State: DE

Why It Matters: Currently, in the First State, your “ordinary pocketknife” must be a folding knife having a blade no bigger than 3 inches in length and cannot be a mechanically-assisted knife (what many states have erroneously defined as a “switchblade”).  Senate Bill 108 (SB 108) repeals that requirement by amending the language of the…

Why It Matters: It is no secret that the Mid-Atlantic region (DE, MD, PA, VA, WV) plays an important role in our outdoor heritage. However, with the region also presents many challenges for sportsmen and women, conservation efforts generally. As 2024 ends, we can look back at the successes that are attributed to a strong…

Why It Matters: On Thursday, May 23, the Delaware Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) held their final meeting of the 2024 Legislative Session. During this meeting, many topics were discussed, such as a proposed constitutional amendment for the right to hunt, fish, and trap, and the signing of the Sunday gamebird hunting legislation. It is important…

Why It Matters: Caucus-driven Delaware House Bill 271 (HB 271) passed both the House and Senate unanimously and is now awaiting Governor John Carney’s signature for enactment. HB 271 removes game birds from the list of species prohibited from Sunday hunting within the First State. Delaware’s definition of game birds includes waterfowl, rails, wild turkeys,…

Why It Matters: Currently, if you go game bird hunting in Maryland and Delaware, you can only do so Monday-Saturday. Maryland House Bill 778 (MD HB 778) seeks to remove the legislative prohibition on Sunday migratory game bird hunting (waterfowl and dove), while Delaware House Bill 271 (DE HB 271) seeks to remove the Sunday…

Why It Matters: Currently, in Delaware, Sunday hunting for game birds is prohibited. Delaware’s definition of game bird includes waterfowl, rails, wild turkeys, pheasants, quail, chukar, and doves, amongst others. House Bill 271  (HB 271) removes game birds from the list of species prohibited from Sunday hunting within the First State. While the passage of…

Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for access to activities like hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. As these agencies develop strategies to manage federal lands, it is critical for those who support these activities…

Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws that were initially designed to encourage church attendance. At the time when these restrictions were first put in place, other activities that were illegal on a Sunday included opening a store for business, drinking alcoholic beverages, and tilling your fields….

One important tool for protecting fish and wildlife habitat is a state-level tax credit for gifts of land for conservation or conservation easements. With a wide variety of implementation options, these programs can provide alternatives to development by providing landowners with financial incentives to conserve land. These lands benefit fish and wildlife populations and have…

Properly managed wildlife habitat is essential for supporting sustainable and healthy wildlife populations. Well-managed lands containvarious successional stages that provide a diversity of habitats capable of supporting a diversity of wildlife. On federal lands, however, young forests and other early seral habitats are often underrepresented. The most efficient method to improve wildlife habitat is through…

The vast majority of states in the nation now have a system in place (whether state-run or administered by a nonprofit organization) to provide hunters the option of donating game meat to those in need. However, processors’ ability to participate in donation programs may be limited by state contract or license agreements that require them…