Todays Delaware News Journal;
Fish & Wildlife is putting together a proffesional shooting crew for a Feb harvest of approx 600 deer to alleviate damage caused by deer. All will be buthchered by Guess Who - Delaware's finest inmates. The state run inmate butcher shop will start at Norman G. Wilder and end up at the prison in Georgetown. All deer will be tested for CWD and donated to Hunger Program. Some buthcher shops are pissed to say the least.

I figured this was coming sooner or later.

This sucks.

Seems from reading comments made at the meeting August 9th F&W knew this hunt in Feb was a done deal. They mention the CWD sampling going up to 600 this year. The exact number they plan on killing in Feb. Wonder if this master hunter program(only 50 can apply) has anything to do with the Pro's who will be doing the 600 deer harvest??

Alot of very interesting questions. My guess is alot of these deer will come out of New Castle and possible lower Sussex??

It sucks that they are going to do this. But, since they are, I hope they start at some of these parks where deer have been estimated at 200 per square mile.

If they would give hunters more freedom in these areas, it wouldnt be such a problem.

They are trying to thin the flock to head off any CWD outbreak I think is the claim, they could probably extend some seasons. They need to enter certain areas where hunting is not allowed and thin those herds. we rent a farm of 335 acres and there must be 150 deer on there and the owner doesn't allow any one else to hunt in there. He only takes 6 pts or above....Last year I think 2 deer were harvested...

i was thinking about this and thought back to last season, hunting a nice public tract near my mothers in dutch neck farms(st augustine area). one of the things that i did not like about last year was the small game hunters on the tract with dogs during archery season. that makes no sense. the deer population is the problem(its really man's problem and the careless planning and expansions) not the rabbits and birds. i think they should allow the small gamers to certain locations, but in areas that deer r a problem let my MUZZY solve it. lets face it, u arent going to shoot much these days if dogs are running your area>

Talk about poor planning! If this is being done because of over population, why would they wait until Feburary? Do it now or just after hunting season ends. (Being from PA not sure when that is for DE.) 600 deer can eat a lot of food in the months of Nov thru Feb only to be shot afterwards, why not harvest them now and save that food for the animals that remain. It would be easier on the browse and mast crop out there.

If they started shooting up Deer now in,around or close to any private or state game lands there would be some serious conflict with farmers and hunters.Very few soy bean crops have been cut yet. Really shouldn't start this 600 Deer culling until farmers have chance to get all crops cut.With a solid non stop week of rain that flooded many bean fields,they won't get cut for 3-4 weeks or more.Deer,Rabbit,Quail etc.. runs thru last of Jan.

Feb seems to be a good time to start the deer cull.Hunting is done,food crops are gone and deer will be in and around wooded wintering grounds.

BTW - Rabbit hunters Deer hunters never have seen eye to eye on when seasons should be. The owner of our hunting farm is an avid rabbit hunter. We have to share 4-5 Sat every year with rabbit hunters. We hunt until 9 am and then they come in on the rabbits(with dogs of course).



Another Interesting thought - If there planning to have part of this 600 Deer Shoot Out at the OK Coral up in New Castle county I'll betcha there will be a parade of Tree Huggin,Lettuce Eatin Left Wing Anti's from every sidewalk within 100 sq miles raisen wholy hell trying to disrupt the slaughter of those crop eatin flower munchin Bambi Bandits

Its going to be a very interesting Feb

is there any word on where these deer are being taken from. I was thinking semi residental non hunting areas?