DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Jan. 27- Feb. 2

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.


DNREC reminds hunters to take advantage of Youth Waterfowl Day Feb. 10 and the Snow Goose Conservation Order starting Feb. 12

DOVER – To promote and provide additional hunting opportunities for youth hunters, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has designated Saturday, Feb. 10 as the second of two special youth waterfowl hunting days for ages 10 to 15 to be held on both public and private lands.

Youth hunters must be of sufficient physical size and strength to safely handle a firearm, and must be accompanied by a licensed or license-exempt adult hunter age 21 or older who cannot possess a firearm during the youth hunt. Youth hunters age 13 through 15 must have completed a hunter education course, obtained a Hunter Ed certification card, and purchased a Delaware junior hunting license. Youth hunters age 10 through 12 must possess a license-exempt number (LEN) and may have taken hunter education but are not required at these younger ages. No state or federal waterfowl stamps are required for youth hunters. Normal daily waterfowl bag limits and hunting regulations apply and youth hunters also are permitted to harvest snow geese and two Canada geese during the special waterfowl hunting day.

On state wildlife areas, a lottery drawing for waterfowl blinds will be held 1.5 hours before legal shooting time at Augustine, Cedar Swamp, Woodland Beach, Ted Harvey and Assawoman, and two hours before legal shooting time at Little Creek Wildlife Area. Hunters should plan to arrive in time to sign up for the drawing. All other state wildlife areas that do not have lotteries but that allow waterfowl hunting are also open on the youth day. Hunters and those who will accompany them also should check each wildlife area’s rules before hunting.

Following the youth waterfowl hunt, the Division of Fish & Wildlife is again implementing an annual Snow Goose Conservation Order, which began in 2009 as part of an Atlantic Flyway-wide effort to reduce the population of greater snow geese. Snow goose numbers have reached levels that are causing extensive damage to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, as well as, defoliation and degradation to wetlands and agricultural areas where the birds overwinter in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Delaware. The state’s 2018 Conservation Order to harvest snow geese will open Monday, Feb. 12 and run through Friday, April 13.

The Conservation Order is a separate season open only for snow geese and occurs after Delaware’s regular waterfowl hunting seasons close. It was created with the intent of using hunting as a game management tool to reduce and stabilize the greater snow goose population. Last year, an estimated 6,454 snow geese were harvested by more than 863 hunters who participated in the Conservation Order in Delaware.

During the Conservation Order, hunters may pursue snow geese every day except Sunday. Use of unplugged shotguns and electronic calls are allowed, with legal shooting hours starting a half-hour before sunrise and extended to a half-hour after sunset; there are no daily bag and possession limits. All other federal and state hunting regulations apply.

To participate in the Conservation Order, hunters must obtain a free Snow Goose Conservation Order permit number by registering at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt. Individuals needing assistance in obtaining the permit number should call 302-735-3600 during business hours Monday through Friday. Participants are also required to have a valid Delaware hunting license or a Maryland resident hunting license, a 2017/18 Delaware waterfowl stamp, and a Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, with the HIP available at the website above. A federal waterfowl stamp is not required.

Once registered for the Snow Goose Conservation Order permit, hunters are required to keep this permit number in their possession while hunting and to report their hunting activity and harvest success to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Tuesday, May 1 via website at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt; hunters may also report by phone at 302-735-3600 during business hours Monday through Friday.

For more information, please call 302-739-9912 or visit www.fw.delaware.gov.

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

Vol. 48, No. 24

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


January offers late season deer hunting opportunities from DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife

Snow Goose Conservation Order opens in February

DOVER – For hunters still looking to harvest a deer or add more venison to their freezers, January offers several opportunities as the 2017/18 hunting season winds down.

Deer hunting seasons opening in January:

  • Handgun Deer: Jan. 6-13
  • Shotgun Deer: Jan. 13-20, including Sunday Jan. 14
  • Muzzleloader Deer: Jan. 22-27

Note: Deer archery and crossbow seasons will remain open until Jan. 31, 2018.

In other hunting news, hunters planning on participating in the 2018 Snow Goose Conservation Order are reminded to register for a free Snow Goose Conservation Order number on the Hunter and Trapper Registration (HTR) website on or after Jan. 1, 2018 as the Snow Goose Conservation Order opens Feb. 12, 2018. Hunters participating in the Conservation Order must register through the HTR website prior to hunting and report their hunting activities after they have finished pursuing snow geese for the season. Hunters who do not have access to the internet may call 302-735-3600 and will need their hunting license or license exempt number to complete the registration. Snow goose hunters will also need to obtain a (H.I.P.) number if they have not already done so.

Also, 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 Delaware 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 more information on hunting, click 2017-2018 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide, Wildlife Area Hunting Maps, and Sunday deer hunting. Hard copies of the guide and hunting maps are available at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. More information also is available by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

Vol. 47, No. 269

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


DNREC reminds hunters to take advantage of Snow Goose Conservation Order starting Feb. 6

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is again implementing a federal Snow Goose Conservation Order, an Atlantic Flyway-wide effort to use hunting as a management tool to reduce and stabilize the population of greater snow geese. First issued in 2009, the order continues due to snow goose numbers reaching population levels that cause extensive damage to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, as well as to wetlands and agricultural areas where the birds overwinter in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware. The 2017 Conservation Order to harvest snow geese will open Monday, Feb. 6 and run through Friday, Feb. 10, then will reopen Monday, Feb. 13 and run through Friday, April 7.*

The conservation order applies only to snow geese and goes into effect after Delaware’s regular waterfowl hunting seasons close. During the conservation order, hunters can pursue snow geese every day except Sunday, with no daily bag and possession limits. Hunters also can use unplugged shotguns and electronic calls during the conservation order, with legal shooting hours of a half-hour before sunrise to an extended half-hour after sunset. All other federal and state hunting regulations apply.

All state wildlife areas will be open to snow goose harvest during the conservation order. Hunting will be allowed on a first-come, first-served basis with no registration required. Hunters can hunt at any location within these wildlife areas, except for posted refuges and safety zones. Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges are not participating in the conservation order.

To participate, hunters must obtain a free Snow Goose Conservation Order permit number by registering at the Delaware Hunter and Trapper Registration website at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt, and must keep the permit number in their possession while hunting. For assistance in obtaining the permit number, call 302-735-3600 during business hours Monday through Friday.

Participants must have a valid Delaware hunting license or a license exempt number (LEN), or a Maryland resident hunting license. Also required are a 2016/17 Delaware waterfowl stamp and a federal Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, with the LEN and HIP available at the website above. A federal waterfowl stamp is not required during the conservation order.

Hunters are required to report their hunting activity and success to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Monday, May 1 online at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt; hunters may also report by phone at 302-735-3600 during business hours.

*NOTE: The conservation order will be closed Saturday, Feb. 11 with the statewide one-day reopening of the regular snow goose hunting season. On this day, snow goose hunters cannot use the special harvest methods allowed under the conservation order and must comply with the regular-season legal shooting hours of a half-hour before sunrise to sunset and the daily bag limit of 25 snow geese. Feb. 11 is also the second of two special youth waterfowl hunting days for ages 10 through 15 provided by the Division of Fish & Wildlife during the 2016/17 hunting season, and offers the opportunity for youth to hunt a variety of waterfowl.

For more information, visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Pages/DFW-Portal.aspxor call 302-739-9912.

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

Vol. 47, No. 28

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Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police offering reward for information about suspect who drove through flock of snow geese

DE F&W Natural Resources Police logoLEWES – DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the driver of a vehicle who, according to witnesses, intentionally drove through a flock of snow geese off Mulberry Knoll Road near Lewes around mid-morning Sunday, March 13. The vehicle struck numerous snow geese and left them lying dead or dying in a farm field.

“This case is an example of cruel and senseless waste of natural resources, and we are asking the public for any information that could help solve this crime,” said Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police. “Through the Division of Fish & Wildlife Operation Game Theft, we are offering a reward of up to $500 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.”

Witnesses described the vehicle as an early- to mid-1990s black four-door Chevrolet Blazer, with window stickers or bumper stickers on the back of the vehicle, Sgt. McDerby said.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police AFC Joshua Hudson at 302-242-3295, or call 24-hour Operation Game Theft hotline at 800-292-3030. All Operation Game Theft calls are kept confidential by DNREC.

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 de.gov/ogt.

Media Contacts: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 83