Delaware Management meeting
 

Public Hearing on Deer Management June 30

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's
Division of Fish and Wildlife will be holding a deer management public
hearing at 7 p.m., June 30 in DNREC's auditorium, Richardson and Robbins
building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover to amend the deer season under the
Wildlife and Non-Tidal Fishing Regulations. DNREC is amending the
regulations to promote the harvest of female deer.

The changes include increasing the general deer bag limit from two deer to
four deer, adding one day to the October muzzleloader season, adding
shotgun deer hunting days in October for antlerless deer and changing
tagging requirements for deer checked using the automated phone/internet
system.

"This will hopefully bring the deer population to manageable levels and
address the growing issues of ecosystem damage, crop damage, property
damage, vehicle collisions, and lyme disease transmission," says DNREC's
Deer Damage Assistance Program Manager, Ken Reynolds.

"I believe that deer overabundance is an ecological crisis. Deer browsing
of vegetation has been documented to cause decreased abundance and in some
cases local extinctions of amphibians, birds, mammals, rare plants, and
reptiles," says University of Delaware Assistant Professor of Wildlife
Ecology, Dr. Jake Bowman. "Reducing deer numbers will help conserve
Delaware's fragile biodiversity and promote overall ecosystem health."

The Department has contracted Dr. Jake Bowman to develop a comprehensive
deer management plan for the State.

RE: Delaware Management meeting
 

Snow,
thanks for keeping me /us up to date with this information!

RE: Delaware Management meeting
 

Thanks Oldsnow.

I finished my letter today to be added into evidence on the issue of the proposed October Anterless Shotgun Seasons. I'll be sending a signed copy Via Snail Mail and emailing a copy to Ken Reynolds who promised he get it filed. I will post my letter here once its sent.

Its no secret that I am against the proposed season change. The reasons are numerous and will be detailed again my letter. I just hope the secretary will come to his senses and not go along with this plan. If he does go along,,, well, we'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Did anyone here attend the Sussex Co. workshop on the 2nd?