Hunters and Wildlife Watchers Encountering Dead or Sick Wild Birds,
Especially Snow Geese, are Advised to Report Location to DNREC

With the reopening this week of Delaware’s waterfowl hunting season, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds hunters that safe handling of wild birds is imperative following the recent detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a sick snow goose found Dec. 8 in eastern Kent County. After returning presumptive positive for H5 avian influenza from the University of Delaware’s Allen Laboratory, the goose was sent for further testing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, returning a result of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza on Dec. 15.

The third and final segment of duck season opens Wednesday, Dec. 17, followed three days later by the migratory Canada goose season – and hunters are asked not only to handle waterfowl safely after harvesting them, but to fill out DNREC’s sick and injured wildlife reporting form for any affected waterfowl or other wild birds they might come across while hunting. This would include sightings of any wild birds showing uncoordinated movement and an inability to fly, which indicates they are likely in the throes of HPAI.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure. Due to close contact with thousands of other snow geese while feeding and roosting, they can get sick and die. Snow geese, which are waterfowl, migrate from the Arctic and form large flocks in Delaware each winter. It is unknown when or where these geese may have acquired the virus given their highly migratory nature and their association with other waterfowl and waterbirds throughout the Atlantic Flyway through which they travel into Delaware and more southern states.

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Since the state began tracking the number of hunting licenses sold in 1972, the total number of hunters in Delaware reached a peak in 1975, at around 30,000. That number began to steadily decline a decade later and has remained static at approximately 20,000 annually for the past two decades before dropping 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 people hunting today.

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. Hunting is a major way of connecting with nature, spending time with friends and family and 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 that are practitioners of the art of hunting, there are few things better than being in a deer stand or duck blind, anticipating the opportunity of 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 today 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 other game 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 your own 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 that funds research, management and habitat improvements for wildlife management — and not only for game species. Money from hunting fees allows the state to acquire habitat and conduct research on raptors, shorebirds and other species, as well as 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 hunting year after year.

If you haven’t hunted before or want to rekindle that passion again, contact a family member or friend that hunts or a local gun club to get you started. Delaware, through the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, provides numerous opportunities for you to hunt or just enjoy the outdoors on more than 68,000 acres of public lands throughout the state. Take the time to experience nature at its best and enjoy the beauty and hunting traditions that Delaware has to offer.  

The fourth Saturday in September marks National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual event that serves to engage Americans in the great outdoors. In 2025, that is Sept. 27. What are you waiting for?  

Pat Emory is the director of the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Related Topics:  animals, conservation, fish and wildlife, fishing, hunting, op-ed