Mosquito 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_York

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Spring – It’s Bird TV

Now is a great time to grab your binoculars to witness the spectacle of the return of our migrant bird species throughout the state. Outdoor Delaware sat down with our staff birders to talk about spring birding and what makes it so special.

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Annual 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 19917320093 19925328081 19933629065 19942844072 19955143094 19965048098 199792600152 199871480119 19993564099 200060450105 200160600120 200258800138 200363410104 200472360108 200571770148 2006104490153 2007104740178 20081361130249

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Wild Turkey Hunting

The 2026 spring wild turkey hunting season will run from April 11 through May 9, 2026. A special two-day hunt for youth and non-ambulatory hunters is set for April 4 and 5, 2026. Wild Turkeys in Delaware [button type=”primary” block=”true”

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Turkey Harvest Distribution — Public Lands

The table below shows the distribution of wild turkeys harvested among public lands hunting areas for the 2020 through 2025 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.

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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”

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Scientific Collection Permits

The Division of Fish and Wildlife issues permits to collect protected wildlife, finfish, shellfish or their nests or eggs for scientific, education or propagating purposes. Permits are issued for up to one year and may require review and approval from a relevant taxa project leader. [column md=”6″ xclass=”col-xs-12 col-lg-5

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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.

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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.

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Outdoor Delaware: Boating, Fishing and Hunting

Want to go cruisin’, drop a line or test your aim? Here’s where you’ll find out about seasons, safety, licenses and much more.

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Outdoor Delaware: Animals

Hey animal lovers! Find out all about Delaware’s wildlife, from who’s new at the Brandywine Zoo to the other creatures that crawl, swim, walk and fly.

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Outdoor Delaware: Conservation

Want to find out how we can help the environment? From habitat and wildlife protection to recycling, learn how we can conserve our natural resources.

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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. A ruling in the Delaware Superior Court has changed the requirement for direct supervision of younger

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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 rare

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Sunday 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 spring

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The 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.

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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 Trees

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Become 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.

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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, and

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Delaware 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 are

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Piping 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

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Shorebird 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 marked

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Osprey 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.

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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 have

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Do-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 Glyphosate Keystone Pest Solutions 877-835-8321 Shoreline

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Cost 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. Landowner Assistance [button type=”primary”

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Operation Terrapin Rescue at Port Mahon

Operation Terrapin Rescue is a volunteer program to help Diamondback terrapins move safely between the Delaware Bay and their nesting sites near Port Mahon. It also collects accurate and valuable data on the terrapins’ movements. Nate Nazdrowicz Species Conservation and Research

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Environmental Reviews

The Species Conservation and Research Program (SCRP) continuously updates information on rare plant and animal species and vegetation communities in Delaware. The SCRP is the state’s most comprehensive, centralized source of information on rare plants, animals, and vegetation communities. Environmental

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Delmarva Fox Squirrel Conservation

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife is implementing a conservation plan for the Delmarva fox squirrel. This sub-species of the fox squirrel, found only on the Delmarva Peninsula, is rare in Delaware. As part of the conservation plan, DNREC has begun a project to move squirrels from Maryland into southern Delaware.

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Delaware’s Endangered Species

Native wildlife species that are in danger of becoming extinct in Delaware may be listed as Endangered by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. To help prevent species from becoming endangered, Delaware currently has a Wildlife Action Plan in place for restoring and maintaining important habitats and dwindling populations of the state’s

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Facts About Phragmites

Phragmites has been present in Delaware’s marshes for a long time. In fact, research shows that Phragmites (Phragmites australis) has been a part of the wetland ecosystem of North America for over 11,000 years. However, in the 1950s, Phragmites was identified as problematic in North American wetlands as a non-native European hybrid began to wreak

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Conservation Programs

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife manages approximately 68,000 acres of Delaware land at 19 public wildlife areas that provide hunting and wildlife opportunities as well as habitat for a variety of species. The Division implements important wildlife and habitat conservation and education initiatives, like the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and the

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Delaware’s White-Tailed Deer

White-tailed deer are one of the most important wildlife species managed in Delaware. Wildlife-watchers, photographers, and hunters flock to the state in pursuit of deer. They contribute millions of dollars each year to the state’s economy. Sam Millman Deer Biologist 302-735-3600

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Straight-Wall, Pistol-Caliber Rifles Allowed

