DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested a Kent County man April 28 for multiple turkey hunting violations that occurred near Marydel.

Seven Nye, 19, of Marydel, was charged with one count each of: possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle; hunting from a vehicle; trespassing to hunt; discharging a firearm within 15 yards of a road; shooting a wild bird or animal on or across a roadway; unlawful possession of a game bird; discharging a firearm within 100 yards of a dwelling while hunting; and failing to wear camouflage clothing while hunting wild turkey.

Nye was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover where he plead guilty, was fined $360, including court costs, and released. Nye also was given six months’ probation, any violation of which could result in his incarceration.

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Media contact: Sgt. Brooke Africa 302-382-7167, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 106

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DOVER – Delaware’s spring turkey hunting season opens Saturday, April 14, and runs through Saturday, May 12, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today, with hunters aiming to capitalize on the month-long season by bagging a gobbler afield from among the state’s thriving wild turkey population. Hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Also, a special statewide one-day hunt for youth ages 10-15 and for disabled hunters using a wheelchair for mobility will be held Saturday, April 7. Young hunters must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware-approved turkey hunter safety class, and who has a Delaware hunting license or is license-exempt. The accompanying adult may not hunt.

Hunters are reminded that only bearded birds may be taken, and that all harvested birds must be checked at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day of the hunt. Bag limit is one bearded turkey per hunter each year.

All hunters that are 13 years of age or older must have a junior or adult hunting license or License Exempt Number (LEN) and successfully completed a mandatory turkey education class before they can legally hunt wild turkeys in Delaware. Turkey hunters also are required to carry their Hunter Education/Turkey Education card certifying successful completion of the mandatory turkey course. Hunters under the age of 13 must have a LEN.

Except during the special hunt for youth and disabled hunters, hunting on State Wildlife Areas and State Forests is by preseason lottery permit only. Hunters must carry their public land permit while hunting and may only hunt the designated area and season segment/dates specified on their permit. Hunters participating during the special hunt for youth and disabled hunters on April 7 may hunt on private land with permission or state wildlife areas and state forests that are open to turkey hunting during the regular season.

To hunt wild turkeys on public land in Delaware, hunters must have entered a lottery from which public land permits were drawn. Delaware’s wild turkey season is broken down into four week-long segments, this year spanning April 14 thru May 12. Turkey hunters were drawn via the lottery system and issued a permit in January. Applications for the 2019 Public Land Turkey Hunt can be found in the upcoming 2018/2019 Hunting and Trapping Guide. The public land hunt permit allows a hunter to hunt a designated public land area during a specified one-week segment.

For a list of check stations, click on 2018 Turkey Check Stations. Check station hours may vary, so hunters are advised to call the station where they are likely to check a bird to confirm the hours of operation. Hunters who want to have their bird scored and entered into the National Wild Turkey Federation records are reminded to have their bird’s live weight recorded on a certified scale. If the check station does not have a certified scale, hunters will be directed to another station to have the turkey re-weighed.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds hunters that, 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.

Hunting licenses and conservation access passes are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, 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 more information on hunting in Delaware, click on 2017/2018 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. For more information about public lands that allow turkey hunting, click Wildlife Area Hunting Maps or State Forest Maps.

Vol. 48, No. 70

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

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is asking the public to assist with the state’s 8th annual wild turkey survey by helping identify locations where the birds are successfully reproducing in Delaware. The data collected helps biologists track the health, distribution and reproductive success of the state’s wild turkey population and ensure the sustainable harvest of this important game species.

The survey period begins July 1 and continues through Aug. 31. If you see a turkey, you are asked to record the date, county, and number of adult hens, gobblers, and poults (young of the year) observed on a survey data sheet. The data sheet and instructions are available for download at Wild Turkey Survey. Participants are asked to submit their results to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Sept. 10, 2017.

The wild turkey continues as one of Delaware’s top wildlife restoration successes after nearly becoming extinct by the early 20th century. In the early 1980s, the Division of Fish & Wildlife partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation and other northeastern states to re-establish a wild turkey population in the state. By 1991, the population had grown large enough to enable a wild turkey hunting season, and the birds continue to thrive and multiply.

For more information about the wild turkey survey or to obtain a survey data sheet, please contact Justyn Foth, Wildlife Section, at 302-735-3600, or visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Documents/Wild%20Turkey%20Observation%20Survey%20Form.pdf.

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

Vol. 47, No. 156

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Youth/disabled hunt day set for April 1; regular season to open April 8

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today turkey hunting opportunities for the upcoming season, starting with a special one-day hunt Saturday, April 1 for youth ages 10 through 15 and for hunters who are disabled and use a wheelchair. The regular turkey hunting season opens Saturday, April 8, and runs through Saturday, May 6, with no Sunday hunting. Hunting hours for both the youth/disabled hunt day and the regular hunting season are a half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m.

