Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 1B: deer harvest, public land and seasons
Hunters took 372 deer in Delaware's Wildlife Management Zone 1B in the 2025-26 season, 136 antlered and 236 antlerless, against 422 the season before. 172 came off public land and 200 off private land. The zone is in New Castle County; 10.1% 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 parkMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Zone 1BNeighboring zonesHighway
| Boundary (DNREC) | All land south of the line created beginning at the Delaware Memorial Bridge and following Interstate 295 to its intersection with Interstate 95, thence to the Delaware-Maryland border to the C&D Canal. |
|---|---|
| County | New Castle County |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 372 (136 antlered, 236 antlerless) |
| On public land, 2025-26 | 172 (46.2%) |
| Spring turkeys, 2026 | 26 |
| Public land | 10.1% (5,993 acres) |
| Wildlife areas | C&D Canal Conservation Area, Augustine Wildlife Area |
| Handgun season, 2027 | Closed in this zone |
How many deer are taken in Zone 1B each season?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer | Public land | Private land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 136 | 236 | 372 | 172 | 200 |
| 2024-25 | 174 | 248 | 422 | 158 | 264 |
| 2023-24 | 138 | 238 | 376 | 162 | 214 |
| 2022-23 | 158 | 269 | 427 | 172 | 255 |
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 1B taken?
| Season | Archery and crossbow | Firearm | Muzzleloader | Special antlerless | Youth | Deer damage permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 211 | 106 | 20 | 31 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024-25 | 225 | 127 | 30 | 28 | 6 | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 146 | 145 | 42 | 39 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 155 | 161 | 54 | 50 | 1 | 4 |
Which public lands in Zone 1B give up deer?
| Season | State wildlife areas | State forest | State parks | National wildlife refuge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 112 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 106 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 111 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 132 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
Source: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data).
How many turkeys are taken in Zone 1B?
| Spring season | Turkeys | Public land | Private land |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 | 11 | 15 |
| 2025 | 20 | 7 | 13 |
| 2024 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
Source: DNREC turkey harvest by zone (Delaware Turkey Harvest Information Dashboard data).
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 1B?
| 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 | Statewide |
| Handgun and straight-walled pistol-caliber rifle | January 2 to 10 | Closed in Zones 1A and 1B |
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 1B?
10.1% of Zone 1B is public land: 5,993 of its 59,270 acres. The largest share is state wildlife area, 3,771 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone 1B |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife area | 3,771 | 6.4% |
| State park | 2,222 | 3.7% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 259 | 0.4% |
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.
Wildlife areas in Zone 1B
| Wildlife area | Acres in Zone 1B |
|---|---|
| C&D Canal Conservation Area | 3,479 |
| Augustine Wildlife Area | 33 |
Which zones border Zone 1B?
| Zone | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered | Public land deer | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1A | 919 | 312 | 236 | 0 | 7.8% |
| Zone 2 | 1,004 | 326 | 225 | 41 | 9% |
| Zone 3 | 654 | 183 | 178 | 44 | 27.4% |
Highways crossing Zone 1B: US 40 (30 miles), US 13 (23 miles), I-95 (10 miles), I-295 (4 miles) and US 202 (3 miles). Towns inside: New Castle and Delaware City.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Delaware Zone 1B?
372 in 2025-26: 136 antlered and 236 antlerless (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)). Over the 4 seasons from 2022-23 the zone averaged 399 a year. Firearms took 106, archery and crossbow 211 and muzzleloaders 20.
Where is Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 1B?
DNREC describes it as: "All land south of the line created beginning at the Delaware Memorial Bridge and following Interstate 295 to its intersection with Interstate 95, thence to the Delaware-Maryland border to the C&D Canal." It lies in New Castle County and borders Zone 1A, Zone 2 and Zone 3.
How much of the deer harvest in Zone 1B comes off public land?
172 of 372 deer in 2025-26, 46.2%: 112 on state wildlife areas and 60 on state parks (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)).
How many turkeys are taken in Zone 1B?
26 in the 2026 spring season, against 20 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.