNREC’s Delaware State Parks lands are CLOSED to Sunday deer hunting.

For more information on Sunday deer hunting, or to request printed copies of wildlife area maps showing areas open and closed to Sunday deer hunting, please call the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912 or visit the Sunday deer hunting webpage.

For more information on the 2016/2017 hunting seasons and Division of Fish & Wildlife-managed wildlife areas, please consult 2016-2017 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide and Delaware Wildlife Area Maps. Printed copies of the guide and maps are available at DNREC’s licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. The guide is also available from license agents throughout the state.

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

Vol. 46, No. 420

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds waterfowlers that the last of three 2016/17 seasonal segments for hunting migratory ducks in Delaware opens Friday, Dec. 9 and runs through Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017.

Other current or upcoming waterfowl seasons are:
• Canada geese: Friday, Dec. 16-Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, daily bag limit two and possession limit six;
• Brant: Saturday, Dec. 3-Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017; daily bag limit two and possession limit six;
• Snow geese: Season continues through Saturday, Feb. 4, 2016; daily bag limit 25, no possession limit; includes Ross’ geese. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with permission of refuge manager.
• Sea ducks: Monday, Nov. 21-Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 within the designated Special Sea Duck Hunt Area, located not less than 800 yards from shore between Port Mahon/Elbow Cross Navigation Light and the Delaware-Maryland line. For sea ducks harvested during the special season in the designated area, a daily bag limit of five and possession limit of 18 applies to sea ducks; this daily bag limit to include no more than four scoters, four long-tailed ducks or four eiders. Sea ducks may be harvested outside the designated area only during regular duck season dates and are part of the regular duck season bag and possession limits; those harvested within the special area during regular duck season may be in addition to limits for other ducks during regular duck season.
• Youth waterfowl hunting day – Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017

The daily bag limit of six ducks (excluding mergansers and coots) may include, in any combination, up to: four mallards, with no more than two hen mallards; one black duck; two pintails; two canvasbacks; three wood ducks; two redheads; two scaup; six teal; six shovelers; six gadwalls; six wigeons; six goldeneyes; six ring-necked ducks; six buffleheads; six ruddy ducks; one mottled duck; one fulvous whistling-duck; four scoters; four eiders; four long-tailed ducks. The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit for each species. The season on harlequin ducks remains closed.

Season dates for coots and mergansers are the same as for ducks, with a daily bag limit of 15 and possession limit of 45 for coots, and a daily bag limit of five and a possession limit of 15 for mergansers. Daily bag limit may include no more than two hooded mergansers (six in possession).

Hunters harvesting Canada geese also may take white-fronted geese, which count against the daily bag limit of two for Canada geese, allowing hunters to take up to two Canada geese, or two white-fronted geese, also known as “specklebellies,” or one of each daily.

Most state wildlife areas open for waterfowl hunting hold a lottery drawing for waterfowl blinds 1.5 hours before legal shooting time, except for Little Creek Wildlife Area, which holds its drawing two hours before legal shooting time. Hunters should plan to arrive in time to sign up for the drawing. If hunting waterfowl on a state wildlife area from a blind that was selected through a lottery, all hunters in the blind are required to carry the $20 annual blind permit, available for purchase where hunting licenses are sold. This permit is waived for hunters participating in Division of Fish & Wildlife-designated youth hunting days.

Additional information about waterfowl blind lotteries and availability at individual wildlife areas as well as rules specific to each wildlife area can be found online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps. Hard copies of these wildlife area maps are also available at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, or by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

How to get your hunting license, HIP/LEN numbers and required stamps:
Delaware residents age 16 through 64 and non-residents age 16 or older must purchase a hunting license to hunt in Delaware. A junior hunting license is required for youths age 13 through 15. Hunters age 16 and older who hunt migratory waterfowl also are required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Delaware resident hunters 65 and older are not required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Delaware hunting licenses and waterfowl stamps are sold online, at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license online, visit Delaware Licenses. For additional information on Delaware hunting licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For hunters age 16 and older, a federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp is also required to hunt waterfowl. Federal duck stamps may be purchased at U.S Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges and online at www.fws.gov/duckstamps; no exemptions are made for persons 65 years or older for purchasing federal stamps. For more information on federal stamps, call 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

Hunters who are exempt from purchasing a license must obtain an annual, free License Exempt Number (LEN). Hunters who plan to pursue migratory game birds such as ducks, geese and doves, also must obtain a HIP number as required under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Harvest Information Program. LEN and HIP numbers can be obtained through the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Hunter and Trapper Registration System (HTR). This free, easy-to-use system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To use the HTR system, please visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt. If you prefer to talk to a live customer service representative, please call 855-DELHUNT (855-335-4868).

For more information on waterfowl hunting in Delaware, click on 2016-2017 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. Printed copies of the Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide and the wildlife area maps are also available at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, or by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912. The printed guide also is available from license agents throughout the state.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife encourages hunters to bring cameras and take photos to enter 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 Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. Information and forms are available on the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s website or may be requested by calling Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9910, or email jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

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

Vol. 46, No. 419

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will host Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) public hearings on proposed changes to the interstate fishery management plans (FMP) for Atlantic menhaden at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8 in DNREC’s Lewes Facility, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958.

The Atlantic menhaden FMP hearing will be preceded by a 6 p.m. public hearing on a proposed addendum to the Jonah crab FMP. Jonah crabs are a deepwater species found in the Atlantic Ocean that sometimes venture into the lower Delaware Bay, but are very unlikely to be seen by recreational crabbers. Though Jonah crabs are a small fishery in Delaware, their claws are an increasingly popular seafood in other areas.

As the first step in the amendment process, the ASMFC is seeking input from stakeholders and other interested groups about changes observed in the fishery/resource and potential management measures. Work on Draft Amendment 3 to the Atlantic menhaden plan was initiated following review by the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board, of which Delaware is a member, and acceptance of the 2015 Stock Assessment and Peer Review report, which found the menhaden resource in good condition – neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. Population fecundity, a measure of reproductive capacity, was estimated to be roughly double the threshold value of 86.8 trillion eggs. Additionally, total fishing mortality was below the current target.

Atlantic menhaden support an important commercial fishery in Delaware due to its widespread use as bait for the commercial blue crab fishery and for the recreational fishery as the preferred bait for many important species, including striped bass.

The ASMFC’s public information document (PID) – the precursor to the forthcoming draft amendment – outlines a number of issues in the Atlantic menhaden fishery and solicits feedback on how the resource should be managed. Specifically, the PID presents a suite of tools to manage the menhaden resource using ecological reference points and provides options to allocate the resource among the states, regions and user groups. In addition to the specific issues identified, comments are welcome on all aspects of the fishery and resource, including recommendations for future management.

Changes considered under Draft Addendum II to the Jonah Crab FMP include the possibility of establishing a coastwide standard for claw harvest to address concerns regarding the equity of the current claw provision. Specific options include establishing a whole crab fishery or allowing for the harvest of claws coastwide. Also under consideration is establishing a definition of bycatch, based on a percent composition of catch, in order to minimize the expansion of a small‐scale fishery under the bycatch allowance.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the proposed changes either by attending the public hearings or providing written comment. To download the documents and for instructions on commenting, visit:
• Atlantic Menhaden: http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlMenhadenAmend3PID_PublicComment.pdf
• Jonah Crab: http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/JonahCrabAddendumII_PublicComment.pdf

Public comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 for Atlantic menhaden and 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 for Jonah crab. Comments should be sent to Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite A‐N, Arlington, VA 22201; faxed to 703-842-0741 or emailed to mware@asmfc.org.

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

Vol. 46, No. 418

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