Delaware Deer: About 37,400 whitetail deer post-hunt in 2022. The state estimated 35,000 to 40,000 deer in 2020, a pre-hunt population of 45,000. A pre-hunt population of about 46,000 in 2019 and post-hunt of 31,000. A roughly stable pre-hunt population of around 45,000 since 2005.
Delaware Deer News
Brandywine Zoo welcomes its newest addition, a baby southern pudu August 4, 2023 Delaware, 6abc News
... Southern pudu are the second smallest deer in the world ... a significant contribution to the North American pudu population, as it is slowly declining...
Delaware bans trail cameras for recreational use in state wildlife areas, forests, and parks June 3, 2023 Delaware Public Media
... Factors leading to the ban include acknowledgement trail cameras are a technological advancement in hunting and used successfully by many hunters for harvesting deer...
Delaware Wild Animals: 6 Destinations to Look for Them April 13, 2023 Delaware, Southwest Journal
... Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control estimates that between 30,000 and 35,000 white-tailed deer are in the state..,
Delaware’s 2022-’23 deer hunting season yields third-highest harvest March 28, 2023
... Delaware hunters harvested 16,848 deer — the state’s third-highest number — during the 2022-’23 hunting season ... an increase of 9.5% over last year’s harvest total ..,
Local farmer concerned with Sussex's coyote population November 11, 2022 Delaware, Cape Gazette
... “It’s going to devastate turkeys and the local deer herd,” said Hopkins, showing photos of a pack of coyotes taken at night with a trail camera. “You can tell there are more coyotes around because the deer herd is real skittish.” ...
Delaware zoo's pudu Haechan, named by fans of NCT-127, has died. June 28, 2022 WHYY
... The small deer was born at the LA facility in 2018 and gained international attention after fans of the Korean pop music group NCT-127 won a Facebook fundraiser to sponsor the tiny deer...
Public Encouraged to Avoid 'Rescuing' Young Wildlife May 19, 2022 State of Delaware News
... Many wildlife species, including white-tailed deer, will leave their young to forage for food, returning a few times a day, trusting their young’s natural instinct to lie quietly so as not to be detected by predators... For more help in trying to determine if a young wild animal is orphaned or injured, or is simply exhibiting normal behavior instead of needing to be rescued, contact the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators...
Delaware Deer Harvest Announced for 2021/22 Hunting Season April 27, 2022 Delaware.gov
... Delaware hunters reported harvesting 15,383 deer during the 2021/22 hunting season, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The harvest was 10.9% lower than the 2020/21 record harvest of 17,265 deer ..,
Reporting Sick or Dead Wildlife - DNREC Alpha
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control - Delaware.gov
... If you see sick wildlife, or dead wildlife where it looks like the cause of death is an illness, please report it to the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. If you see five or more sick or dead wild animals at the same location, please also call division staff at 302-735-3600 (Ext. 2)... If you need a wildlife rehabilitator, please contact the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators...
Motorists Urged to Watch Out for Deer Crossing Roadways October 25, 2021 Delaware, State of Delaware News
... Late October through November is prime time for increased white-tailed deer activity in Delaware, leading up to their peak mating season in mid-November... The average white-tailed deer in Delaware weighs about 130 pounds, with larger bucks tipping the scales at 200 pounds or more ...
White-tailed deer tests positive for rabies as hunting season opens September 10, 2021 Delaware, The News Journal
... A white-tailed deer has tested positive for rabies in the area of Kings Creek Circle and Road 273 in Rehoboth Beach, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health....
Man looking into license to keep pet deer that's house trained April 12, 2021 Delaware, Yahoo News
... will "sleep on the couch, wake up and tap on the door when she's ready to leave" ... the Delaware Department of Natural Resources who let him know that allowing deer into the house is illegal possession of wildlife ...
Another record for Delaware hunters: 17,265 deer harvested in the 2020-2021 season March 4, 2021 Delaware Online
... At the start of the 2020-2021 season, DNREC estimated the size of the Delaware deer herd at 45,000... A total of 17,265 deer were registered with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control ... surpassing last year's record 16,969 harvest..,
Delaware's shotgun deer hunters keeping statewide herd stable December 20, 2020 Delaware, CapeGazette.com
... Hossler [ State Wildlife Administrator] estimates Delaware’s total herd at 35,000 to 40,000 deer. “Our state deer herd is extremely healthy. We know that because we have the highest percentage of testing for diseases of any state in the country.” ..,
Motorists Urged to Watch Out for Deer Crossing Roadways October 28, 2020 Delaware, news.delaware.gov
... According to Delaware State Police (DSP), more than 1,800 crashes involving animals occurred on Delaware roads in 2019, 60 of which caused personal injuries and one resulted in a fatality...