Rifles chambered for straight-wall ammunition may be used to hunt deer in Delaware. Only straight-wall cartridges usable in handguns may be used that are of .357 to 38 caliber with a case length no less than 1.25 inches and a maximum case length of 1.82 inches, or .41 caliber to maximum of .50 caliber and a maximum case

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Managed Hunts

Managed or controlled hunting is a highly organized effort to reduce the local deer population in urban areas. Hunters must apply and are selected for these hunts. Information on participating in managed hunts is available on the Master Hunter Program page. During the hunt, hunters have specified treestand locations

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Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a disease of the brain and nervous system in members of the family Cervidae (deer, elk, or moose). It has not been found in Delaware but has in 26 other states and four Canadian provinces. State wildlife officials are taking steps to avoid its spread into Delaware.

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Deer Damage Assistance

Many farmers report significant damage to their crops caused by deer. By combining non-lethal techniques with targeted harvest, farmers can reduce crop damage. Harvest of antlerless deer, specifically mature

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Waterfowl Surveys

Since 1974, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has conducted annual waterfowl surveys to measure long-term trends in duck and goose populations. The survey results help increase biologists’ knowledge about the state’s waterfowl populations and habitat and help the state make informed decisions about habitat management and hunting. [column md=”5″ xclass=”col-xs-12

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Coyotes in Delaware

While Delaware’s coyote population remains relatively low, coyotes have been documented in each of the state’s three counties. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have been expanding across the continental United States since the mid-1900s and are now found in 49 of the 50 states, with only Hawaii not having a coyote population. Delaware is recognized as the

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Hunting in Delaware

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife manages 19 public wildlife areas; approximately 68,000 acres of land. In addition to providing habitat for a variety of wildlife, these lands provide hunting and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Much of this land, and many acres of private land, provide hunting during a number of seasons. More information

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Hunters with Disabilities

Delaware offers a variety of opportunities for hunters with disabilities. State wildlife areas offer specialized blinds/stands and hunting locations for hunters with varying degrees of physical disability. Facilities are provided for hunters with disabilities that confine them to a wheelchair as well as for hunters whose disabilities do

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Hunting and Fishing Guides, Seasons and Maps

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife manages approximately 68,000 acres of Delaware land at 19 public wildlife areas that provide hunting opportunities as well as habitat for a variety of species. The state features a wide variety of fishing opportunities for every angler, from the Delaware River and Bay to the ocean, to numerous

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The Delaware Bat Program

Bats are one of the most mysterious and least understood groups of mammals. Discover the bats of Delaware; the species we have, how to attract or safely evict them, get information about White-Nose Syndrome, find out what the state is doing for bats, and how you can help. [column md=”6″ xclass=”col-xs-12 col-lg-5

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Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

This page has been updated and republished at https://dnrec.delaware.gov/nrp/fish-wildlife-unit/iwvc/. Please update your

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Hunter Education

The Delaware Hunter Education Program is committed to putting safe, ethical and educated hunters in the field. Since 1970, it has continued Delaware’s tradition of fair chase hunting by educating and developing responsible, involved, safe and knowledgeable hunters for the future of The First State. [panel type=”success”

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Fish and Wildlife Advisory Councils

Delaware state law establishes several councils to advise the Director of Fish and Wildlife on matters relating to fisheries, recreational fishing, wildlife and hunting, and shell fisheries. The Division is also part of the Delaware Native Species Commission. Advisory Council on Wildlife and

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Contact Information

Patrick J. Emory, Director 89 Kings HighwayDover, DE 19901302-739-9910patrick.emory@delaware.gov

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Fish and Wildlife License Agents

Hunting and fishing licenses, and conservation access passes (CAP), can be purchased at the following authorized licensing agents. Some agents only sell fishing licenses while others sell only hunting licenses and conservation access passes. Licenses also can be purchased online or at the licensing desk inside DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building, at 89 Kings Highway

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Low Number License Lottery

DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will not hold a low-number hunting license lottery for the 2020/21 hunting season. Please check back for lottery information about the 2021/22 licensing season. For more information, Delaware residents can contact Danielle Davis, Division of Fish and Wildlife License Program Coordinator, at 302-739-9918, between the

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Fish and Wildlife License Fees

Information on fees for licenses, registrations, permits, and passes from the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Delaware Resident Non-Resident Agent Fee

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