DNREC to Hold Managed Deer Hunt at Cape Henlopen State Park
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, January 16th and 17th DNREC will close a section of Cape Henlopen State Park to accommodate a managed deer hunt. This managed hunt is open to anyone with a valid Delaware hunting license and a Delaware State Parks hunting permit (https://destateparks.com/Adventures/Hunting). There will be two sessions each day and open stands will be filled through an onsite lottery at 5am – and again at noon. Hunters may enter the lottery both days – even if they are chosen to hunt the first day.
Hunters will be taken to their stands by Cape Henlopen State Park staff and be in their stands 30 minutes before legal shooting time – which on Tuesday, Jan. 16 is around 6:45 a.m. The morning session ends at 10 a.m. both days. Shooting time for the afternoon hunts both days is at 1 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m.
This managed deer hunt is to reduce the deer herd in and around the park and lessen environmental impacts on rare plant species and plant communities at Cape Henlopen. The main entrance to the park will be closed – and the bay and ocean beaches north of Herring Point will not be accessible to park visitors during the hunt. Visitors will be able to visit the Gordons Pond area and lands on the west side of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.