Three arrested after deer killed July 15, 2020 Delaware, Delaware State News
... a deer was struck by a vehicle on July 9 and died after allegedly suffering from “cruel acts” by the defendants ... charged with felony cruelty to animals ...
Delaware’s 2019-20 Deer Harvest Sets Record High July 9, 2020 Delaware.gov
... The 16,969 deer harvested during the 2019/20 season exceeded the previous record by 1,665 deer (10.9 percent) compared to 15,304 deer harvested during the 2017/18 hunting season ... 9,423 does, representing 55.5 percent of the total harvest ... 4,861 antlered adult bucks with antlers three inches or more in length ...
White‐tailed deer neonate survival in the absence of predators JR Dion, JM Haus, JE Rogerson, JL Bowman - Ecosphere, 2020
... Non‐predation‐related mortality causes in our study area resulted in survival rates comparable to regions with established predator communities. Non‐predation‐related mortality may be the ultimate driving factor controlling neonatal survival in other regions but can be obfuscated by more proximal mortality sources, such as predation...
Local wildlife panorama now includes deer-killing coyotes February 21, 2020 Delaware, CapeGazette.com
... “Coyotes run their prey down from the rear and rip into them from that direction. I don’t think the coyotes ate any of the deer unless one of them ate its entrails.” ... I used to hunt land in Connecticut ...There were lots of deer and turkeys ... “Then around 2003 or 2004, the coyotes showed up. The last five years I had a license I never shot a turkey or a deer...
Delaware Farm Bureau held its 75th meeting December 22, 2019 Middletown Transcript
... several resolutions amended the DFB’s policy book, one calling for creation of a Delaware Deer Damage Task Force to study and make recommendations of ways to decrease the white-tailed deer damage in Delaware and a another urging the state to undertake a thorough measurement of the population and distribution of property-destroying wildlife within the state including white-tailed deer, sika deer ...
Deer hunters sue Delaware over ban on semi-automatic rifles December 9, 2019 WHYY
... The rules limited hunters to single shot rifles ... two hunting groups and two of their members are suing the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) over the regulation. The lawsuit contends that the rules banning semi-automatic rifles go beyond the law’s restrictions...
Carper gives opening statement at hearing on Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force December 4, 2019 Delaware, Sussex Countian
... “The legislation we are considering today encourages federal agencies and states to better coordinate their monitoring, research and management efforts,” said Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware ...
Delaware deer population healthy, trending slightly down November 22, 2019 Cape Gazette
... The estimated population of white-tail deer in Delaware stood at about 46,000 before this year’s hunting season started. Post-season it will stand at about 31,000. “The population is stabilizing but starting to show a slight decline, which is probably helpful to some farmers..,
An initial performance review of vaginal implant transmitters paired with GPS collars JR Dion, JM Haus, JE Rogerson, JL Bowman - Animal Biotelemetry, 2019
... In 2016, 60% of the females expelled transmitters at the birth sites. Failure to locate a birth site was a result of technological failings (20%) and premature expulsions (20%). Following manufacturer updates in 2017, we observed an apparent reduction in technology malfunctions (8%) but similar rates of premature expulsions (33%), which resulted in 58% of radio-linked transmitters expelled at birth sites...
*Caution* Deer Crashes Spike During This Time of Year September 30, 2019 Delaware, WGMD Radio
... use extra caution on Delaware roadways as the deer rut and hunting season is fast-approaching during the months of October and November. The majority of deer activity resulting in crashes occur during the dusk and dawn ...
Genetic diversity and demographic history of introduced sika deer on the Delmarva Peninsula Wiley September 27, 2019 Delaware, Online Library
... We conclude that free‐ranging sika deer on Delmarva are descended from ca. five individuals introduced about 100 years ago from captive stocks of deer maintained in the United Kingdom. Free‐ranging sika deer on Delmarva have lost neutral diversity due to founder and bottleneck events, yet populations have expanded in recent decades and show no evidence of abnormalities associated with inbreeding...
