DOVER, Del. – Delaware’s statewide one-day turkey hunt for youth ages 10-15 and for non-ambulatory disabled hunters requiring a wheelchair for mobility will be held Saturday, April 4, followed by the four-week-long spring turkey hunting season from Saturday, April 11 through Saturday, May 9. Hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with no Sunday hunting.
Youth hunters on the one-day turkey hunt must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older who has completed a Delaware-approved turkey hunter safety course and who has a Delaware hunting license or is license-exempt. The accompanying adult may not hunt on the special one-day turkey youth hunt.
Only bearded turkeys may be harvested, and the bag limit is one bearded turkey per hunter each year, regardless of where and when a bird is harvested.
All harvested turkeys must be registered at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day the bird was harvested. A list of available check stations is available at 2020 Turkey Check Stations and on page 27 of the Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. (Note: Blue Hen Outdoors in Kent County is not available for checking in turkeys). Harvest data collected by the Division of Fish & Wildlife is used to manage Delaware’s wild turkey population.
Due to coronavirus (COVID-19) considerations, self-registration of harvested turkeys has been enabled by DNREC this year at check stations to accommodate required social distancing. Easily identifiable, residential-style mailboxes are located at each check station, with self-registration cards placed inside each mailbox. To complete registration of a harvested turkey, hunters are required to fill out the card as completely as possible, remembering to sign and date the card. After having done so, remove the small bottom portion of the card and retain it
