DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife sets judging of Delaware Waterfowl, Trout Stamp contests for April 4

The 2019 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, above, features a black Labrador retriever and long-tailed ducks.

The 2020 stamp image will be chosen April 4.

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife invites wildlife art enthusiasts, stamp and print collectors, waterfowl hunters, birdwatchers, wetland conservationists, working retriever fans, and anglers to gather at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 4 for the judging of Delaware’s annual Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp contests, which will be held at the Dover Public Library, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, DE 19901. Following the competition, entries will be on display at DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building from April 15-26.

Sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the annual waterfowl stamp contest draws entries by renowned and emerging artists from across the country. The winning artwork will be reproduced on a stamp that must be carried by most waterfowl hunters. Waterfowl stamps are also purchased by collectors and other conservation-minded citizens.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp contest, which began in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3 million has been raised from the purchase of Delaware Waterfowl Stamps. The new Waterfowl Stamp, which will go on sale for the 2020/21 hunting season, will feature artwork that must include an American Wigeon and chocolate Labrador retriever.

For the 2020 Trout Stamp contest, artists from across the nation submitted paintings of rainbow, brown, or brook trout for consideration. The winning artwork will be reproduced on a stamp that is required for most trout anglers. Some 6,500 trout anglers and stamp collectors support this program annually, generating funds to purchase trout for stocking in seven northern New Castle County streams, Tidbury Pond in Kent County, and Newton Pond in Sussex County.

Delaware’s 2020/21 Waterfowl Stamp will be selected by a panel of five judges, including a Ducks Unlimited designee and a member of the state’s Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, with the remaining three judges randomly selected by the director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife from a judging pool that includes conservationists, biologists, and artists.

The 2020 Delaware Trout Stamp will be selected by five judges, including a member of the Delaware Trout Association and a member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, with the remaining three judges randomly selected by the director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife from a pool that includes anglers, biologists, and artists.

For more information on Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp programs, please contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9918, or visit http://de.gov/waterfowlstamp or http://de.gov/troutstamp.

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

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

Vol. 49, No. 66


DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife promotes additional hunting opportunities in February

Snow Goose Conservation Order, special youth waterfowl hunting day to open

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is promoting additional hunting opportunities in February with the opening of the Snow Goose Conservation Order Feb. 4 and the second special youth waterfowl hunting day on Feb. 9.

Snow Goose Conservation Order

The Snow Goose Conservation Order will be open Monday, Feb. 4 through Friday, Feb. 8, closing for the youth waterfowl hunting day on Saturday, Feb. 9, and reopening Monday, Feb. 11 through Friday, April 12. Snow goose hunters can still hunt on the youth waterfowl day, when regular snow goose season bag limits and hunting regulations apply. The Snow Goose Conservation Order is a separate season open only for snow geese that occurs when Delaware’s regular waterfowl hunting seasons are closed. The Snow Goose Conservation Order is not open on Sundays.

During the Snow Goose Conservation Order, liberal harvest methods are allowed to help reduce the large snow goose population that is damaging its Arctic nesting grounds and local wetlands and agricultural lands in the Mid-Atlantic region where the birds overwinter. Unplugged shotguns and electronic calls are allowed. Legal shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset, and there are no daily bag and possession limits. All other federal and state hunting regulations apply. If hunting on a state wildlife area where the Conservation Order is open, hunters should refer to Wildlife Area Hunting Maps for specific rules and regulations.

Hunters participating in the Snow Goose Conservation Order must obtain a free permit number, which must be in their possession while hunting. Hunters also are required to report their Conservation Order hunting activity and harvest success to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Wednesday, May 1. Conservation Order permits can be obtained and harvest reports can be submitted online at Delaware Hunter and Trapper Registration; hunters may also 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 2018/2019 Delaware waterfowl stamp (unless exempt), and a Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. A federal waterfowl stamp is not required.

Youth waterfowl hunt set for Feb. 9

The one-day, special youth waterfowl hunting day on Feb. 9 is open for hunters ages 10 to 15. 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 a hunter education course. All youth waterfowl hunters will need a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. 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 25 snow geese and two Canada geese during the special waterfowl hunting day.