Portions of Redden State Forest, Del. opened earlier than normal for deer harvest August 20, 2019 Delaware, POST Online Media
... expanded antlerless deer harvest dates and methods ... “We recognize that farmers are attempting to protect their crops without using lethal measures, but the steps they are taking are not keeping deer from causing crop damage...
DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announces 2018/19 deer hunting harvest ranks as state’s 2nd all-time highest May 3, 2019 Delaware, DNREC News
... Hunters in Delaware harvested 14,883 deer during the 2018/19 hunting season ... exceeded only by last year’s (2017/18) harvest of 15,304 deer. Inclement weather limited the deer harvest during this past season’s opening weekend of the popular November deer shotgun season, which likely reduced the overall annual harvest..,
Good news and bad news for fishing and hunting regs April 5, 2019 Delaware, CapeGazette.com
... the 2018-19 deer season resulted in the harvest of 14,883 deer. Over half of those animals were taken during the fall shotgun season. This was a six-year low in spite of the addition of 23 Sundays..,
Delaware to close part of Cape Henlopen State Park for a managed deer hunt on Jan. 24 January 20, 2019 ClearysNoteBook
... a section of Cape Henlopen State Park will be closed to accommodate a managed deer hunt taking place Thursday, January 24...
State cracking down on illegal nighttime hunting November 28, 2018 Delaware, Delaware State News
... At least five arrests were made for alleged illegal nighttime hunting excursions in mid-November ...
AAA offers tips to avoid deer-related crashes October 22, 2018 Delaware, Delaware First Media
... In 2017 Delaware saw 1,913 crashes involving deer and other animals ...
Delaware deer hunters shut out on semi-auto rifles September 28, 2018 Guns.com
... New legislation had Delaware sportsmen expecting more options but conservation officials are adamant that semi-autos are not part of the list...
DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife announces expanded deer hunting September 20, 2018 Delaware, news.delaware.gov
... Recent changes in state law substantially increase the number of Sundays when deer can be hunted, and also allow the use of certain straight-wall, pistol-caliber rifles for some deer hunting seasons...
Prof. Jake Bowman reflects on 17 years of deer research at UD September 10, 2018 Delaware, UDEL.edu
... even at a density of 60 deer per square mile — which is about average for this area — sometimes deer browsing increased soybean yield. “Generally, it was more positive than negative and that’s because when deer browse on soybeans, it makes them bushier and at the nodes of those is where the bean is produced,” said Bowman [University of Delaware].
Deer Rescued From Well In Wilmington, Delaware August 19, 2018 Delaware, CBS Philly
... A deer is safe thanks to an alert resident walking his dog in Wilmington, Delaware...
State Rep. Rich Collins looking into deer damage crop insurance for farmers August 17, 2018 Delaware, The Courier-Express
... Delaware State Representative Rich Collins has announced he is personally looking into introducing legislation at the start of next year's session to create crop insurance specifically directed towards deer damage...
Delaware opens Sunday deer hunting August 11, 2018 Delaware State News
... Senate Bill 198 legalized Sunday hunting across the whole season established by the state ... increased deer-related property damage reported by farmers and a desire to increase recreational hunting accessibility and opportunity for the state’s hunters...
Keeping a deer as a pet illegal in Delaware July 23, 2018 Delaware, 6abc Action News
... Wildlife police rescued a white tail fawn from an apartment near Wilmington ... individual was fined $107 ...
Delaware: Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Sunday Deer Hunting July 13, 2018 NRA-ILA
... Governor John Carney signed Senate Bill 198 into law to expand hunting opportunities in Delaware by eliminating the prohibition against hunting for deer on Sundays ...
State says leasing land could help 'deer problem,' hunters aren't so sure June 21, 2018 Delaware, The News Journal
... the state Department of Agriculture, which oversees Delaware’s forest land, has proposed privately leasing more than 800 acres of public lands ... “I think the driving force was to identify lands that were underutilized, under-hunted ...
Senate votes to allow deer hunting on Sunday, bill goes to House June 7, 2018 Delaware, The News Journal
... Citing damage to farms and the environment from a growing deer population, Delaware Senators on Thursday voted to eliminate the state's prohibition on Sunday hunting for the animal...
