Small Game Hunting
Delaware
Hunting
Bullfrog and Snapping Turtle Seasons | |||
SEASONS | DATES | LIMIT* | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
Bullfrog | May 1 – Sept. 30 | 24 Daily | May be taken with a valid hunting or fishing license. |
Snapping Turtle* | June 15 – May 15 | No limit | Snapping turtle minimum length is 11 inches on the curvature of the top shell. Traps must be tagged with trapper’s name and address or current year’s license number. Baited fish hooks are unlawful. A free snapping turtle permit number must be obtained and will be issued at the time of the trapping license purchase. Those interested in trapping on Division of Fish & Wildlife lands and state-owned ponds will need to contact the Regional Manager for an additional permit for those lands. |
Diamondback | Sept. 1 – Nov. 15 | 4 Daily | |
Small Game Seasons and Bag Limits | |||
All seasons and limits subject to change. Please stay current by consulting the online version of this guide by visiting http://www.eregulations.com/delaware/hunting/ or call (302) 739-9912. | |||
SEASONS | DATES | LIMIT | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
Gray Squirrel | Sept. 15 – Feb. 6 | 6 | Gray squirrels may be hunted with shotguns statewide, .17 through .22 cal. rimfire and pellet firearms and muzzleloading rifles up to .36 cal. south of the C&D Canal. Only shotguns may be used north of the C&D Canal. When a squirrel season overlaps with a deer firearms season, squirrel hunters must wear 400 square inches of hunter orange displayed on the head, chest and back. |
Cottontail Rabbit | Nov. 23 – Feb. 27 | 4 | Rabbits may be hunted with shotguns, compound, recurve, and lonbows. Rabbit hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material displayed on head, chest, and back when hunting during any deer firearms season. |
Groundhogs | July 1 – June 30 | No limit | Groundhogs are an unprotected species and may be hunted with longbows, crossbows, shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns, and rimfire or centerfire rifles. A hunting license is not required to hunt groundhogs. |
Ring-necked Pheasant | Nov. 23 – Feb. 6 | 2 | Pheasants may be hunted with shotguns and longbows. Pheasant hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material displayed on head, chest, and back when hunting during any deer firearms season. |
Bobwhite Quail | Nov. 23 – Jan. 2 | 6 | Bobwhite Quail may be hunted with shotguns and longbows. Quail hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material displayed on head, chest, and back when hunting during any deer firearms season. |

Hunter and Trapper Mail Surveys
Each year, the Division sends out hunter and trapper mail surveys to estimate the total harvest and hunting effort for game species in Delaware. Aside from deer, turkeys, coyotes and gray foxes, hunters and trappers are not required to report the animals they harvest. These surveys allow biologists to determine harvest information for all of the other wildlife species that are hunted and/or trapped.
Around 5,500 hunters and 630 potential trappers are surveyed annually. The average age of those surveyed in 2018/19 was 56 years old, with the youngest age of 6 and oldest 92.
The Division is currently testing an electronic version of the surveys, if you would like to participate, be sure to include an email address when purchasing a hunting license. Thank you to all the hunters and trappers who participate in these surveys each year!
Estimated Mammal Harvest from the 2018/19 Hunter Mail Survey: | |||||||
Category | Squirrel | Rabbit | Raccoon | Opposum | Red Fox | Groundhog | Coyote |
# of Hunters | 1,043 | 857 | 112 | 47 | 484 | 279 | 56 |
# of Days Hunted | 8,651 | 7,333 | 1,483 | 309 | 4,655 | 10,649 | 865 |
# of Days per Hunter | 4.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 10.6 | 1.4 |
Total # Harvested | 5,108 | 5,046 | 1,030 | 0 | 1,009 | 2,348 | 1 |
Harvest | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Estimated Game Bird Harvest from 2018/19 Hunter Mail Survey: | |||||||||||||||
Category | Mourning Dove | Crow | Snipe | Woodcock | Wild Quail | Pen-raised Quail | Wild pheasant | Pen-raised Pheasant | Turkey | Canada Goose | Snow Goose | Brant | Ducks | Sea ducks | Rails |
# of | 2,945 | 680 | 474 | 721 | 21 | 103 | 21 | 144 | 3,852 | 5,294 | 2,039 | 659 | 3,481 | 680 | 453 |
# of Days Hunted | 8,177 | 1,050 | 1,009 | 2,019 | 124 | 536 | 124 | 494 | 12,338 | 37,756 | 9,454 | 1,133 | 30,423 | 1,545 | 371 |
# of Days per Hunter | 2.8 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 7.1 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 8.7 | 2.3 | 0.5 |
Total # Harvested | 37,467 | 2,183 | 556 | 1,050 | 0 | 2,348 | 0 | 597 | 571 | 34,893 | 13,183 | 1,071 | 40,619 | 3,151 | 41 |
Harvest Per Day | 4.58 | 1.41 | 0.55 | 0.52 | 0.00 | 4.38 | 0.00 | 1.21 | 0.05 | 0.92 | 1.39 | 0.95 | 1.34 | 2.04 | 0.11 |
Waterfowl leg banding

Division wildlife biologists have been busy banding waterfowl as part of a expansive monitoring initiative across the Atlantic Flyway.
Did you know?
Reports from hunters of harvested waterfowl with leg bands help biologists learn more about species distribution (travel, etc.) and survival rates! Old bands may still have a phone number and/or website to report bands. Since fall 2017, the reporting phone number has been discontinued. If you harvest a banded bird, please go to www.reportband.gov to report the band.