Youth waterfowl hunting is available on most Division of Fish & Wildlife wildlife areas, with a lottery drawing for waterfowl blinds held 1.5 hours before legal shooting time at Augustine, Cedar Swamp, Woodland Beach, and Assawoman, and two hours before legal shooting time at Little Creek and Ted Harvey. Other state wildlife areas that allow waterfowl hunting but do not have lotteries are also open on the youth waterfowl day. Wildlife area rules and regulations are available at Wildlife Area Hunting Maps.

Additional Information

A Delaware hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN) is required to hunt, and most waterfowl hunters require a Delaware waterfowl (duck) stamp. More information on hunting license and Delaware waterfowl stamp requirements is available at Delaware Licenses. Waterfowl and other migratory game bird (except crow) hunters need a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. To register for a LEN or HIP number, hunters can go to Delaware Hunter and Trapper Registration or call toll free 1-855-335-4868. For hunters age 16 and older, a federal migratory bird stamp is also required to hunt waterfowl.

To purchase a hunting license, hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have a basic hunter education safety course card/number. Hunters who took a Delaware hunter safety course starting in 2008 can print their hunter safety card by going to http://de.gov/huntersafety. Hunters who took their Delaware hunter safety course before 2008 should call the Hunter Education Office at 302-735-3600, ext. 1 to obtain a hunter safety card.

Registered motor vehicles used to access designated wildlife areas owned or managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife are required to display a Conservation Access Pass (CAP). Hunters can opt to receive one free annual CAP with the purchase of any Delaware hunting license. To obtain a free CAP, or to purchase an additional pass, hunters will need the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned.

Delaware hunting licenses, Delaware 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 agents statewide. Federal migratory bird stamps are available at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges, online at Federal duck stamps, and the American Birding Association in Delaware City (weekdays only).

For more information on hunting and trapping, click 2018-2019 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide and Wildlife Area Hunting Maps. Hard copies of the guide and newly-updated hunting maps are also available at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office. More information on hunting licenses, season details, and Conservation Access Passes is also available by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912. For more information, visit www.fw.delaware.gov.

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

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

Vol. 49, No. 24


DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announces expanded youth hunting days for 2018/19 seasons

Youth waterfowl days set for Oct. 20 and Feb. 9, youth deer hunting weekend set for Nov. 3 and 4

DOVER – To promote youth hunting participation and recruitment, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has expanded and designated special youth hunting days on both public and private lands statewide. Youth hunters ages 10 through 15 can enjoy youth waterfowl hunting days on The logo for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ControlSaturday, Oct. 20, 2018 and Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. Expanded deer hunting opportunities are provided for youth hunters by adding a Sunday to the traditional Saturday youth deer hunting day, for a full weekend of youth deer hunting days on Nov. 3 and 4. The special deer hunting days are also open to adult non-ambulatory disabled hunters, but the youth waterfowl hunting days are open only to youth ages 10 through 15.

Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult companion age 21 or older who possesses a valid Delaware hunting license or a License Exempt Number (LEN). Only the youth hunter may possess a firearm when participating in these special hunting days, and they must be of sufficient physical size and strength to safely handle a firearm. Youth hunters age 13 through 15 must purchase a Delaware junior hunting license, have completed a hunter education course, and possess their hunter education card. Adult companions must also possess a Delaware waterfowl (duck) stamp, unless exempted, and a federal migratory bird stamp for youth waterfowl hunting days. Waterfowl hunters under the age of 16 are not required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl (duck) stamp or a federal migratory bird stamp. Youth hunters age 10 through 12 must possess a LEN and may take a hunter education course.

If participating in youth hunting days on state wildlife areas where deer stands and waterfowl blinds are assigned through a daily lottery, youth hunters and accompanying adults do not need to purchase a deer stand/waterfowl blind permit. A deer stand permit or waterfowl blind permit is required to hunt these areas during all other deer and waterfowl seasons. The same waiver of the deer stand/waterfowl blind permit also applies for non-ambulatory disabled hunters during the special deer hunting days.

More information on hunting license and Delaware waterfowl stamp requirements is available at Delaware Licenses. All waterfowl and other migratory game bird (except crow) hunters will need a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. To register for a LEN or HIP number, hunters can go to Delaware Hunter and Trapper Registration or call toll free 1-855-335-4868.

