Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 16: deer harvest, public land and seasons
Hunters took 1,098 deer in Delaware's Wildlife Management Zone 16 in the 2025-26 season, 340 antlered and 758 antlerless, against 1,237 the season before. 65 came off public land and 1,033 off private land. The zone is in Sussex County and inside DNREC's CWD Management Zone; 6.5% of it is public land.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: DNREC Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard. Seasons: 2026/27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, deer seasons (DNREC). Land: DNREC and PAD-US.
State wildlife areaState parkZone 16Neighboring zonesHighway
| Boundary (DNREC) | Land bordered north by Route 24, south by Maryland State Line, east by Route 113, and west by Route 13. |
|---|---|
| County | Sussex County |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,098 (340 antlered, 758 antlerless) |
| On public land, 2025-26 | 65 (5.9%) |
| Spring turkeys, 2026 | 58 |
| Public land | 6.5% (4,686 acres) |
| Chronic wasting disease | Inside the CWD Management Zone (Zones 11, 14 and 16): no baiting, November firearm check-in |
| Handgun season, 2027 | January 2 to 10 |
How many deer are taken in Zone 16 each season?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer | Public land | Private land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 340 | 758 | 1,098 | 65 | 1,033 |
| 2024-25 | 328 | 909 | 1,237 | 53 | 1,184 |
| 2023-24 | 283 | 681 | 964 | 44 | 920 |
| 2022-23 | 258 | 836 | 1,094 | 43 | 1,051 |
Source: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data). Each season's zone rows add up to the statewide figure DNREC published or to its county table.
How are the deer in Zone 16 taken?
| Season | Archery and crossbow | Firearm | Muzzleloader | Special antlerless | Youth | Deer damage permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 165 | 569 | 68 | 96 | 16 | 180 |
| 2024-25 | 163 | 697 | 99 | 83 | 10 | 185 |
| 2023-24 | 90 | 581 | 54 | 75 | 17 | 144 |
| 2022-23 | 97 | 617 | 82 | 85 | 7 | 193 |
Which public lands in Zone 16 give up deer?
| Season | State wildlife areas | State forest | State parks | National wildlife refuge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 0 | 13 | 52 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 0 | 10 | 43 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 0 | 13 | 31 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 11 | 32 | 0 |
Source: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data).
How many turkeys are taken in Zone 16?
| Spring season | Turkeys | Public land | Private land |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | 2 | 56 |
| 2025 | 48 | 2 | 46 |
| 2024 | 43 | 2 | 41 |
Source: DNREC turkey harvest by zone (Delaware Turkey Harvest Information Dashboard data).
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 16?
| Season | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Archery and crossbow | September 1 to January 31 | Statewide |
| Youth and non-ambulatory hunt | September 26 and 27; November 7 to 8 | Statewide |
| Special antlerless | October 2 to 4, 23 to 25 and 30 to 31; December 12 to 20 | Antlerless only, but archers may take antlered deer |
| Muzzleloader | October 9 to 18; January 25 to 31 | Statewide |
| General firearm (shotgun) | November 13 to 22; January 16 to 24 | Deer from this zone must be checked in at a DNREC station in the November season |
| Handgun and straight-walled pistol-caliber rifle | January 2 to 10 | Open in this zone |
Only 2 antlered deer may be taken in a license year, by all methods together; antlerless deer have no limit as long as the hunter holds an antlerless tag for each. Sunday hunting is open for all game species in 2026-27.
Sources: 2026/27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, deer seasons (DNREC); DNREC Chronic Wasting Disease hunting guide addendum, 2026/27.
How much public land is in Zone 16?
6.5% of Zone 16 is public land: 4,686 of its 72,311 acres. The largest share is state park, 3,293 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 3,293 | 4.6% |
| State wildlife area | 1,393 | 1.9% |
Measured by FilledTag inside DNREC's zone line from DNREC managed lands (FirstMap) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Wildlife areas need a Conservation Access Pass on vehicles that use them; DNREC Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations has each area's rules.
Which zones border Zone 16?
| Zone | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered | Public land deer | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 13 | 1,004 | 220 | 103 | 33 | 9.1% |
| Zone 14 | 875 | 237 | 190 | 35 | 12.3% |
| Zone 15 | 766 | 194 | 59 | 34 | 3.8% |
| Zone 17 | 713 | 185 | 113 | 30 | 7% |
Highways crossing Zone 16: US 113 (20 miles). Towns inside: Delmar.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Delaware Zone 16?
1,098 in 2025-26: 340 antlered and 758 antlerless (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)). Over the 4 seasons from 2022-23 the zone averaged 1,098 a year. Firearms took 569, archery and crossbow 165 and muzzleloaders 68.
Where is Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 16?
DNREC describes it as: "Land bordered north by Route 24, south by Maryland State Line, east by Route 113, and west by Route 13." It lies in Sussex County and borders Zone 13, Zone 14, Zone 15 and Zone 17.
How much of the deer harvest in Zone 16 comes off public land?
65 of 1,098 deer in 2025-26, 5.9%: 13 on state forest and 52 on state parks (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)).
Are there CWD rules in Zone 16?
Yes. Zones 11, 14 and 16 make up DNREC's CWD Management Zone for 2026/27: deer may not be hunted over bait, deer taken there in the November general firearm season (November 13 to 22) must be checked in at a DNREC station within 24 hours, and carcass parts leaving the zone must be bagged for disposal unless they go to a taxidermist or processor (DNREC Chronic Wasting Disease hunting guide addendum, 2026/27).
How many turkeys are taken in Zone 16?
58 in the 2026 spring season, against 48 in 2025 (DNREC turkey harvest by zone (Delaware Turkey Harvest Information Dashboard data)).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data); DNREC turkey harvest by zone (Delaware Turkey Harvest Information Dashboard data); DNREC: 2025-26 deer harvest totals.
- Seasons: 2026/27 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, deer seasons (DNREC); DNREC Chronic Wasting Disease hunting guide addendum, 2026/27.
- Zone boundary and description: DNREC Wildlife Management Zones. Public land: 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. Numbers are copied from DNREC and federal sources or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.