September Hunting Traditions Return, Topped By Opening Day of Delaware’s Dove Season

Hunters and their retrievers can get a daily double for migratory birds in their sights Sept. 1 when Delaware hunting seasons open for mourning dove and resident Canada goose. Retriever owners also should be vigilant when working their gundogs in the typically warm weather for dove season opener and ensure the dogs get plenty of cool water between retrieves. /DNREC photos

Early Season Teal and Resident Canada Goose Are
Among a Variety of Game Hunters Can Choose From


Hunter’s delight is at hand in Delaware with the September opening of numerous hunting seasons. Among them are the traditional Sept. 1 dove season opener – with many wingshooting opportunities afield, particularly on state wildlife areas, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Resident Canada goose season opens the same day as dove season, as does the first of Delaware’s deer seasons (archery and crossbow), while early teal season runs from Sept. 13-30 for both green-winged and blue-winged teal.

What follows is a summary of September migratory bird hunting opportunities on state wildlife areas, how to take advantage of them, and the regulations and procedures to be followed for hunters accessing these opportunities. A complete listing of all the state’s hunting seasons, to include daily bag limits, regulations and legal shooting hours, can be found in the 2023/’24 Delaware Hunting Guide.

New Castle County

Dove

Sunflower fields are planted on the Rocks and Daniels Tracts of the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area.  Permits to hunt these fields are issued through a noon lottery at the Cedar Swamp lottery station located on Collins Beach Road. These tracts are open to hunting on Opening Day, Labor Day, and all Saturdays in September. Hunting hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Dove hunting is prohibited in zones 2, 3, and 8 outside of the regulated dove fields, but is allowed in all other zones in accordance with all state and federal regulations from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset.

Dove hunting is also permitted on the C&D Canal Conservation Area, Augustine Wildlife Area, and Eagles Nest Wildlife Area from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset with no special permits required. Non-toxic shot is required for dove hunting on all state wildlife areas during the early season.

Resident Canada Goose

Resident Canada goose hunting is available on the C&D Canal Conservation Area, on and around Reedy Island in the Delaware River, and on the Eagles Nest Wildlife Area, with no special permits required. Hunting hours are ½-hour before sunrise to sunset. Resident Canada geese may be harvested on the Port Penn and Ashton Tracts of the Augustine Wildlife Area while hunting teal by obtaining a permit as described below.

September Teal

Duck blinds will be available on the Port Penn and Ashton Tracts of the Augustine Wildlife Area for early teal season. The blinds are available by permit only through lottery drawings held at the Augustine lottery station at the end of North Congress Street in Port Penn. Lotteries are held on opening day (Sept. 13), and weekly Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with drawings taking place 1½ hours before legal shooting time throughout the season. Note that blinds may not be grassed for the early teal season.

 Kent County

Dove

Sunflower fields are planted on the Logan Lane and Buckaloo/Morris Tracts of the Ted Harvey Conservation Area, the Main Tract of the Little Creek Wildlife Area and the Penuel Tract of the Milford Neck Wildlife Area. Permits to hunt these fields are issued through a noon lottery at the Little Creek Wildlife Area check station on Route 9/Bayside Drive just south of the town of Little Creek. These areas will be open to hunting on opening day, Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 4), Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in September. Hunting hours are from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Dove hunting is restricted to these fields only on the five tracts.

Sunflower fields open to hunters without a lottery are on the Blackiston Wildlife Area off Underwoods Corner Road and Sewell Branch Road and on the Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area off Ironmine Road, with hunting permitted from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset with no special permits required. Non-toxic shot is required for dove hunting on all state wildlife areas during the early season.

Resident Canada Goose

Resident goose hunting opportunities are available on the Blackiston and Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Areas, the Little Creek Wildlife Area’s Davey Crockett Tract, Ted Harvey Wildlife Area’s Morris and Buckaloo Tracts and Milford Neck Wildlife Area’s Penuel, Main and Rawley’s Island Tracts, with no special permits required. Hours are ½-hour before sunrise to sunset.

