SPIEGELMAN: DNREC commended on Sunday hunting law

This past legislative session, I had the privilege of serving as one of the four co-chairs of the new bipartisan, bicameral ad-hoc committee, known as the Delaware Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. Senators Bruce Ennis and Brian Pettyjohn, Representative William Carson, and I worked together to ensure this committee met regularly and addressed timely issues impacting Delaware sportsmen and women and their traditional rights to hunt, fish, and pursue outdoor activities in the First State. One of our major accomplishments this year was the assistance the Sportsmen’s Caucus offered during the policy discussions that eventually resulted in legislation being enacted to allow Sunday hunting in Delaware on five specified dates for the year. The caucus helped to serve as a mediator of sorts on this legislative initiative between members of the public and the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The outcome was a consensus bill that will permit deer hunting on five specified Sundays per year on private lands and on designated government lands. As part of the new law, the public must also be given the opportunity to comment on the location of the public lands and the times being proposed for Sunday hunting. For the upcoming season, DNREC has released the following dates that Sunday deer hunting will be allowed. They are Oct. 9, Nov. 13 and 20, and Dec. 11 of this year, and Jan. 15, 2017. Sunday deer hunting will be permitted during the regular hunting hours of one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset only on these dates. To find out more information on the public lands in Delaware being proposed for Sunday hunting this season, please contact the Wildlife Section at 739-9912. I am thankful to DNREC and the Division of Fish and Wildlife for their continued commitment and thoroughness to making this outdoor sport as safe as possible and for working with the public to address their concerns as they relate to the expansion of deer hunting opportunities in Delaware. All concerned parties have been respectful of the others’ issues, and I commend them for coming together to agree to a meaningful solution for everyone involved.

State Rep. Jeffrey N. Spiegelman R-District 11 (All or parts of Clayton, Hartly, Kenton, Marydel, Middletown, Townsend) Clayton