Division of Fish & Wildlife

• Frequently asked questions about Delaware's new hunting license fees
  • Hunting license FAQs (printable version)

Shooting hours: Upland game (except wild turkey, raccoon and frogs) ½  hour before sunrise to ½  hour after sunset (raccoon and frogs may be hunted at night).

2007/’08 Deer Seasons

Season	Season Dates	Bag Limit1
Archery2	September 1, 2007 – January 31, 2008	4
October Antlerless	October 15, 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, 2007	4
October Muzzleloader	October 5 – 13, 2007	4
Youth Day	November 3, 2007	4
November Shotgun	November 9 – 17, 2007	4
December Antlerless	December 8 – 15, 2007	4
January Handgun	January 5 – 12, 2008	4
January Shotgun	January 19 – 26, 2008	4
January Muzzleloader	January 28 – February 2, 2008	4

¹Hunters may shoot 2 does and/or 2 antlerless deer with their license tags. Hunters may purchase additional antlerless tags (unlimited) for $10 each. Hunters may also purchase: one hunters choice (Delaware residents), an antlered deer tag (non-residents), and/or a quality buck tag (Delaware residents and non-residents) if they want to shoot a buck.

²Hunter orange, 400 square inches, must be worn while archery hunting during all deer muzzleloader and/or shotgun seasons. 

More Information

• Muzzleloaders may be used during shotgun seasons and may be equipped with scopes.
• A crossbow may be substituted for a shotgun from Nov. 11-17, 2007. Crossbows must be from 150 to 200 lbs. and manufactured after 1980.

2007/'08 Small Game, Furbearer, Bullfrog, and Snapping Turtle Seasons

Species	Season Dates	Daily Limit
Eastern Gray Squirrel	September 15 – October 4, 2007 October 15 – November 8, 2007 November 19, 2007 – February 2, 2008	4 6
Bobwhite Quail	November 19, 2007 – February 2, 2008	6
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit	November 19, 2007 – February 15, 2008	4
Ring-necked Pheasant (male only)	November 19, 2007 – February 2, 2008	2
Raccoon (chase only)	September 1 – October 31, 20071 March 1 – 31, 2008	0
Raccoon	November 1 – 8, 2007 November 19, 2007 – February 29, 2008	No Limit
Virginia Opossum (chase only)	September 1 – October 31, 20071 March 1 – 31, 2008	0
Virginia Opossum	November 1 – 8, 2007 November 19, 2007 – February 29, 2008	No Limit
Red Fox (chase only)	October 1, 2007 – April 31, 20082	0
Red Fox (special hunt zone)3	November 1 – December 31, 20071	4
Bullfrog	May 1 – September 30, 2007	24
Snapping Turtle4	June 15 – May 15, 2007	No Limit

¹Raccoon, Virginia opossum and red fox (October 1 – December 31, 2007) seasons are closed during the deer shotgun and muzzleloader seasons.

²From January 1 – April 31, 2008, fox hunting by chase during deer hunting season shall be permissible on private lands only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday if the owner of the private land has authorized such hunting.

³Special Hunt Zone – New Castle County south of the C&D Canal and Duck Creek Hundred in Kent County.

⁴Minimum length is 8 inches on the curvature of the top of the shell.

More Information

• Eastern Gray Squirrel: From September 15 – October 31, 2007 shotguns may be used statewide or south of the C&D Canal only; .22 caliber rimfire or a muzzleloading rifle up to 36 caliber may be used.  From November 1, 2007 – January 18, 2008 only shotguns may be used statewide.
• Rabbit, Pheasant, and Quail: Hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material displayed on head, chest, and back when hunting during any deer gun season.
• Raccoons: Raccoons may be hunted and trapped on private land only at any time of the year, except on Sundays, in New Castle or Kent Counties from the southerly boundary of Rt. 380 and east and southeast of the center line of Rt. 13 and Rt. 113, south to the St. Jones River with permission of the landowner.
• Bullfrog: May be taken with either a valid hunting and/or fishing license.

2007/'08 Migratory Bird Seasons

Species	Season Date(s)	Daily Limit
Mourning Dove	September 1 – 29, 20071 October 16 – 27, 2007 December 15, 2007 – January 12, 2008	12 (24 in possession)
American Woodcock	November 19 – December 8, 2007 December 20 – December 29, 2007	3 (6 in possession)
Common Snipe	November 19 – December 8, 2007 December 20 – December 29, 2007	8 (16 in possession)
King & Clapper Rail	September 1 – November 9, 2007	10 (singly or in aggregate of the two species; 20 in possession)
Sora & Virginia Rail	September 1 – November 9, 2007	25 (singly or in aggregate of the two species; 25 in possession)
Moorhens & Gallinules	September 1 – November 9, 2007	15 (30 in possession)
Crow	June 28, 2007 – March 29, 2008	No Limit

¹New this season: Dove hunting hours are ½ hour before sunrise till sunset for ALL of the segments.

 

2007/'08 Waterfowl Seasons

 

Shooting hours are ½ hour before sunrise to sunset, except for the September Teal Season (½ before sunset to 10AM) and September Resident Canada Goose Season (½ hour before sunset to ½ hour after sunset).

 

Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit, except for Snow Geese, for which there is No Possession Limit

 

Species	Season Date(s)	Daily Limit
Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers
September Teal Season	September 20 – 29, 2007	4 (8 in possession)
Special Youth Hunt (age 12-15)	October 20, 2007	Standard Limits for Ducks1; includes two Canada Geese
Ducks	October 26 – November 6, 2007 November 19 – December 1, 2007 December 14, 2007 – January 26, 2008	6 (possession limit is twice the bag limit)1
Coots & Mergansers	October 26 – November 6, 2007 November 19 – December 1, 2007	15 Coots; 5 Mergansers (2 Hooded Mergansers)
Seaducks	September 25, 2007 – January 26, 2008	7 (14 in possession in addition to regular duck limits); 4 Scoter daily limit (8 in possession)
Geese and Brant
Canada Geese (Resident)	September 1 – September 15, 2007	15
Canada Geese (Migratory)	November 19 – December 1, 2007 December 14, 2007 – January 21, 2008	2
Brant	December 5, 2007 – January 31, 2008	2
Snow Geese (Statewide)	October 15 – November 8, 2007 November 19, 2007 – January 26, 2008 January 28, 2008 – March 10, 2008 (Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. Only)	15
Snow Geese (Bombay Hook; refuge open Mon., Wed., and Fri.)	October 8, 2007 – January 21, 2008 February 8, 2008 – March 5, 2008	15

¹ Six duck daily bag limit, including no more than 2 scaup, 1 black duck, 4 mallards (no more than 2 hen mallards), 1 pintail, 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 mottled duck, 1 fulvous whistling-duck, 2 canvasback, and 4 scoters.

More Information

• Hunters must obtain a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number each year (valid July 1 - June 30) prior to hunting migratory birds, including mourning doves. Your HIP number is free of charge and is available through this link ( http://www.dehip.com ) or by calling 1-877-DELAHIP

Approved Nontoxic Shot for Hunting Waterfowl – Current as of June 2006

A nationwide ban on the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting has been in place since 1991. Nontoxic shot regulations apply only to waterfowl (defined as the family Anatidae: ducks, geese [including brant], and swans) and coots. Not-toxic shot is defined as any shot type that does not cause sickness and death when ingested by migratory birds. The shot types that are approved as nontoxic for waterfowl hunting in the U.S. are the following.

Federal Code Reference - 50 CFR 20.21(j) 

NOTE: The season for hunting on private shooting preserves is October 15 - March 31, 2008.