Hunters are reminded that only bearded birds may be taken, and that all harvested birds must be checked at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day of the harvest. Bag limit is one bearded bird per turkey hunter per year.

On the special hunt day April 1, youth hunters must be accompanied by a licensed, non-hunting adult who is 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware approved turkey hunter safety class. Hunters 10 through 12 years of age must have a License Exempt Number (LEN). Hunters 13 years of age or older must have a junior or adult hunting license or a LEN, and must have successfully completed a mandatory turkey education class before they can legally hunt wild turkeys in Delaware. Turkey hunters must carry their Hunter Education/Turkey Education card while hunting.

Except during the special one-day hunt for youth and hunters with disabilities, hunting on public lands, including state forest lands, is by lottery permits only, which were issued this past January for the 2017 hunting season. Hunters must carry their public lands permit while hunting and may only hunt the designated area and season segment/dates specified in the permit. The application form for the 2018 Public Land Turkey Hunt can be found in the upcoming 2017/2018 Hunting and Trapping Guide.

Division of Fish & Wildlife Hunter Education Coordinator Mark Ostroski offered some tips for a safe and successful hunt. “A successful turkey hunt depends on many factors, including skill, careful preparation and attention to safety details,” Ostroski said. “Hunters should be sure to pattern their gun, because knowing where and how your gun shoots can be the difference in bagging that big gobbler.”

Ostroski noted that hunters also should remember these important safety practices:

• Take time to identify your target and what lies
• It is illegal and unsafe to wear clothing that includes the colors red, blue, black or white while turkey hunting;
• Never stalk a wild turkey; and
• Do not imitate the male gobbling call while trying to attract another gobbler.

The wild turkey continues as one of Delaware’s top wildlife restoration successes after being on the verge of extinction in the state by the early 20th century. In the early 1980s, the Division of Fish & Wildlife partnered with the Delaware chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Delaware Wild Lands to reestablish a wild turkey population in the state. By 1991, the population had grown large enough to permit opening a wild turkey hunting season, and the turkey population continues to thrive.

Last year, 706 birds were harvested, the highest record to date. “Over the past four seasons, hunters have harvested more than 600 turkeys each season, which can be attributed to the growing popularity of spring turkey hunting and a healthy turkey population,” said Gamebird Biologist Justyn Foth, Division of Fish & Wildlife.

For a list of authorized turkey check stations for 2017, click Delaware Turkey Hunting information.
NOTE: The list of check stations is subject to change without notice. Check station hours may vary, so hunters are advised to call the station where they are likely to check a bird to confirm the hours of operation.

Hunters who want to have their bird scored and entered into the National Wild Turkey Federation records are reminded to have their bird’s live weight recorded on a certified scale. If the check station does not have a certified scale, hunters will be directed to another station to have the turkey re-weighed.

Hunting licenses are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, 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 more information on hunting in Delaware and information about turkey season segments, 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. For more information about public lands that allow turkey hunting, click Wildlife Area Hunting Maps or State Forest Maps.

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

Vol. 47, No. 72

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DOVER – With Delaware’s spring wild turkey hunting season fast approaching, DNREC’s Hunter Education Program reminds both resident and non-resident hunters that they must pass a Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife-approved course on turkey hunting before they can legally hunt turkeys in the First State.

For hunters who choose to take the one-day Wild Turkey Hunter Education Course offered by the Division of Fish & Wildlife to fulfill their mandatory course requirement, registration is now open for course dates in Kent and New Castle counties. Sussex County course dates in March will be announced in the near future. Kent and New Castle courses will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates at the following locations:

• Kent County – Saturday, Jan. 28, Sunday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, March 11 at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center, 3018 Bayside Drive, Dover, DE 19901
• New Castle County – Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb. 12 at Ommelanden Hunter/Trapper Education Training Center and Range, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720

“Delaware’s turkey hunter education course teaches students age 10 and older important turkey hunting safety information as well as current laws and regulations pertaining to wild turkey hunting in the state,” said Delaware Hunter Education Coordinator Mark Ostroski. “Students also learn the biology and behavior of the wild turkey, the wild turkey’s history in Delaware and turkey calling.”

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to print their Delaware Turkey Hunter Safety Card or have the turkey course certification added to their Delaware Hunter Education Card, which must be carried while hunting, Ostroski said.

All students planning on attending one of the courses must register in advance. To register for the one-day course, click Hunter Education Online Access and after logging in, click “Sign me up” and select “Mandatory Turkey Ed.” Students may also contact the Hunter Education Office at 302-735-3600, ext. 1.

Delaware’s 2017 spring wild turkey season will run from Saturday, April 8 through Saturday, May 6, with a youth/non-ambulatory disabled turkey hunt on Saturday, April 1. For more information on wild turkey 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 in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and from license agents throughout the state.

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

Vol. 47, No. 17

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