CNBNews

• On Oct. 25, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested five Sussex county residents in connection with hunting waterfowl over bait at Fleetwood Pond near Seaford on Oct. 24. Benjamin S. Lloyd, 27, of Seaford; Carlton F. Milligan Jr., 46, of Laurel; Carlton F. Milligan III, 22, of Delmar; Dylan C. Shockley, 22, of Laurel, and Corey A. Williamson, 24, of Seaford, were charged with one count each of hunting migratory waterfowl over illegal bait and possession of unlawfully taken game/waterfowl. After pleading not guilty via video arraignment, all five were released on $500 unsecured bond each, pending court appearances at a later date.

• On Oct. 23, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police cited three Sussex County residents in connection with hunting waterfowl over a baited pond in Lewes. James Dorrell, 51, of Millsboro, and Blake P. Moore, 22, of Lewes, were each charged with one count of possession of unlawfully taken game/waterfowl. They were issued fines of $330 each, including court costs. Taylor J. Moore, 26, of Millsboro, was charged with one count of hunting migratory waterfowl over illegal bait and issued a $165 fine, including court costs.

• On Oct. 23, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police cited Travis J. Tryon, 35, of Stevenson, Md., for one count of possession of over-the-limit waterfowl. He was issued a $107 fine, including court costs. 

• On Oct. 22, in response to reports of damaged duck blinds in the Concord Pond area, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested Kurt C. Brown, 53, of Seaford, and charged him with three counts each of criminal mischief, impeding lawful hunting and causing or contributing to illegal discharge of solid waste; two counts of criminal trespass; and one count each of entering a state-owned area after hours and failure to display navigation lights on a vessel after sunset. Brown was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown. He was released on $3,250 unsecured bond, and was ordered by the court to have no contact with victims involved and barred from entering the waters of Concord Pond.
  
  

Citations issued this week by offense category included the following, with the number of charges in parentheses:

Wildlife Conservation: Impeding lawful hunting (3), hunting with an unplugged shotgun capable of holding more than three shells (2), trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (2), operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area (5), operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a state wildlife area (2)*, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number (2), hunting migratory waterfowl over illegal bait (8), possession of unlawfully taken game/waterfowl (7), and possession of over-the-limit waterfowl (1).

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Fishing without a license (5).

Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (1), no life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (1), no boating safety certificate (1), and no navigation lights/required safety equipment (1).

Public Safety: Carrying a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle (2), third degree criminal trespass (2), criminal mischief (3), and causing or contributing to illegal discharge of solid waste (3).

* Citations issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area. In addition, the following citations not marked by asterisk also were issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area: Operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway in a state wildlife area (4), and trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (1).

Are you AWARE?

With cooler fall temperatures settling in, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind visitors to enjoy our state wildlife areas while complying with established rules and regulations. 

General wildlife area rules and regulations include:

• State wildlife areas are open from sunrise to sunset and closed to public access from sunset to sunrise, with the exception of those lawfully engaged in hunting or fishing. Anyone else found in state wildlife areas between sunset and sunrise will be cited for trespassing after hours.
• Camping, swimming, dumping and littering, target shooting (including paintball) and fires are prohibited in state wildlife areas.
• Dog training is permitted only within established dog training areas or during open hunting seasons for the game animals that the dog is being trained to hunt.
• Hunting is permitted only in specified areas and only when in season.
• Firearms are prohibited on state wildlife areas from March 1 through Aug. 31, except as otherwise authorized by the Division of Fish & Wildlife for hunting or dog training.
• Operating vehicles off-road, including ATVs, is prohibited; all vehicles must be licensed, remain on designated roads and not exceed a speed of 20 mph.
• All state wildlife areas are designated carry-in, carry-out for trash.

“We encourage Delaware residents and visitors to enjoy our beautiful wildlife areas by engaging in a host of low-impact activities, including hunting and fishing in season, hiking, wildlife and bird watching, photography, kayaking and canoeing and enjoying established trails,” said Sgt. John McDerby of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement. “To protect our wildlife areas and enhance their enjoyment for the many visitors who follow the rules, however, we strictly enforce state regulations as well as Delaware criminal law.” 

For more information on regulations for specific wildlife areas, click Delaware Hunting Maps. Hard copies of the maps are also available at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, or by calling the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.