Hunting rules change last minute
Days before new regulations for hunters under 21 were to go into effect for the fall hunting season, the rules for some have changed.
Hunters ages 18 to under 21 no longer need hunting supervision to hunt with any type of allowed weapon. In new regulations released by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control released Aug. 30, hunters under the age of 16 must be supervised at all times by someone 21 or older, and those 16 to under 18 must be supervised when using a muzzleloader, shotgun, handgun, rifles such as a center or rimfire style.
The change comes following an Aug. 29 court decision ruling in favor of a challenge to a state law signed in 2022 by former Gov. John Carney, requiring direct supervision for most hunters under the age of 21.
The fall hunting season starts Monday, Sept. 1, for deer using a bow or a crossbow. Using those weapons, only hunters under ages 16 must be supervised under the new regulations.
Melissa Steele is a staff writer covering the state Legislature, government and police. Her newspaper career spans more than 30 years and includes working for the Delaware State News, Burlington County Times, The News Journal, Dover Post and Milford Beacon before coming to the Cape Gazette in 2012. Her work has received numerous awards, most notably a Pulitzer Prize-adjudicated investigative piece, and a runner-up for the MDDC James S. Keat Freedom of Information Award.
