Delaware Hosts Turkey Hunt for Disabled Hunters and Youth

Kids ages 10 to 15 and non-ambulatory disabled hunters will have the opportunity to hunt turkeys on Saturday, April 4, before the start of Delaware's 2015 spring season. Hunters will be able to hunt on private property, state wildlife and state forest lands.

Hunters ages 13 to 15 must have a valid Delaware junior hunting license and must have completed a hunter education course, as well as a Division of Fish and Wildlife-approved turkey hunter safety class. Hunters age 10 to 12 are exempt from these requirements. All youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older who is licensed to hunt in Delaware, and who has taken a DNREC-approved turkey hunter safety class. Adult companions may not possess a firearm during the hunt. For more information on safety classes, click Delaware Hunter Education.

As with the regular turkey hunting season, hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m. All birds taken must be checked by 2:30 p.m. on the day of the hunt at an authorized turkey check station. A list of 2015 check stations can be found on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website. Bag limit for all turkey hunters is one bearded bird per year; birds without beards may not be taken.

All state forest lands that are open during the regular turkey season will be open for the special hunt, including Redden State Forest, Blackbird State Forest and Taber State Forest. For specific areas, check Forest Maps. For more information, call one of these state forest offices: Redden State Forest, 302-856-2893; Blackbird State Forest, 302-653-6505; and Taber State Forest, 302-698-4500.

All state wildlife areas normally open for hunting during the regular turkey season are also open for the youth/non-ambulatory disabled turkey hunt. No special turkey hunting permits are required for hunting on state wildlife areas on this day. Areas are open on a first-come, first-served basis with no registration required. For wildlife area-specific regulations, click Delaware Hunting Maps.

For more information, visit NRABlog.com.