Hunting in the fall is a ritual for many people throughout the United States as that is when many animals have reached maturity. Like many states, Delaware has a number of hunting regulations in place for certain game animals.
The state details its hunting regulations on
the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control website and associated pages.
Here is a look at some of the animals that can be hunted in Delaware during the fall.
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1. Coyotes
Hunters seeking coyotes have the entire autumn season in which to bag their limit.
2. Gray Squirrels
Hunters can bag limits of gray squirrels during all of autumn as well as most of the winter. The only limitation is that gray squirrels cannot be taken during the November shotgun season for deer.
3. Deer
There are a number of different time frames for hunting deer in the fall, depending on the style of weapon,
according to the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife. The methods of hunting allowed for antlered deer, such as sika and white-tailed deer, include, archery, muzzleloader and shotgun. Hunting antlerless deer is allowed for a few specific dates and can include all of the mentioned hunting methods.
4. Ducks
The regular season for duck hunting in Delaware runs for a week or two at a time, with a couple of sessions, usually beginning in late October until early November and then starting again in late November. The daily bag limit for ducks is six, except for coots and mergansers, which have a limit of 15 and five, respectively. The daily possession limit is 18 (45 for coots and 15 for mergansers).
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5. Geese
There are different seasons for geese in Delaware. For example, resident Canada geese have a season that takes place during most of September, but migratory Canada geese, including white-fronted geese, have a brief season in late November and a longer season that begins in mid-December. The bag limit is two geese, and possession limit is six. The snow geese hunting season begins Oct. 1 and runs until the end of January, with a bag limit of 25 and no possession limit.
6. Quail
Quail, specifically Bobwhite quail, are generally available to hunt for a few weeks beginning in late November.
7. Rabbits
Hunters may bag cottontail rabbits beginning in late November until the end of the year.
8. Raccoons and Possums
Raccoons and possums share the same hunting season, which runs from Sept. 1 until Oct. 31. This includes both methods of hunting: chase and harvest. However, harvesting raccoons and possums is prohibited during the November shotgun season.
9. Red Foxes
Hunting red foxes in Delaware has two different seasons, depending on the method used. Hunters using the chase method have a longer season that begins on Oct. 1, while the season for those using the harvest method begins in early November. There are limitations to the chase method, however. Hunters may only chase red foxes from Tuesday through Thursday when deer hunting season with a firearm or archery equipment is allowed. No red fox hunting via the chase method is allowed during the deer gun seasons that take place from October through December.
10. Ring-Necked Pheasants
Hunting for ring-necked pheasants also only occurs for a limited time beginning in late November.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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