Pages Tagged With: "fish and wildlife"
Hunters: What You Need to Know
Hunting season gets underway in Delaware on September 1. Get all the information you need to go afield.Migratory Bird Hunting
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife provides opportunities for migratory bird hunting on state wildlife areas. The following is a summary of those opportunities and the procedures and rules that apply. Updated Aug. 26, 2024 Hunting Seasons [button type=”primary”Ticks and Domestic Animals and Wildlife
It’s not just humans who can be affected by ticks. Tick-caused diseases and related problems also affect many wildlife species and domestic animals. Dogs Dogs are susceptible to both Lyme disease andPublic Hearing: Proposed Revisions to the Tidal Finfish Regulations (Tilefish)
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a public hearing to consider comments from the public on proposed revisions to 7 DE Admin. Code 3542 “Tilefish.”Public Hearing: Proposed Revisions to the Tidal Finfish Regulations (Cobia)
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a public hearing to consider comments from the public on proposed revisions to 7 DE Admin. Code 3550 “Cobia.”Report Atlantic Sturgeon
You can help DNREC research and manage the local population of Atlantic sturgeon, a rare and endangered fish. Simply use our reporting form to let us know of any interactions you have with this fish.Protecting Yourself from Ticks
Ticks live in several different habitat types and can be found throughout Delaware in forests, meadows and wetlands. They are also found in yards and residential areas. Ticks are active year-round if temperatures are above freezing.Tick Management
There are a few simple measures you can take to help keep you safe from ticks around the home. In the Yard Remove leaf litter and invasive plants. This helps to eliminateTicks of Delaware
There are five species of tick commonly found in Delaware. Identifying which tick has bitten you can help you take steps to protect yourself. There are also a handful of arthropods that are sometimes mistaken for ticks.Tick Program
DNREC’s tick program conducts year-round, statewide active and passive surveillance for ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Knowing when and where different tick species occur in the state, and whether or not they’re infected with pathogens such as the agent of Lyme disease, helps protect public health. [panel type=”success”Tick-Associated Diseases in Delaware
While Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in Delaware, there are other tick-associated diseases to be aware of in case you suffer a tick bite. Note: The state of Delaware does not provide tick pathogen testing services.
2022 AREC Photo Contest Gallery
This page contains photographs submitted for the 2022 Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC) nature photography contest. All photos were taken in the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area. The contest was open to photographers of all ages through Sep. 29, 2022. In the Nature category, the winner was “Windy Morning Waves,” by Tracy Thompkins,AREC Nature Photo Contest
DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC) nature photography contest is now open for submissions from photographers and nature lovers. All entries must be photos taken in the Tony Florio Woodland Beach Wildlife Area.Contact Us
Nature Photo Contest Entry and Release Form
This page includes the Official Rules and an online Entry and Release Form for the DNREC Aquatic Resources Education Center Nature Photography contest. Official Rules Deadline for Entry This contest is now closed. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (“DNREC”)Delaware Marina Pumpout Stations
A list of Delaware Marina Pumpout Stations for use by boaters in Delaware waters. Summit North Marina3000 Summit Harbor PlaceBear, DE 19701302-836-1800Latitude (N): 39.54790Longitude (W): -75.70270 Delaware City Marina302 Canal StreetDelaware City, DE 19706302-832-4172Latitude (N): 39.57318Longitude (W): -75.59027 Carey’s DieselFrontHorseshoe Crabs, Shorebirds and the Delaware Bay
You can witness the amazing annual convergence of spawning horseshoe crabs and migratory shorebirds along the Delaware Bayshore every spring. DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor is one of the best places to observe this wonder of nature. The Horseshoe Crabs [column md=”6″ xclass=”col-xs-12Mosquito Control Spraying Calendar
The DNREC Mosquito Control Section provides multiple communication channels to share information about planned mosquito control spraying in Delaware. These include the mosquito control spraying calendar (below), the online Spray Zone Map and the Spray Zone Notification System. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=glasgowmosquito%40gmail.com&ctz=America%2FNew_YorkSnow Goose Conservation Order
The Snow Goose Conservation Order is a separate season only for snow geese that occurs when Delaware’s regular waterfowl hunting seasons are closed. Liberal harvest methods are allowed during the Conservation Order to help reduce the large snow goose population that is damaging its Arctic nesting grounds, as well as wetlands and agricultural lands onAnnual Turkey Harvest Data
The table below shows the numbers of wild turkeys harvested each year during annual Delaware wild turkey hunting seasons, from 1991 to the present. YearAdultJuvenileUnk.Total 1991732093 1992532881 1993362965 1994294372 1995514394 1996504898 199792591152 19987148119 1999356499 20006045105 20016060120 20025880138 20036341104 20047236108 20057177148 2006104481153 200710474178 2008136113249Wild Turkey Hunting
The 2025 spring wild turkey hunting season will run from April 12 through May 10, 2025. A special one-day hunt for youth and non-ambulatory hunters is set for April 5, 2025. Wild Turkeys in Delaware TurkeyTurkey Harvest Distribution — Public Lands
The table below shows the distribution of wild turkeys harvested among public lands hunting areas for the 2014 through 2024 wild turkey hunting seasons. State Wildlife Areas are administered by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. State Forest lands are administered by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.Wild Turkeys in Delaware
The wild turkey population in Delaware is one of the greatest conservation success stories in the region. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has reintroduced wild turkeys, once lost to Delaware. It now manages an ongoing conservation program and annual turkey hunting season. [panel type=”success”Eco-Explorers Virtual Field Trip Registration
This form is for teachers and homeschool groups to register for an Eco-Explorers virtual field trip with the Aquatic Resources Education Center. There is no charge for the field trip but please register if you plan to use the virtual field trip material. This will help us provide additional programs in the future.Virtual Eco-Explorers Field Trip Program
The Aquatic Resources Education Center offers a virtual version of the Eco-Explorers field trip program. The resources of the virtual field trip are useful for students or school groups unable to attend traditional, in-person field trips and as supplementary and review material for in-person field trip participants.Delaware Hunting Seasons
Delaware hunting seasons generally begin in September and run through early February of the following year. Specific seasons, based on species and method of take, begin and end on different dates throughout the year.Have You Seen Me?
