Contact: Greg Moore, Wildlife , phone: (302) 739-9912
or Ken Reynolds, Wildlife, phone: (302) 653-2883

Deer Management Workshops Scheduled

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has scheduled a series of statewide deer management workshops during the month of December to discuss with hunters, landowners and other members of the public proposed measures for maintaining a healthy, sustainable whitetail population.

According to Division Director Patrick Emory, “The sharp increase in Delaware’s populations of deer and people makes deer management an important issue for most Delawareans.”

The workshops will feature deer experts discussing white-tailed deer biology; proposed research projects, including a pregnant doe survey; habitat management for deer; harvest strategies to improve herd health; disease risks to deer such as chronic wasting disease; potential regulatory changes; and the Division’s new Master Hunter program.

“Long-range deer management requires better data than we have at present,” Emory said. “We cannot tell with guaranteed certainty how many deer there are in Delaware today, the habitats where they are located, reproductive rates, or the full impact of hunting. Without good science we can’t make the best decisions.”

Successful deer management in Delaware also requires that individual hunters and landowners join the Division in addressing the concern of dwindling habitat and an expanding deer herd, Emory said. “In several areas of the state, the deer population is pushing the limits of what the habitat and society can support.”

“By involving many interests, it is hoped the Division can meet the needs of more users, reduce conflicts among users, and provide the recreational opportunities Delaware residents have come to expect,” said Emory.

The New Castle County workshop will be held Dec. 8 at the Ommelanden Hunter Training Center on Route 9 south of the City of New Castle. The Kent County workshop will be held Dec. 13 in the Department of Natural Resources auditorium at 89 Kings Highway, Dover. The Sussex workshop will held Dec. 15 in Georgetown’s Delaware Tech Owens Campus in the lecture hall of the William Carter Partnership Center. All workshops start at 7 p.m. For more information, call Division deer biologist Ken Reynolds at 302-653-2883.

 

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