DELAWARE
For its size, Delaware packs a lot of punch for the deer hunter, both in terms of numbers of deer and their size. It also has a significant amount of public land. Though much of the public land provides waterfowling opportunities, there are also plenty of surrounding lands of importance to the deer hunter. According to wildlife biologist Ken Reynolds of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, in recent years the agency has witnessed a trend of hunters taking the first buck that's available.

"About 60 to 65 percent of the bucks taken are yearlings," notes the biologist. Yet with the availability of excellent habitat throughout the state -- as well as situations that allow a few bucks to fall through the cracks each year -- some real trophies are taken. Some come from public lands. Recent regulatory changes as well as education programs provide hope of more big bucks in the future.

"We've made a few changes in an effort to cut down on the total buck harvest," notes Reynolds. "General hunting licenses no longer have a buck tag. A buck tag must be purchased separately. Quality buck tags are also available, ones that require a buck to have a spread of at least 15 inches to harvest."

Reynolds said the best opportunity for trophy bucks exists in the southern portion of the state. Areas such as Redden State Forest provide significant amounts of public land. He notes, too, that many of the state's public hunting areas include wetlands. Swampy areas provide bucks a sanctuary from hunting pressure that equates into older deer.

In the northern portion of the state, two state parks offer shotgun deer hunting on a lottery basis. Brandywine and White Clay state parks have each been known to produce impressive antlered bucks. In these parks, you must take a doe before you may harvest a buck. Many hunters are satisfied with their doe, leaving added potential for older bucks.

Biologist Joe Rogerson suggests Cedar Swamp Wildlife Management Area as a good public area for finding larger bucks. Cedar Swamp is being managed as a quality deer area.

Bill Jones, another of the state agency's wildlife biologists, serves as an official scorer for the state's deer records. Jones said there's a good smattering of trophy bucks across the state. He suggested hunters key in on the marshy areas of Kent and Sussex counties located near Delaware Bay.

Public areas such as Little Creek and Norman G. Wilder WMAs have produced very large bucks in recent years. These two counties are also rich in agricultural areas and have large blocks of timber.

"New Castle County, in northern Delaware, in more urbanized," noted Jones. "Access is tough there."

He said work has been done to educate hunters and landowners on the value of quality deer-management practices. He believes that the future will see a trend toward hunters passing up smaller bucks.

"With the excellent habitat we have, even 3 1/2-year-old bucks are impressive in Delaware," said Jones.

Due to the complexity of management strategies, deer-hunting regulations are often detailed. Be sure to carefully review the latest rules and regulations before taking to the woods this fall.