News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Oct. 4, 2009 - Vol. 39, No. 401
For more information, contact Joe Rogerson, Fish and Wildlife, 302-735-3600,
or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Hunters reminded to register deer by phone or internet systems
New system saves time, paper and expense
With the 2009-2010 deer season beginning, the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife would like to remind hunter of the new requirement for all harvested deer to be registered via the Division’s toll free phone line, 1-866-511-DEER (3337) or internet system at http://www.dehip.com .
As in the past, hunters must still register their deer within 24 hours of harvest. However, hunters will not be able to take deer to a check station or butcher shop and have it registered. Deer must be registered by phone or online before butcher shop processing.
Although the Division is sensitive to the tradition associated with hunters taking deer to check stations in Delaware, a change was needed and the decision was made to discontinue check stations and move to registration online and by phone. With both Delaware’s deer population and harvest numbers increasing, nearly 14,000 deer are being harvested annually and nearly half of those were being registered at check stations. The time required to enter the paper forms used at check stations had become overwhelming in both time and expense.
In addition to time and budget considerations, the new electronic system will allow the Division to receive its annual harvest information within days of the season ending rather than five or more months later. In the past, the Division was unable to compile harvest totals until around May because it took so long to enter the information on the forms into the computer. The change also will provide additional cost savings because the Division will no longer have to print thousands of deer harvest record forms, possession tags, and hide tags each year.
Even though hunters will not be able to take their deer to a check station to be registered, the change in the registration system will not impact the Division’s harvest data collection efforts.
The Division will continue to collect chronic wasting disease (CWD) and biological harvest data, including antler measurements, weights, and ages. During the peak deer seasons, Division personnel will be stationed at deer processors around the state collecting this information. Depending on the data collection goals for the year the Division will still be collecting as many samples, if not more, than it has in the past.
When registering a deer, hunters will need to know their hunting license numbers as well as the deer management zone in which the deer was harvested. Zone information can be found on pages 19 to 22 in the 2009-2010 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide.
After registering a deer, hunters will be given a 6-digit registration number to record and keep as proof of registration. Hunters having their deer processed by a butcher will need to give this number when dropping off the animal.
For more information on the Automated Deer Checking System and the questions you will be asked to answer, please refer to pages 3 and 24 in the hunting guide.
For more information about the deer registration change or any other deer related issue, please contact Wildlife Biologist Joe Rogerson at 302-735-3600.