Returning land to the wildlife March 16, 2018 Delaware, Delaware Gazette
... Preservation Parks of Delaware County is reforesting 112 acres of recently acquired property south of the Alum Creek Damn ... during the time the park crew has been out planting trees, they had seen deer, wild turkeys, and a bald eagle ...
Boom In Antler Pet Chews May Have Opened A Black Market February 25, 2018 Delaware, Delaware First Media
... Online, pet supply companies will sell a six-inch chunk of elk antler for $15, marked as organic and "naturally shed," a designation that implies they were collected after being dropped by the animal during a seasonal molt... every day in Alaska, plenty of people promise in all caps to pay up to $50 a pound in cash for antlers...
Delaware hunters worry about precedent of privately leasing public lands February 6, 2018 The News Journal
... a new deer management program that would privately lease public land in Sussex County has area hunters up in arms. “Our tax money buys this land,” said hunter Guy Pusey of Greenwood... [according to the Delaware Forest Service]: The main goal of this program is to help control the deer population...
Airbow, Proposed laws about hunting January 31, 2018 Delaware, Milford Beacon
... The state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) supports legalization of airbows for deer hunting ... uses an air rifle platform to fire arrows at high rates of speed...
Delaware Deer Population November 24, 2017 capegazette.com
... State wildlife biologists said this week that the state's deer herd stood at about 35,000 prior to last week's shotgun season. ... By 2005, surveys determined a post-hunting season total deer population of 37,563 – from not enough to too many. By 2009, expanded seasons and limits had done their job. The post-hunting season population that year stood at about 25,730 ..,
Delaware deer harvest may set another record November 22, 2017 Delaware State News
... according to DNREC: “Preliminary 2017/18 November shotgun harvest estimates indicate a slight increase from the 2016/17 November shotgun season. Delaware hunters harvested over 6,600 deer during the 2017/18 November shotgun season. The total deer harvest for 2017/18 is on track to meet or exceed the record breaking harvest of 14,793 deer in 2016/17. Doe harvest statewide has recently been exceeding 50 percent and in the last 5 years or so has averaged somewhere around 53-54 percent for the entire hunting season.”...
Shotgun deer hunting season opens Friday in Delaware November 6, 2017 Delaware First Media
... It’s expected Delaware hunters will harvest about 14,000 deer this year, with nearly 6,400 of them taken during the November shotgun deer season...
Delaware deer hunting reaches peak in November November 2, 2017 news.delaware.gov
... nearly 50 percent of the overall annual deer harvest will occur during these 10 days in mid-November,” said Emily Boyd, deer and furbearer biologist with the Division of Fish & Wildlife. “This year we anticipate Delaware hunters will harvest about 14,000 deer, with nearly 6,400 of them taken during the November shotgun deer season.” ...
November presents the greatest chance of deer/vehicle collisions November 2, 2017 Delaware, Middletown Transcript
... Figures from the Delaware State Police show in 2016 there were 2,042 animal/deer-related crashes ... Sussex County led the way with 1,010 reports ...
Officials release tips for motorists ahead of heavy rain in Delaware July 28, 2017 Delaware, WMDT
... Deer and other wildlife may be driven into the open and cross the highways to escape the rising waters...
Inside Delaware's new hunting license fee structure July 5, 2017 The News Journal
... The 148th General Assembly passed House Bill 401, raising hunting-related license fees and establishing a conservation access pass... increases include resident hunting licenses from $25 to $39.50 ...
DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds hunters of new license fees June 27, 2017 Delaware, Dover Post
... Nonresident quality buck tag: $50 ... Nonresident antlered deer tag: $50 ... Additional antlerless tag: $20 ... Delaware’s last hunting license fee increase occurred in 2007...
DNREC advises on newborn fawns: What you need to know – and what you should and should not do if you ‘find’ them May 24, 2017 Delaware, news.delaware.gov
... . “Even if a fawn appears to be alone, the mother is likely close by. Newborn fawns need to feed every few hours so the doe is never far away. Young fawns are left alone for extended periods of time by their mothers as a survival mechanism ...
Delaware’s 2016/17 deer harvest sets new all-time high record March 1, 2017 DNREC News
Delaware hunters harvested 14,742 deer during the 2016/17 hunting season, surpassing 2015/16’s record of 14,681 deer taken, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. This season marks the seventh time within the last 12 years the deer harvest has exceeded 14,000 since Delaware’s first modern-day deer season was held in 1954...
