Nanticoke Wildlife Area: hunting, deer stands, parking and map
Nanticoke Wildlife Area is 4,820 acres of Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife land in Sussex County, inside Wildlife Management Zone 13 and 11. DNREC's maps show 25 deer stands (1 for hunters with disabilities) and 10 parking lots with 42 spaces. Hunters took 93 deer on state wildlife areas in Zone 13 in 2025-26, of 1,004 in the zone.
Data updated October 2026. Area, stands and parking: DNREC's FirstMap layers. Zone harvest: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data). Seasons: 2026/27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, deer seasons (DNREC).
State wildlife areaState forestState parkNanticoke Wildlife AreaDNREC parkingZone lineHighway
| Size | 4,820 acres (DNREC) |
|---|---|
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 13, Zone 11 |
| County | Sussex |
| Deer stands (DNREC) | 25, 1 of them for hunters with disabilities |
| Parking | 10 lots, 42 spaces; 9 need a Conservation Access Pass; 1 with accessible parking |
| Tracts named on DNREC's maps | North of Broad Creek and South of Broad Creek |
| Chronic wasting disease | Inside DNREC's CWD Management Zone: no baiting, November firearm check-in |
| Nearest towns | Bethel (next to it), Blades (3 mi) and Seaford (3 mi) |
Where do you park at Nanticoke Wildlife Area?
DNREC maps 10 parking lots on Nanticoke Wildlife Area:
| Lot | Tract | Surface | Spaces | Conservation Access Pass | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South of Broad Creek | Paved | 25 | No | 38.56372, -75.67102 |
| 2 | North of Broad Creek | Stone | 4 | Yes | 38.57821, -75.65182 |
| 3 | North of Broad Creek | Turf | 4 | Yes | 38.56509, -75.69990 |
| 4 | South of Broad Creek | Stone | 2 | Yes | 38.55123, -75.65569 |
| 5 | South of Broad Creek | Stone | 2 | Yes | 38.54923, -75.69310 |
| 6 | South of Broad Creek | Turf | 1 | Yes | 38.56026, -75.65820 |
| 7 | South of Broad Creek | Turf | 1 | Yes | 38.56072, -75.64097 |
| 8 | South of Broad Creek | Turf | 1 | Yes | 38.56632, -75.63715 |
| 9 | South of Broad Creek | Turf | 1 | Yes | 38.56007, -75.64701 |
| 10 | South of Broad Creek | Turf | 1 | Yes | 38.56745, -75.64135 |
Source: DNREC wildlife area parking (FirstMap).
What stands, blinds and fields does DNREC mark on Nanticoke Wildlife Area?
25 deer stands (1 for hunters with disabilities). They are spread over 2 tracts: North of Broad Creek and South of Broad Creek.
Source: DNREC wildlife area stands, blinds and fields (FirstMap). DNREC Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations has how stands are assigned and used.
How many deer are taken around Nanticoke Wildlife Area?
| Zone | Deer, 2025-26 | On state wildlife areas, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | On state wildlife areas, 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 13 | 1,004 | 93 | 976 | 77 |
| Zone 11 | 1,381 | 62 | 1,567 | 75 |
Source: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data). DNREC reports wildlife area deer by zone, not by area.
When can you hunt Nanticoke Wildlife Area in 2026-27?
Archery and crossbow September 1 to January 31; muzzleloader October 9 to 18 and January 25 to 31; general firearm November 13 to 22 and January 16 to 24; special antlerless days October 2 to 4, 23 to 25 and 30 to 31 and December 12 to 20; handgun January 2 to 10. Wildlife areas may set their own days and rules; DNREC Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations has them.
Source: 2026/27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, deer seasons (DNREC).
How do you get to Nanticoke Wildlife Area?
Highways within five miles: US 13 and US 9. Nearest towns: Bethel (next to it), Blades (3 miles), Seaford (3 miles) and Laurel (3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Are there deer stands on Nanticoke Wildlife Area?
Yes. DNREC's wildlife area layer shows 25 deer stands on Nanticoke Wildlife Area, 1 of them set aside for hunters with disabilities (DNREC wildlife area stands, blinds and fields (FirstMap)). DNREC Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations has the rules for using them.
Where do you park at Nanticoke Wildlife Area?
DNREC maps 10 parking lots with 42 spaces in all; 9 of them need a Conservation Access Pass on the vehicle. The largest is at 38.56372, -75.67102 (25 spaces) (DNREC wildlife area parking (FirstMap)).
What zone is Nanticoke Wildlife Area in?
Zone 13 and Zone 11. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 13 in 2025-26, 103 of them on public land (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)).
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Where these facts come from
- Area and acres: DNREC managed lands (FirstMap). Stands, blinds and fields: DNREC wildlife area stands, blinds and fields (FirstMap). Parking: DNREC wildlife area parking (FirstMap).
- Zone harvest: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data). Seasons: 2026/27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, deer seasons (DNREC). Rules: DNREC Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations.
- Public land around it: DNREC managed lands (FirstMap) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.