New Rules Include Sunday Hunting for all Game Species and Updates About Chronic Wasting Disease in the State

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has released the 2026/27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide, which is now available at participating license agents statewide, at the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s licensing desk in Dover, and on the de.gov/hunting webpage.

Key changes this year include expanded Sunday hunting for all game species and an update on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which was recently detected in Delaware.

The guide lists dates for the 2026/27 hunting and trapping seasons, as well as a summary of Delaware laws and regulations governing the legal harvest of game animals and game birds. Hunting and trapping regulation changes for the upcoming season include:

• Expanded caliber options for straight-walled pistol-caliber rifles and specifications for muzzleloaders used for deer hunting.

• Expanded Sunday hunting opportunities for all game species.

• Removal of minimum age requirements for youth hunts.

• Authorization of motorized electric carts, wagons, and wheelbarrows on wildlife areas.

• Extension of the spring wild turkey season to include the final Sunday.

• Establishment of a year-round coyote season.

• Details on these and other changes can be found throughout the guide. While the CWD section of this guide has been updated, additional information will be available in an addendum later this summer at all locations where hunting guides are distributed, and in the online guide.

Information can also be found in the guide about the Conservation Access Pass, which is required for all registered motor vehicles accessing Delaware’s State Wildlife Areas for any allowable activity, including hunting.

To find a participating agent, visit the de.gov/licenseagents webpage. To purchase a license online, visit the Digital DNREC webpage. For more information about Delaware hunting and trapping licenses, visit the de.gov/licensing webpage.