Report Wildlife Crimes December 9, 2016 Delaware, Delaware.gov
... Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police encourage the public to report violations of Delaware’s hunting and wildlife regulations through Operation Game Theft (OGT), a fund established in 1980 by the Delaware General Assembly to assist in the apprehension and conviction of game law violators. Funded with all fines collected for violation of game laws in Delaware and with donations from various sources, OGT provides rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons involved in game law violations. The identity of those providing information is kept confidential, and rewards are paid in cash...
Statewide December antlerless deer season opens Dec. 10 December 5, 2016 Delaware, news.delaware.gov
... The December antlerless season provides additional deer hunting and harvest opportunities, with more than 600 antlerless deer typically harvested annually during this season ... Antlerless deer include female (doe) deer, as well as male deer with both antlers measuring less than three inches in length. Only shotgun, muzzleloader or archery/crossbow equipment can be used during the December antlerless deer season...
This year, hunters will have the opportunity to hunt on Sunday, Dec. 11 during the December antlerless season on private land with landowner permission and in public areas open to Sunday hunting.
Killing deer in Henlopen Acres appalling November 18, 2016 Delaware, CapeGazette.com
... It's well known and documented that these kinds of draconian measures simply do not work. Delaware is woefully out of touch on this issue ...
DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrest two Maryland men for multiple nighttime deer poaching violations November 15, 2016 Delaware, news.delaware.gov
... DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested two Maryland men on multiple nighttime deer poaching-related violations ...
Much-anticipated statewide shotgun deer hunting season opens Friday November 8, 2016 Delaware, Delaware 105.9
... pointing to another bountiful harvest during the state’s early shotgun deer season ... during Delaware’s five-month deer season, nearly 50 percent of the overall annual deer harvest will occur during these 10 days in mid-November ...
Delaware deer crash danger is highest in rural Sussex November 3, 2016 Delaware, Delmarva Now
... 876 deer collisions in Sussex County in 2015 ... based on the numbers of crashes over the past few years ... the population of deer ... neither rising nor falling...
State Farm's Annual Deer Collision stats are warning Delmarv September 21, 2016 Delaware, WMDT
... new data from state farm -- show the odds of being involved in a deer collision nationwide is one in 164. in delaware -- it's one in 148. in maryland it's one in 139 -- and in virginia it's one in 94 ...
DNR warns Farmers NOT to pull the trigger on Deer without a permit September 15, 2016 Delaware, Delaware 105.9
... Farmers in an effort to save their crops are shooting and killing deer and Natural Resources Police say without a permit ...
Primer on when and where you can hunt in Delaware September 14, 2016 The News Journal
... Depending on property size and features (like woods, agriculture fields, and ponds) lease rates can exceed $10,000 per year. In areas that frequently produce high harvests of deer and geese, competition for the prized spots sometimes creates bidding wars that price some hunters out of the market...
Opening of hunting season brings some significant changes August 31, 2016 Delaware, The News Journal
... Sunday hunting on private land is allowed during the established dates at the discretion of the landowner, Sunday hunting on public lands is determined by government agencies (including the Division of Fish & Wildlife) only after seeking public comment...
Delaware law will only allow deer hunting on five Sundays this season August 12, 2016 Delaware 105.9
... deer hunting is now allowed on five specified Sundays beginning with the 2016/2017 hunting season... on private and public designated lands ...
DNREC seeks public comment on state wildlife Sunday deer hunting locations, times August 11, 2016 Delaware, WMDT
... Sunday deer hunting ...on private lands ... at the discretion of the landowner ... at location ... on the Fish & Wildlife website... comment can be ... emailed to DNREC_Sunday_Hunting_Comments@state.de.us ... by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, 2016...
Delaware Sunday deer hunting law needs to clear last hurdle June 1, 2016 Delaware, The News Journal
... HB 289 now must pass the Senate before going to the governor for his signature ... Delaware is one of the last five states that still outlaws Sunday hunting and that Maryland and New Jersey hunting regulations include Sunday deer hunting...
What You Should Know and Do if You Encounter an Abandoned Fawn May 2016 Delaware, Delaware 105.9
... it is illegal in the state of Delaware to possess or attempt to rehabilitate a live white tailed deer. The offense is punishable of up to a $250 fine...
