Sussex County will be conducting a special managed antlerless gun hunt on December 14^th and 15th, 2023 at the Wolfe Neck wastewater treatment facility located at 36160 Wolfe Neck Road Rehoboth Beach, DE. 19971

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Parks and Recreation, leases to Sussex County, a portion of State Park lands surrounding the treatment facility for the carrying out the process that takes place at the plant. As part of the lease, Sussex County is required to establish a hunting program. At the current time, the program consists of “archery only” and from established platform stands provided by Sussex County.

Sussex County has been given approval by DNREC, Parks and Recreation, to hold a special managed gun hunt to increase the harvest before the end of the regular deer hunting season.

On Thursday December 14th and Friday January 15th, there will be a managed antlerless gun hunt at the facility which will be conducted as follows:

1. There will be a morning and evening hunt each day. Morning hunts start ½ hour before sunrise and end at 9:30AM. Evening hunts begin at 2:30PM and end ½ hour after sunset. These hours allow for staff at the facility to perform normal duties without the danger of gun fire. Official sunrise for December 14^th is 7:10 am, sunset at 4:39 pm.
2. 14 stand positions are available and will be awarded by a drawing. The morning drawing will be at 6 AM and the evening drawing will be at 2 PM. Hunters successful in drawing a stand will only occupy the stand that is drawn and only for the duration of the AM or PM hunt.
3. Hunting will only be from the provided stands. No discharge of a firearm is permitted while walking to or from the stand or while standing on the ground.
4. Hunters will be required to remain in the stand until the end of the hunt before retrieving game or leaving the area.
5. Only shotguns with slug/sabot ammunition or muzzle loading rifles will be permitted. As the area of the hunt is located on Delaware Parks land, no straight wall rifles permitted.
6. All hunters must have the State Park registration and Fish and Wildlife licensing requirements completed prior to hunting.
7. Hunters are required to use the deer harvest tags included with their current year Delaware Hunting License.

Hunters interested in participating in the special managed hunt should arrive to the hunter parking area at 6 AM for the morning hunt and 2 PM for afternoon hunt.

The Wolfe Neck Hunting Program allows for archery only hunting during any deer season established by Delaware Fish and Wildlife and permitted by Delaware State Parks. The established deer seasons are noted below in the advertised Delaware Deer Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits. Hunters are reminded that there is no Sunday hunting in the Wolfe Neck Hunting Program Area as it is part of the State Park. Hunters are reminded to obtain the required State Park hunting permit available from the Delaware State Parks and a valid hunting license available by the Delaware Fish and Wildlife. Hunting is permitted only in the provided stands and ground blinds, ladder stands and climbing stands are prohibited. Additionally, hunters are required to wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange while traveling to, coming from, or in an established stand.

Deer hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1/2 hour after sunset.

*Archery and crossbow hunters may take antlered deer during the October antlerless deer season, but not during the December antlerless season.

**It is now legal to hunt deer with a handgun and authorized straight-walled pistol-caliber rifle during any shotgun deer season (excluding the special antlerless seasons). Only 2 antlered deer may be taken during any license year (July 1 – June 30) by all methods and seasons combined. There is no limit on antlerless deer provided a hunter has an antlerless deer tag in their possession before harvesting additional antlerless deer.