Pat Emory is the director of the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife. He is among four generations of his family, including his 90-plus-year-old father, who enjoy hunting.
In 1972, the state began tracking the number of hunting licenses sold. The amount reached a peak in 1975, at around 30,000. That rate began to steadily decline a decade later and has remained static at approximately 20,000 annually for the past two decades. It dropped to 15,399 in 2024.
The decline in hunting isn’t unique to Delaware but is part of a national trend that can be attributed to older hunters becoming unable to take part and younger generations being less likely to take up the activity.
Fewer people grow up hunting these days, and absent that formative childhood experience, they’re less likely to hunt as adults. People moving to Delaware from nearby states often come from urban areas and, as a result, don’t have a background in hunting. That all contributes to fewer hunters.
Fifty years ago, roughly 5% of the state’s population hunted, according to license data maintained by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Today, that figure is more like 2%.
But that doesn’t mean hunting’s importance has diminished for those who do take part. It’s a major way of connecting with nature, spending time with friends and family, managing wildlife and promoting conservation. Whether you prefer to hunt alone or with others, it represents a chance to immerse yourself in nature and get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.
For those of us who are practitioners of the art of hunting, there are few things better than being in a deer stand or a duck blind, anticipating a deer coming within range or ducks with wings set coming into your decoys.
For many, this is deeply relaxing and represents a chance to function as our ancestors did. Humans have hunted animals for millennia; it’s one of the oldest activities that survives today. Even though much of the technology has changed, many of the same basic principles apply in 2025 as they did thousands of years ago.
Hunting gives people the opportunity to appreciate the great taste of wild game and fowl, and many find it extremely rewarding to bring home a deer or another animal they have taken themselves. In an age where locally sourced, organic foods are in vogue, is there anything better than the bounty Mother Nature has to offer?
Hunting is a way of testing oneself, improving skill through hours of patience and repetition. It also plays a major role in controlling wildlife populations, like deer and snow geese, in Delaware. Without hunting, these species would adversely impact both farming and our environment.
Hunters pay for the privilege, with Delaware bringing in money from federal excise taxes on guns and ammunition, as well as state fees for hunting licenses. That’s millions of dollars, which fund research, management and habitat improvements — and not only for game. Funding from hunting fees allows the state to acquire habitat and conduct research on raptors, shorebirds and other species, plus educate new hunters.
In short, hunting is part of our heritage, and despite declining numbers, it remains an important way of life for many in our state. The emotional connection hunters develop with nature cannot be overstated and is one of the key factors keeping people coming back to the activity year after year.
If you haven’t hunted before or want to rekindle that passion, contact a family member or friend who hunts or a local gun club. Delaware, through the Division of Fish and Wildlife, provides numerous opportunities to hunt or just enjoy the outdoors, on more than 68,000 acres of public land. Take the time to experience nature at its best and enjoy the beauty and hunting traditions Delaware has to offer.
The fourth Saturday of each September marks National Hunting and Fishing Day, which serves to engage Americans in the great outdoors. This year, it’s Sept. 27. What are you waiting for?
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