Springtime means birthing time for female deer May 23, 2016 Delaware, Worcester Telegram
... Justin Dion, a University of Maine graduate, is working on his master's thesis at the University of Delaware, studying the mortality of whitetails on the Delaware Peninsula...With a mild winter and excellent food supplies, we have very healthy does, which should be very productive this spring ...
Sunday Deer Hunting Bill Passes House, Senate Committee May 19, 2016 Delaware, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
... B 289 will allow deer hunting on five specified Sundays on private and public lands, with approval of the landowner or responsible government agency. Deer hunting would be allowed on one Sunday in each of the months of October, December and January and on two Sundays in the month of November...
Saturday event opens Townsend Property May 6, 2016 Delaware, The News Journal
... Delaware Wild Lands bought the farm with private funding, ... The hunting and trapping guidelines include deer management, which means that invasive deer herds are culled by hunters to reduce damage to agricultural products and forests...
Delaware: Sunday Hunting Legislation Advances out of House Committee May 6, 2016 Ammo Land
... The substitute language for HB 289 will allow for the hunting of deer on Sundays during each deer season, on both private and public lands... the Delaware House Committee on Agriculture approved House Substitute 1 ...
Del. Legislature Considering Allowing Sunday Deer Hunting March 23, 2016 Delaware, WBOC
... The bill was introduced by Rep. Williams Carson (D-Smyrna) and amends the existing law to add deer hunting on private land to the list of hunting exemptions for Sundays...
Delaware’s 2015/16 Deer Harvest All-Time High February 24, 2016 WGMD
... Delaware hunters harvested 14,681 deer during the 2015/16 season – the highest number since the state’s first modern-day deer season was held in 1954 ... 54.3 percent does (7,975) and 45.7 percent bucks (6,706) ...
Man charged with more than 70 weapon, hunting violations February 12, 2016 Delaware, Delaware Online
... illegal take of at least 14 deer during Delaware’s 2015-16 deer season ... Wildlife violations may be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.
Workshop on access pass, increased fees well attended January 16, 2016 Delaware, Cape Gazette
... how the wildlife areas are funded and why additional funding is required. Approximately 70 percent of the funds come from hunting license sales with the rest coming from the general fund ... esident hunting license would increase from $25 to $39.50...
State proposing fees to enter Delaware wildlife areas January 11, 2016 Delaware, Delaware State News
... proposed fee increases related to hunting and trapping, including the creation of a new fee to visit designated wildlife areas. Currently, anyone can access the state’s 20 wildlife areas — also known as conservation areas — for free, although hunters must pay to use a blind or deer stand. To address declining revenues, the division is seeking to institute new customer costs ...
Another chance to legalize Sunday hunting in Delaware January 6, 2016 Delaware, The News Journal
... It looks like 2016 may finally be the year in which Sunday hunting legislation is presented to Delaware lawmakers. Various forms of draft Sunday hunting legislation exist ...
Wildlife research project encounters defective technology January 4, 2016 Delaware, Village Soup
... male deer after animals were found with severe neck injuries. Two years ago, Hopkins opened his land to researchers, who began tagging juvenile male deer in efforts to learn more about white-tailed bucks' travel patterns and mortality rates through a $395,000 Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife grant ...
DNREC announces deer hunting arrests December 18, 2015 Delaware, Delaware State News
... fined $652 including court costs, for dumping solid waste in the form of three deer carcasses along a roadway in Midlands Wildlife Area near Millsboro....
Controlled deer hunt Dec. 15-16 in Brandywine Creek State Park to be managed by DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife December 9, 2015 Delaware, DNREC News
... The hunt has been held each year since 1994 to reduce the number of white-tailed deer on the 1,000-acre park to a manageable level and to curb serious habitat damage caused by the foraging animals...
Two New Jersey men arrested on multiple deer poaching violations November 24, 2015 Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
... charged with hunting without a license, failure to display hunter orange, possession of unlawfully taken antlered deer, two counts of possession of unlawfully taken antlerless deer, transporting unlawfully taken antlered deer, two counts of transporting unlawfully taken antlerless deer, harvesting antlered deer without purchasing an antlered deer tag ... If found guilty on all charges, he faces up to $63,000 in fines ...