September Teal

Select blinds will be open at the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area for the early teal season. These blinds and will be available by permit only through a lottery at the Woodland Beach check station on Route 9. Lotteries will be held 1½-hours before legal shooting time on a daily basis. Ted Harvey Conservation Area river blinds and Roberts Tract and Island Farm Tract blinds will be issued through the Little Creek lottery station beginning 2 hours before legal shooting time on a daily basis. Note that blinds will not be grassed for the early teal season. The Little Creek Wildlife Area’s Davey Crockett Tract and Milford Neck Wildlife Area’s Penuel, Main, Rawley’s Island and Cedar Creek Tracts are open without special permits.

Sussex County

Dove

Sunflower fields and corn are planted on the Muddy Neck Tract of the Assawoman Wildlife Area on both sides of Double Bridges Road. Permits to hunt these fields are available at the Assawoman Lottery Station beginning at noon on opening day, Labor Day and all Saturdays in September. Hunting hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunflower and corn fields are planted at the Nanticoke Wildlife Area this year for dove hunting and are located on either side of the Main Road running between Old Sharptown and Phillips Landing Roads – the fields are called the George Adams Field and Dirt Pit Field. No permits or check-in are required. Nanticoke is open daily to dove hunting in accordance with all state and federal regulations from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset.

All other wildlife areas in Sussex County are open for dove hunting with no permits required and in accordance with all state and federal regulations from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset. Non-toxic shot is required for dove hunting on all state wildlife areas during the early season.

Resident Canada Goose

Resident goose hunting is available at the Assawoman Wildlife Area from a field blind on the Muddy Neck Tract south of Double Bridges Road. A hunter-facilitated drawing will occur two hours before sunrise on Mondays and Thursdays during the early season. More information can be obtained at the Assawoman Checking Station or by calling 302-539-3160 in advance of hunting days.

 September Teal

Prime Hook State Wildlife Area blinds and Prime Hook NWR blind sites will be open for the early teal season. Hunting days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Permits are free and will be issued using a hunter facilitated drawing 2½-hours before sunrise from the check station located on the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Hunting hours are ½-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. Hunters should plan to use the Foord’s Landing boat ramp within the federal refuge to access the state waterfowl blinds as the new water levels have made the state boat ramp inaccessible. Note that blinds may not be grassed for the early teal season.

No other Sussex County state wildlife areas are located within the September teal season zones.

More information about hunting in Delaware, including migratory birds, can be found at https://de.gov/hunting. More information about hunting on state wildlife areas can be found at https://de.gov/wamaps. Information about Delaware’s deer hunting seasons, which run in various incarnations from Sept. 1 through Jan. 31, 2024, can be found in the 2023-’24 hunting guide.

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 more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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


DNREC Announces Dates for ‘Small Fry Adventures’ Family Outings

One of the “Small Fry Adventures” for this youngster at DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center near Smyrna was creating a crab from a paper plate while viewing and learning about crabs, fish and other aquatic creatures found in the waters of Delaware Bay. /DNREC photo

 

Three Programs Upcoming at Aquatic Resources Education Center Near Smyrna

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control invites families with young children to come out to DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC) near Smyrna and enjoy exciting outdoors programs called “Small Fry Adventures” this summer. These events, put on by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, are geared toward giving youngsters ages 4 to 7 the opportunity to satisfy their curiosity about fish and other aquatic critters that live in the tidal salt marsh.

Kids participating with their families will have a chance to view marine life in AREC’s aquariums, make a simple craft with an aquatic theme and participate in activities to learn about some of the aquatic life found in Delaware.

“Small Fry Adventures” programs are scheduled for the following dates:

  • Tuesday, July 25
  • Tuesday, Aug. 8
  • Tuesday, Aug.15

All three programs are to take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at AREC, located at 2520 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna, DE 19977.

To ensure enough supplies are on hand for these free programs, pre-registration is required. To pre-register for Small Fry Adventures or for more information about the program and others offered by AREC, email Pearlie.Franklin@delaware.gov or call 302-735-8689.

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, InstagramTwitter or LinkedIn.