We are mapping sightings of Delmarva fox squirrels and you can help. Use this form to report sightings and share information about this rare species. The Delmarva fox squirrel is no longer classified as an endangered or threatened species at the federal level. But it is still rareSunday Hunting
State law allows Sunday hunting for deer, waterfowl, and gamebirds during established hunting seasons for those species on private lands, with landowner permission, and on designated publicly owned lands. Delaware’s deer, waterfowl, and gamebird seasons fall between the start of September and the end of the following January, except for the springThe Delaware Bayshore Initiative
Extending from Pea Patch Island in New Castle County to the City of Lewes in Sussex County, the Delaware Bay shoreline is widely recognized as an area of global ecological significance. Its expansive coastal marshes, shoreline, agricultural lands and forests provide diverse habitat to many species, including migratory shorebirds.Eco-Explorers Field Trips
Eco-Explorers is a free field trip program designed for fifth grade students in Delaware. Participants visit the Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC), where they experience and explore connections between plants and animals within a tidal salt marsh ecosystem.Contact Us
Horseshoe Crab Education Resources for Teachers
Each spring during May and June, the ancient, amazing and globally significant ritual of horseshoe crab spawning and mass shorebird migration brings visitors from around the world to our Delaware Bayshore backyards. The Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a variety of resources to support teachers who are educating about this phenomenon.DuPont Nature Center
DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center is located in the beautiful Mispillion Harbor, part of the Milford Neck Nature Preserve, where the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek meet and flow out into the Delaware Bay. It is a science-based educational and interpretive facility with interactive exhibits designed to connect people with the Delaware Bay’s natural history andVirtual Public Hearing: Striped Bass Size Limits and Possession Limits
The Division of Fish & Wildlife will conduct a public hearing (Docket #2020-R-F-0015) on proposed revisions to the regulations governing recreational fishing for Striped Bass.Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center
The Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center is one of two state shooting ranges managed by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. It offers trap and skeet shooting, rifle and pistol shooting, archery and more.Contact Us
Plants and Plant Communities
Delaware has more than 1,600 species of native plants. More than a quarter of them are rare and can be found in more than 100 different terrestrial and wetland habitat types. Related Documents Status Ranking Criteria Rare Plants of Delaware Native Indigenous TreesBecome a Shorebird Project Volunteer
Spring brings the shorebird migration season. DNREC’s Delaware Shorebird Project needs experienced and dedicated volunteers for the field season each spring. To apply, please fill out the Volunteer Information Form. New applicants should include a letter of interest briefly describing their experience and what they hope to gain by volunteering.Federal Funding for Fish and Wildlife
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife uses a combination of federal funds and revenue from recreational licenses and permits to fund wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, public access, hunting, fishing and other services. Delaware receives federal funds from the Wildlife Restoration Act, the Sport Fish Restoration Act, andDelaware Bay Ecology
The Delaware Bay is extraordinarily rich in biological resources. The beaches, mudflats, and marshes that line Delaware Bay provide abundant food and habitat for many species. The Delaware Bay Supports a variety of species. As many as 30 species of shorebirds visit the Delaware Bay in May. The majority arePiping Plovers
Dwindling populations have landed the Piping Plovers on the federal Endangered Species List. DNREC’s Beach-Nesting Bird Program monitors these beach-nesting birds, provides habitat protection and educates the beach-going public. Piping plovers are small sand-colored shorebirds that nest and feed on the beach. They begin arriving and nesting onShorebird Research and Monitoring
Each May, DNREC’s Delaware Shorebird Project carries out its research objectives during the shorebirds’ stopover in the Bay. The brief field season brings long, but rewarding, days on the coast. A Tradition of Research and Partnership Each year, flocks of shorebirds are carefully counted and individually markedOsprey Monitoring and Management
Delaware’s osprey population is one of the state’s greatest conservation success stories. From the days of DDT and the collapse of many raptor populations, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, osprey in Delaware have rebounded and the population continues to grow state-wide.Contact Us
The Delaware Shorebird Project
Shorebirds are an important part of the ecology of Delaware’s shorelines. But they are under threat; populations are declining. DNREC’s Delaware Shorebird Project works to mitigate that threat, through research and monitoring, habitat protection, and management planning. The Shorebird Project team has conducted research and monitoring since 1997. They haveDo-it-Yourself Phragmites Control Tips
The Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a phragmites control cost-share program to help landowners control larger stands of phragmites. There are steps landowners can take themselves to control smaller areas of phragmites. Herbicides That Can be Used Sources for Aquatic GlyphosateCost Share Program Questions and Answers
A list of frequently asked questions, and answers, about the phragmites control cost-share program offered by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.Contact Us
James Joachimowski Impoundment/Habitat Biologist 302-725-3638