To purchase a hunting license, either in person or online, hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have a basic hunter education safety course card/number. Hunters who took a Delaware hunter education course starting in 2008 can print their hunter education card by going to de.gov/huntersafety. Hunters who took their Delaware hunter education course before 2008 should call the Hunter Education Office at 302-735-3600, ext. 1 to obtain a hunter safety card.

Registered motor vehicles used to access designated wildlife areas owned or managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife are required to display a Conservation Access Pass (CAP). Hunters can opt to receive one free annual CAP with the purchase of any Delaware hunting license. To obtain a free CAP, or to purchase an additional pass, hunters will need the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned.

Delaware hunting licenses, Delaware 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 agents statewide. Federal migratory bird stamps are available at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges, and online at Federal duck stamps.

For more information on hunting, please see the 2018-2019 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide and Wildlife Area Hunting Maps. Hard copies of guide and newly-updated hunting maps are also available at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office. More information on hunting licenses, season details, and conservation access passes is also available by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

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

Vol. 48, No. 287


DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife announces more Delaware hunting seasons opening in October

The logo for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today that additional Delaware hunting seasons are opening this month, including expanded Sunday deer hunting opportunities. Sunday deer hunting is allowed on all Sundays through the end of the deer season on Feb. 3, 2019, using only those hunting methods legal for the respective established deer hunting seasons. Please refer to DNREC’s Sunday Hunting webpage for Sunday deer hunting information, including hunting opportunities on state wildlife areas.

Hunting seasons opening in October:

  • Snow goose: Oct. 3 – Feb. 2, 2019, and Feb. 9, 2019
  • Muzzleloader deer: Oct. 5-14, including Sundays
  • Antlerless deer: Oct. 15, 19-22, and 26-29, including Sundays
  • Youth Waterfowl Hunt: Saturday, Oct. 20
  • Ducks, coots, and mergansers: first season split Oct. 26 – Nov. 6

Continuing hunting seasons include:

  • Moorhen, gallinule, sora, Virginia rail, king rail, and clapper rail: through Nov. 21
  • Common snipe: through Nov. 24, and Dec. 15 – Jan. 26, 2019
  • Archery and crossbow deer: through Jan. 31, 2019, including all Sundays (archery and crossbow can also be used Feb. 1 – 3 during the late muzzleloader deer season)
  • Gray squirrel: through Feb. 2, 2019 (closed during November shotgun deer season)
  • Coyote hunting season: through Feb. 28, 2019
  • Crows: through March 31, 2019 (Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only)
  • Groundhog: through June 30, 2019

A Delaware hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN) is required to hunt, and most waterfowl hunters are required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl (duck) stamp. More information on hunting license and Delaware waterfowl stamp requirements is available at Delaware Licenses. Waterfowl and other migratory gamebird (except crow) hunters will need a federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. To register for a HIP number or LEN number, hunters can go to Delaware Hunter and Trapper Registration or call toll free 855-335-4868. For hunters age 16 and older, a federal migratory bird stamp is also required to hunt waterfowl.

To purchase a hunting license, either in person or online, hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have a basic hunter education safety course card/number. Hunters who took a Delaware hunter safety course starting in 2008 can print their hunter safety card by going to de.gov/huntersafety. Hunters who took their Delaware hunter safety course before 2008 should call the Hunter Education Office at 302-735-3600, ext. 1, to obtain a hunter safety card.

Registered motor vehicles used to access designated wildlife areas owned or managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife are required to display a Conservation Access Pass (CAP). Hunters can opt to receive one free annual CAP with the purchase of any Delaware hunting license. To obtain a free CAP, or to purchase an additional pass, hunters will need the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned.

Delaware hunting licenses, Delaware 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 agents statewide. Federal migratory bird stamps are available at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges, and online at Federal duck stamps.

For more information on hunting, click 2018-2019 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide and Wildlife Area Hunting Maps. Hard copies of guide and newly-updated hunting maps are also available at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office. More information on hunting licenses, season details, and Conservation Access Passes is also available by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

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

Vol. 48, No. 270

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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