Hunting

Delaware Spring turkey season opens April 5 with new rules in place

DELAWARE - Delaware’s 2025 spring turkey hunting season begins with a special two-day hunt April 5 and 6 for youth and non-ambulatory hunters, according to DNREC. 

This year also marks a major change: Sunday turkey hunting will be allowed for the first time since 1991. However, hunting on Sundays will be limited to private properties with landowner permission and on designated State Wildlife Areas.

Youth hunters must be between 10 and 15 years old and must be accompanied by an adult who has completed a state-approved turkey hunter safety course and holds a Delaware hunting license or an exemption number.

The regular spring turkey season runs from April 12 through May 10. DNREC has replaced traditional check stations with a new digital harvest reporting system. Hunters are now required to register their harvested turkeys using the Digital DNREC app.

Hunters must also complete a harvest report card before moving a turkey from where it was shot. Additionally, first-time hunters aged 13 or older are required to complete Delaware’s turkey education course.

Interest in turkey hunting continues to grow. DNREC received 834 applications for the 2025 turkey hunting permit lottery, and have 544 permits available to hunters this upcoming season.

Locations

Producer

Olivia Armstrong joined the CoastTV News team as a producer in August 2024. She graduated from Rowan University in New Jersey in May 2024 with a bachelors degree in communications and a minor in journalism.

Recommended for you