Deer hunting season is coming up, and Delaware has implemented new emergency regulations. Breaking the rules could cost you up to $250! While these rules only impact Delaware, we think they serve as an essential reminder to brush up on your area’s rules before heading out this hunting season.
We’re huge fans of hunting. It’s a great way of getting out of the house and getting exercise and fresh air. It can be a wonderful activity to do with friends or family. It’s good for the environment. Even accounting for a hunting license, it can be a really affordable way of feeding yourself and your family!
But it’s also essential to follow the rules so you don’t harm the environment and get slammed with a huge fine. Concerned about the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Delaware has made changes to how hunters can lure deer. When the season starts on Sept. 1, hunters cannot use bait to attract deer within the CWD management zone. They also cannot use urine-based buck-lures. CWD can spread through urine. They also cannot rescue and relocate fawns from within the CWD management zone.
The rules are intended to reduce animals from congregating and potentially worsening the spread of the disease. They are also aiming to increase the amount of testing.
The restrictions could impact businesses that rely on the hunting season. Jeffrey Behney is the co-owner of a gun shop and range called Range Time. He’s worried about how the restrictions may impact Range Time. “For us, it’s really going to hinder our business because the 10 or 12 pallets of corn that we sell a year, that’s not going to happen anymore. So we use that to subsidize our income to get people in the door to buy other stuff.”
His brother, the co-owner of Range Time, said the restrictions could incur extra costs for hunters. “Fuel prices are already high. I mean, how much…do I [have] to spend in this? Is it going to keep me from hunting? It might.”
Time will tell if these restrictions impact Delaware’s deer hunting season and if they will help prevent the spread of CWD. However, it’s a good reminder that, even if you live in another state, it’s in your best interest to brush up on the rules before the season begins. Things can change between seasons. You want to know what you’re working with so you can have a good time and know you aren’t going to end up with any fines that will ruin your whole season!