Sika deer introduction, population genetics, and their competition with white-tailed deer DM Kalb - 2015, University of Delaware
... the first introduction of sika deer, was actually in Maryland. Sika deer were first introduced to the United States as an additional game species when our native white-tailed deer population numbers were at an all-time low... sika deer numbers have the potential to expand more rapidly than the current rate. Despite the complicated introduction history and depleted level of genetic diversity, sika deer have proven to be healthy and highly successful deer on the Delmarva Peninsula currently in addition to native white-tailed deer...
Neighbors Upset Over Deer Carcasses On Side of Roads November 18, 2015 Delaware, WBOC
... Along Pear Tree Road in Millsboro, there are some gruesome images lining the roadway. Deer carcasses are spread throughout... In 2013, WBOC did a story on the situation, and as a result, the carcasses ceased for awhile...
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police investigating deer hunting incident with injuries near Millsboro November 13, 2015 Delaware, delaware.gov
... A 54-year-old hunter in a tree stand shot an arrow from his compound bow that struck the 24-year-old victim on the ground about 30 yards away. The injured man was airlifted to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes by the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit. After he was stabilized, he was airlifted to a Maryland hospital, where he underwent surgery today...
Delaware Deer Archive: Population and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban Management, Transportation
Delaware Data: The state estimated 35,000 to 40,000 whitetail deer in 2020, about 37,500 deer. Based on hunting data, a post-hunt population of 37,400 in 2022. A roughly stable pre-hunt population of 45,000 in 2020 and in 2005, 2015, and 2019, also 2013. A 2019 estimate of 46,000 pre-hunt in 2019. An estimated population of 35,000 in 2017 and about stable for the previous few years.
The population likely increased somewhat during 2014, but declining into 2015. DNREC reported good habitat conditions resulting from the cool and wet spring and summer, coupled with an exceptional hard mast crop (acorns and other tree nuts). One estimate puts the population at 45,000 whitetails in 2013. Official post-hunt state estimates of 25,730 in 2009 and 37,563 in 2005. Another estimate is 31,071 in 2009, falling from 36,563 in 2005.
In 2013 the herd recovered from an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a viral infection that can be lethal to deer. Sussex County was particularly hard hit by EHD. DNREC has a target population of 40 deer per square mile in deer habitat areas. In the 2014-'15 season hunters took 54 percent does (7,683). During the 2013-'14 season, 53 percent females (7,558) and 47 percent males (6,705). Delaware’s highest deer harvest occurred during the 2004-'05 season, with 14,669 deer. In 2013 the state targeted 40 deer per square mile of habitat statewide.
History Although deer were abundant in Delaware at the time of first settlement in the 1600's, over hunting and habitat destruction nearly exterminated deer. To restore herds, hunting was banned from 1841 to 1954. A limited deer season was allowed in 1954 with 505 deer taken. No restocking of deer was done in Delaware.
By the late 1980's, deer management was focused on reducing the herd. In 2005 the post-hunt deer population was estimated at 37,563. Expanded limits and season length were used to reduce the heard to 25,730 in 2009. In 2007 the ratio of deer harvested to licenses issues was about 0.73. "Unlike most states, when Delaware held its first hunting season hunters were allowed to harvest both bucks and does." History About half the deer are taken during the shotgun season.
Sitka deer, an Asian Elk species, were introduced onto private land in 1916 and they have generally occupied the marshy, swampy and woodsy realm of the Eastern Shore. In the last few years they have been spotted in Sussex county. Smaller than white-tails at about 50 to 100 pounds, darker coats, smaller antlers.
Deer Hunt: 1954 to 2012 from DNREC
Coyote About 100 coyotes in 2013. Delaware opened a coyote season in 2013, in part to protect the deer population. One coyote was killed in 2013.
Report Poaching: (302) 739-4580
For help in trying to determine if a young wild animal is orphaned or injured, or is simply exhibiting normal behavior instead of needing to be rescued, contact the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators...
Reporting Sick or Dead Wildlife - DNREC Alpha
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control - Delaware.gov
... If you see sick wildlife, or dead wildlife where it looks like the cause of death is an illness, please report it to the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. If you see five or more sick or dead wild animals at the same location, please also call division staff at 302-735-3600 (Ext. 2)... If you need a wildlife rehabilitator, please contact the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators...