Delaware State Forest Usage Reminders

DOVER, Del. (October 19, 2023) – With hunting season now open, the Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service would like to remind our users of regulations as they relate to State Forest lands. This information can also be found in the Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. To view all State Forest Rules and Regulations, please visit the Delaware Forest Service website at de.gov/stateforests. Sunday hunting on State Forest lands are prohibited.

Hunting Stands and Equipment
No permanent deer stands, platforms, ladders, or blinds may be constructed on State Forest property. No screw-in steps, tree spikes, screws, or nails are allowed as they damage our resources and degrade the forest. Stands may be placed after August 1 prior to the start of the new year’s hunting season. Owners of deer stands left on Delaware Forest Service lands during the designated time period are required to tag and clearly identify their stand with the owners name and phone number. Failure to properly display a tag on your stand will result in its removal by the Delaware Forest Service at which time it will become property of the State of Delaware. All stands must be removed on the final day of the January muzzleloader season; any stands remaining after this date will be removed and become property of the Delaware Forest Service. Trail cameras are also prohibited on State Forest Lands. Any trail cameras found on State Forest property will be confiscated, and violators will be subject to fines.

Deer StandNo permanent deer stands, platforms, ladders, or blinds may be constructed.

Off-Road Vehicle Restrictions
Due to safety, speed and conflicts with other users on multiuse State Forest trails and roadways, no off-road vehicles registered or unregistered are allowed. This includes the use of electronic bikes, also known as e-bikes. Electronic bikes are considered to be motorized under Forest Service regulations and violators will subject to fines and restitution for any damages that take place on trails and forest roads.

Electronic BicycleElectronic bikes are considered to be motorized and violators will be fined.

“Fall is in the air which means hunting, horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking is taking place on state forest property. Our largest numbers of users per day take place during the next 2 months. This message serves as a reminder to adhere to the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service regulations, so that all users can enjoy the benefits of our sustainable resources on Forest Service property,” said Delaware State Forester Kyle Hoyd.

Visitors that come across unmarked stands or see off-road vehicles are encouraged to report such incidents to the regional offices:

Blackbird State Forest: Jim Dobson, (302) 653-6505
Taber State Forest: Chris Miller, (302) 698-4549
Redden State Forest: Erich Burkentine, (302) 856-5580

About Delaware Forest Service
The mission of the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is to conserve, protect, and enhance Delaware forests and their resources for the public through education, management, demonstration, promotion, and providing technical services in a timely and efficient manner. DFS provides a wide range of services to help Delawareans manage and improve their forest resources. These services are divided into three categories: conservation, protection, and education. For more information, visit the website de.gov/forestry and connect with DFS on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.


Delaware State Forests now on Avenza Maps

DOVER, Del. (April 16, 2021) — Visitors to Delaware state forests can now use a mobile phone to locate trails, hunting stands, or parking areas using the Avenza Maps® mobile app (available for iPhone or Android devices from the App Store or Google Play.) All state forest maps are free to download. The app uses the phone’s built-in GPS to locate it on the map, even when the device is out of range of a network or Internet connection. Users can select a particular map of interest, download it, and store it on their phone. A blue dot follows users wherever they go so they always know where they are on the map. Visitors can zoom in and out, navigate from place to place, mark points of interest (such as where a car is parked or where a hunting stand is located) and easily attach photos exactly where they were taken.

Phone users can use their cell phone camera to capture a unique QR code (below) and use their mobile browser to access a link to all of the Delaware Forest Service maps.

Read the Avenza Maps® fact sheetOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader for more information about the features of this mobile app.

State forest offices also offer printed maps at the main office. Standard PDF maps for all state forest tracts (which can be printed) are also available at de.gov/forestmaps.

 

Delaware State Forest Avenza Maps


Apply now for Delaware state forest turkey permit

DOVER – The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is accepting applications for its lottery to award state forest permits for the 2020 turkey hunting season, which begins April 11, 2020 and ends on May 9, 2020. A special one-day hunt for youth and non-ambulatory disabled hunters occurs on April 4, 2020. No Sunday hunting is allowed. State forest turkey permits are issued for one of four season segments: A (4/11-4/17), B (4/18-4/24), C (4/25-5/1), or D (5/2-5/9).

The 2020 Delaware State Forest Turkey Hunting Permit Application is now online.

Completed applications must be received by January 10, 2020 at:

Delaware Forest Service Turkey Permit Application
2320 S. DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901

Turkey hunters can request a permit for either Blackbird State Forest, Taber State Forest, or Redden State Forest and also indicate their request for preferred weeks and locations. All hunters are required to complete a turkey hunting safety education course. Failure to check the box on the form indicating completion of an approved course will disqualify the application. 

The Delaware Forest Service began issuing its own separate permits for state forests in 2019. The change now provides hunters with up to two weeks of permitted turkey hunting: either at a DNREC Wildlife Area or a Delaware State Forest. State forest hunting is still free to the public and requires no separate usage fees. The DFS receives no funding from income generated by hunting license and registration fees. Even though the Delaware Forest Service is issuing its own permits, all current turkey hunting license and registration requirements remain in effect: harvested wild turkeys must still be registered through the state turkey hunting check stations.

“The Delaware Forest Service’s goal is to continue enhancing the quality of turkey hunting opportunities on state forest lands. Hunters that turned in their turkey logs this past season provided us with valuable information that helped us monitor populations throughout the remainder of the year,” said Kyle Hoyd, assistant state forester. “We are also targeting areas to implement forest and wildlife management techniques that will provide the much needed habitat turkeys require to survive. This will help us improve the quality of turkey hunting at our state forests,” said Hoyd.

In addition, the DFS will use a system that allows hunters to call in if they no longer need their permit so it can be reassigned to another individual on the waiting list. This was developed in response to a lack of hunters during previous seasons. The DFS will also provide hunters with a survey card they will need to fill out to apply the following year that includes questions on how many turkeys they saw, days hunted, and on which tracts they hunted.


Delaware Forest Service announces new turkey permit for state forests

DOVER – For the first time, the Delaware Forest Service (DFS) will issue turkey hunting permits through a separate lottery for the 2019 spring season. Previously, statewide permits were available only through DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. The 2019 Delaware turkey hunting season runs for four consecutive weeks from Saturday, April 13 to Saturday, May 11, with a special youth and non-ambulatory disabled hunter day scheduled for Saturday, April 6.  State forest turkey permits will be issued for one of four season segments: A (4/13-4/19), B (4/20-4/26), C (4/27-5/3), or D (5/4-5/11).

The new Delaware State Forest Turkey Hunting Permit Application is now available online.

Turkey hunters will be able to request a permit for Blackbird State Forest, Taber State Forest, and Redden State Forest. Hunters may also indicate their request for preferred weeks and locations. The change will now provide hunters with up to two weeks of permitted turkey hunting: either at a DNREC Wildlife Area or a Delaware State Forest. State forest hunting is still free to the public and requires no separate usage fees. The DFS receives no funding from income generated by hunting license and registration fees. Despite the change, all previous turkey hunting license and registration requirements will remain in effect: harvested wild turkeys must still be registered through the state turkey hunting check stations. Hunters are also required to complete a turkey hunting safety education course.

“The Delaware Forest Service’s goal is to enhance the quality of turkey hunting opportunities on state forest lands. We currently do not have access to site-specific data on turkey populations and harvests that can help us better manage this important natural resource. By issuing our own permits, we can gather more information about each forest tract and gain feedback from hunters on actual ground conditions so we can improve their overall experience,” said Kyle Hoyd, assistant state forester.

“We are also exploring ways to implement forest management techniques, such as small selected clear-cuts, that can foster better turkey habitat.”

In addition, the DFS will use a system that allows hunters to call in if they no longer need their permit so it can be reassigned to another individual on the waiting list. This was developed in response to a lack of hunters during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The DFS will also provide hunters with a survey card they will need to fill out to apply the following year that includes questions on how many turkeys they saw, days hunted, what tracts they hunted, etc.

“We want to base our turkey management strategy on information we receive from both our professional forestry staff as well as the general public. By incorporating field surveys of turkey populations, habitat, and ground conditions at state forests, we hope to ensure the health of our wild turkey population long into the future” said Hoyd.