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

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DNREC to Raffle Low Number Hunting License at State Fair

A 1913 low number Delaware resident “hunter’s license.” A three-digit license will be drawn for July 27 at the Delaware State Fair from the names of hunters who are automatically entered in a raffle by purchasing their 2023/2024 Delaware resident license at the DNREC Building at the fair. /Image: DNREC archives

 

Winner’s Name to be Drawn During the Fair on Governor’s Day July 27 at DNREC Building

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has announced the state’s first low number hunting license raffle and invites Delaware resident hunters to enter the raffle automatically when buying a 2023/2024 license at the DNREC Building at the Delaware State Fair, which opens tomorrow. Eligibility in the raffle is limited to Delaware resident hunters and to be included in the raffle, hunters must purchase their licenses at the fair from opening day July 20 until noon July 27.

Hunters buying their licenses at the fair during that time will have the chance for their name to be drawn for low license number 000232. To be entered in the raffle, hunters must be Delaware residents 16 years of age or older and must have completed a hunter education course if born after Jan. 1, 1967. The winner’s name for the opportunity to own Delaware hunting license 000232 will be drawn by Governor John Carney during the afternoon of July 27, Governor’s Day at the fair. Hunters are not required to be present for the low number license drawing.

The low number hunting license to be drawn for at the fair cannot be used for the 2023/2024 hunting season, but will be activated upon the winner’s buying a 2024/2025 Delaware hunting license when they become available next year. License number 000232 will remain valid for as long as the holder renews it, an annual requirement for retaining the low number Delaware resident hunting licenses.

Delaware hunting licenses numbered between 000001-001200 are available only to Delaware residents. In the past, low number hunting licenses – which generated great interest amongst Delaware hunters as do low number license plates for First State motorists and low number surf tags for anglers auctioned off each year by the DNREC Division of Parks and recreation – were drawn by lottery, but that tradition was discontinued during the previous decade. The state fair raffle for a low number license is expected to spark interest in reviving the low number license lottery, DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Pat Emory said.

Throughout the fair’s run, the DNREC Recreational License Office will operate from the DNREC Building, selling both resident and non-resident hunting licenses, resident and non-resident fishing licenses, and Conservation Access Passes required for wildlife watching and other outdoor pursuits on DNREC’s wildlife areas. The office also will renew low number hunting licenses and trapping licenses that were purchased for previous seasons. For more information about Delaware resident hunting licenses, including license renewals, visit de.gov/huntinglicense or call the DNREC Recreational License Office at 302-739-9918.

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, InstagramTwitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Partial Closures of Little Creek Wildlife Area to Begin Aug. 1 for Main Impoundment Dike Restoration Project

View of the main impoundment on DNREC’s Little Creek Wildlife Area from the wildlife observation tower – the observation tower with its sweeping views remains open while the impoundment undergoes a dike restoration project starting Aug. 1 /DNREC photo

 

Wildlife Observation Tower to be Accessible on Weekends, Off-Hours

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that restoration work within the Little Creek Wildlife Area on the main impoundment’s exterior dike is set to begin on Aug. 1 – which will require closure of the impoundment for public use until the project’s completion, expected in early fall.

The access road to the Little Creek main impoundment off Pickering Beach Road east of Dover also is to be closed to public access for the duration of the project due to construction equipment and heavy truck traffic entering and exiting the wildlife area.

During the dike restoration project, the road leading to the Little Creek Wildlife Area’s popular observation tower also will be closed. However, that road is expected to reopen on weekdays at the end of working hours (approximately 5 p.m.) as well as on weekends – though the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife advises that construction workday hours are dependent on weather conditions. At all times, but particularly when the dike restoration project is under way, wildlife area users should drive cautiously and obey all road signage.

When completed, the dike’s restoration will enable improved water management and strengthen resiliency of the Little Creek main impoundment against damage from coastal storm events. Impoundments provide a unique and important habitat for many species of shorebirds, waterfowl, and other waterbirds. Proper water management is critical for wildlife, vegetation growth, mosquito control, and public access for outdoor recreation.

For more information about the Little Creek Wildlife Area impoundment dike restoration project, call the DNREC Wildlife Section, 302-739-9912.

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, InstagramTwitter or LinkedIn.

