Spring Turkey Season Lottery Attracts Record Number of Applicants for Hunting State Wildlife Areas
February 4, 2026/
A record 992 hunters applied for 540 available State Wildlife Area turkey hunting permits ahead of the upcoming spring season. The Wildlife Section conducted the annual lottery January 21st, covering all 19 state wildlife areas and Delaware’s two national wildlife refuges—Bombay Hook and Prime Hook. Permits are valid for one of four season segments, with the spring turkey season running from April 11th through May 10th. Of the applications, 869 came from Delaware residents. The remaining 123 non-resident applicants represented 22 states. Interest follows last year’s record turkey harvest of 801 gobblers. Applicants can check whether they were selected by matching their Delaware hunting license numbers on the Spring Turkey Season Hunting Permit Lottery webpage. Successful applicants will also receive permit letters by mail from DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife in the coming weeks.
Photo from DNREC– news.delaware.gov