The 10-day general firearm deer season runs Friday, Nov. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 22, and typically accounts for about 40% of Delaware’s annual deer harvest, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Image created on 11/6 using AI.
Hunters in parts of Sussex County face mandatory check stations as state responds to first confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease
DOVER, Del. — Delaware’s most popular deer hunting season opens Friday, Nov. 13, but this year hunters will head into the woods under new rules designed to contain chronic wasting disease after the fatal wildlife disease was detected in the state for the first time.
The 10-day general firearm deer season runs through Sunday, Nov. 22, and typically accounts for about 40% of Delaware’s annual deer harvest, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
The biggest change affects hunters in Wildlife Management Zones 11, 14 and 16 in Sussex County, which DNREC has designated as Delaware’s Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone.
Any deer harvested in those zones during the general firearm season must be brought to a DNREC check station, where wildlife officials will collect samples for CWD testing.
Delaware has confirmed three cases of chronic wasting disease in wild white-tailed deer this year. The first, announced in April, was also the first confirmed case on the Delmarva Peninsula. A third case announced in September prompted DNREC to expand its management zone to include Wildlife Management Zone 11.
Why CWD matters
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family.
It is caused by abnormal proteins known as prions that can spread through saliva, blood, urine, feces and contaminated soil, food or water. There is no treatment or vaccine, and infected deer ultimately die from the disease.
No transmission of CWD to humans has been documented. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that hunters in areas where CWD is present have deer tested before eating the meat and not consume meat from animals that test positive.
Delaware had tested deer for CWD for more than two decades before detecting its first case this year. DNREC says it has tested nearly 13,000 samples since surveillance began in 2003.
Mandatory check stations
Hunters who take deer in Wildlife Management Zones 11, 14 or 16 during the Nov. 13-22 firearm season must report to one of three check stations:
- Delaware Solid Waste Authority Jones Crossroads Landfill, 28560 Landfill Lane, Georgetown
- Gumboro Community Center, 36849 Millsboro Highway, Millsboro
Redden State Forest Jester Tract parking lot, Redden Road, Kings Crossroads
The stations will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day of the firearm season.
Hunters should bring their deer registration information, including the new QR code generated during registration. Hunters without the QR code can still have their deer sampled.
Deer harvested outside the management zone may also be voluntarily submitted for testing. Hunters can drop deer heads at designated Delaware Hunters Against Hunger locations, and DNREC staff also plan to collect samples at selected deer processors in Middletown, Camden and Milton.
Movement and bait restrictions
DNREC has also imposed restrictions intended to reduce opportunities for CWD to spread.
Baiting and feeding deer are prohibited within the management zone, and natural urine-based deer attractants are prohibited statewide. Hunters moving deer harvested inside the management zone to other parts of Delaware also face special transportation and disposal requirements.
DNREC adopted emergency regulations after the first CWD cases were discovered and expanded the management area following the third confirmed case in September.
Other hunting rules changed this year
CWD is not the only change hunters will notice during the 2026-27 season.
Delaware expanded Sunday hunting to all game species, broadened the types of straight-walled pistol-caliber rifles and muzzleloaders that can be used and eliminated the minimum-age requirement for DNREC special youth hunts.
State law also now allows 16- and 17-year-olds who have completed basic hunter education to hunt and practice shooting without direct adult supervision if they have permission from a parent or guardian.
DNREC has published an addendum to its 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide outlining the CWD rules and other regulatory changes.
Hunters part of the response
Wildlife officials say the concentrated firearm season gives Delaware an opportunity to collect a large number of samples in a short period and better determine how widely the disease has spread.
DNREC Wildlife Section Administrator Joe Rogerson said information gathered during the season will help officials assess the disease’s distribution and prevalence and shape Delaware’s approach for the 2027-28 hunting season.
That makes this year’s deer harvest about more than recreation.
Thousands of hunters heading into Delaware’s woods this month will also provide wildlife managers with information that could influence how the state manages its deer population for years to come.
To Go
- What: Delaware general firearm deer season
- When: Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 22
- CWD requirement: Deer harvested in Wildlife Management Zones 11, 14 and 16 must be brought to a DNREC check station during the firearm season.
- Check station hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
- Learn more: DNREC’s Chronic Wasting Disease page and the 2026-27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide contain regulations, maps, testing information and updates.
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