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

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DNREC Announces Record Wild Turkey Harvest for Delaware’s 2023 Spring Hunting Season

Among the successful hunters during Delaware’s record-setting 2023 wild turkey harvest
was Tanner Cobb. Photo courtesy of Rusty Kaiser, Tanner’s grandfather.

Public’s Help Sought on Annual Turkey Productivity Survey

Hunters reported harvesting 785 wild turkeys during Delaware’s month-long spring turkey season – which is 38% more than the total for the 2022 hunting season and a new all-time high harvest for the state, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The total easily eclipsed Delaware’s previous record harvest of 706 turkeys in 2016. The record harvest and plentiful turkey hunting opportunities to be taken advantage of in the First State are testament to the conservation success story of this important species after a restoration effort in the mid-1980s returned the iconic native gamebird to Delaware for the first time since the late 1800s.

Gobbler harvest during each week of the month-long season was similar to previous years, with 365 turkeys harvested during the first week, 149 during the second week, 129 during the third week and 109 during the last week of the season. An additional 33 turkeys were harvested during the special one-day hunting opportunity provided to youth and non-ambulatory adult hunters on the Saturday prior to the opening of the turkey hunting season. Included in this year’s harvest was the largest turkey recorded in Delaware history, weighing in at 27 pounds, 8 ounces.

Delaware allows only the harvest of turkeys with beards – almost always males – during the spring season, which is the only time of year turkeys may be hunted in Delaware, with hunters limited to one turkey per year. Despite their rarity, nine turkey hens with beards were harvested by Delaware hunters in 2023. Other season highlights included the harvest of 32 “non-typical” turkeys, consisting of gobblers with more than one beard. Of the birds sporting multiple beards, 26 had two beards, six turkeys had more than two beards, and one bird was taken with eight individual beards. The longest recorded beard was 13.5 inches, and the longest spurs on a harvested bird were 2.0625 inches on the right leg and 2” on the left leg.

The record-size (27 lbs. 8 oz) gobbler was taken on private property located in Wildlife Management Zone 4 in Kent County. As for harvest distribution, turkeys were taken by hunters this year in 17 of 18 Delaware wildlife management zones. A wild turkey harvest “hot spot” was along a corridor of management zones comprising western Kent County and Sussex County – which together accounted for 83% of the total harvest in the state. Zone 1A, which is in New Castle County north of Interstate 95/I-295, was the only zone where turkeys were not harvested.

This year, 643 turkeys were harvested on privately-owned lands and 135 on public lands (harvest location of seven turkeys is unknown). Beyond the total harvest being the highest in state history, the number of turkeys taken on public land in 2023 is also a record, which should continue drawing interest in the state’s turkey hunting opportunities managed by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. Quality hunting opportunities on public land continue to be widely available statewide and numerous hunters who seized on them were often rewarded in 2023, as evidenced by turkeys having been harvested from 19 different public land areas.

DNREC Seeks Public Participation on Turkey Productivity Survey

Since 2010, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has used an annual, volunteer-based survey to record observations of wild turkeys across the state during the months of July and August. This survey generates an index of annual turkey productivity and helps track the health and distribution of the turkey population while evaluating potential regional differences in reproductive success within Delaware. For more information about this important survey, and to obtain the sighting form, visit dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/hunting/wild-turkeys/surveys/.

2024 Spring Turkey Season Dates and Public Lands Lottery Application now Available

For hunters planning ahead, the 2024 wild turkey hunting season will open Saturday, April 13 and run through Saturday, May 11, with the special day for youth and non-ambulatory hunters set for Saturday, April 6. Hunters planning to hunt public lands should submit a public lands turkey lottery application, with information available in the 2023/2024 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide. Hunters are required to successfully complete a turkey hunter education class before hunting wild turkeys in Delaware and before applying for a permit to hunt on public lands – more information can be found at de.gov/huntersafety.

Hunting season and state wildlife area information is available in the 2023/2024 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide or by calling the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912. Information on hunting licenses and the Conservation Access Pass is available at de.gov/huntinglicense or by calling the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Recreational Licensing office at 302-739-9918.

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, InstagramTwitter or LinkedIn.

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

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