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Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 5: deer harvest, public land and seasons

Hunters took 639 deer in Delaware's Wildlife Management Zone 5 in the 2025-26 season, 208 antlered and 431 antlerless, against 718 the season before. 146 came off public land and 493 off private land. The zone is in Kent County; 32.3% 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.

Map of Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 5: public land by manager, neighboring zones 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9, highways US 13 and Bowers, Leipsic and Little Creek

State wildlife areaState forestState parkNational wildlife refugeMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Zone 5Neighboring zonesHighway

Zone 5 at a glance
Boundary (DNREC)Land bordered north by Route 6, south by Road 18, east by Delaware Bay, and west by Routes 13 and 113.
CountyKent County
Deer taken, 2025-26639 (208 antlered, 431 antlerless)
On public land, 2025-26146 (22.8%)
Spring turkeys, 202647
Public land32.3% (24,478 acres)
Wildlife areasLittle Creek Wildlife Area, Ted Harvey Conservation Area, Woodland Beach Wildlife Area
Handgun season, 2027January 2 to 10

How many deer are taken in Zone 5 each season?

SeasonAntleredAntlerlessAll deerPublic landPrivate land
2025-26208431639146493
2024-25186532718165553
2023-24180383563143420
2022-23172417589132457

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 5 taken?

SeasonArchery and crossbowFirearmMuzzleloaderSpecial antlerlessYouthDeer damage permits
2025-261003745774628
2024-251303989263529
2023-247134156521231
2022-23693556068722

Which public lands in Zone 5 give up deer?

SeasonState wildlife areasState forestState parksNational wildlife refuge
2025-26850061
2024-251030062
2023-24830060
2022-23940039

Source: DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data).

How many turkeys are taken in Zone 5?

Spring seasonTurkeysPublic landPrivate land
2026471829
2025442123
202436829

Source: DNREC turkey harvest by zone (Delaware Turkey Harvest Information Dashboard data).

When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 5?

SeasonDatesNotes
Archery and crossbowSeptember 1 to January 31Statewide
Youth and non-ambulatory huntSeptember 26 and 27; November 7 to 8Statewide
Special antlerlessOctober 2 to 4, 23 to 25 and 30 to 31; December 12 to 20Antlerless only, but archers may take antlered deer
MuzzleloaderOctober 9 to 18; January 25 to 31Statewide
General firearm (shotgun)November 13 to 22; January 16 to 24Statewide
Handgun and straight-walled pistol-caliber rifleJanuary 2 to 10Open 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 5?

32.3% of Zone 5 is public land: 24,478 of its 75,767 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 15,340 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Zone 5
National wildlife refuge15,34020.2%
State wildlife area9,13812.1%
Military (closed unless the base allows)2,7053.6%

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 5

Wildlife areaAcres in Zone 5
Little Creek Wildlife Area4,256
Ted Harvey Conservation Area3,036
Woodland Beach Wildlife Area930

Which zones border Zone 5?

ZoneDeer, 2025-26AntleredPublic land deerSpring turkeys, 2026Public land
Zone 36541831784427.4%
Zone 482124269765.4%
Zone 61,198327159897.1%
Zone 81,28634582483.6%
Zone 98192662276327.3%

Highways crossing Zone 5: US 13 (4 miles). Towns inside: Bowers, Leipsic and Little Creek.

Questions hunters ask

How many deer are taken in Delaware Zone 5?

639 in 2025-26: 208 antlered and 431 antlerless (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)). Over the 4 seasons from 2022-23 the zone averaged 627 a year. Firearms took 374, archery and crossbow 100 and muzzleloaders 57.

Where is Delaware Wildlife Management Zone 5?

DNREC describes it as: "Land bordered north by Route 6, south by Road 18, east by Delaware Bay, and west by Routes 13 and 113." It lies in Kent County and borders Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 6, Zone 8 and Zone 9.

How much of the deer harvest in Zone 5 comes off public land?

146 of 639 deer in 2025-26, 22.8%: 85 on state wildlife areas and 61 on national wildlife refuge (DNREC deer harvest by zone (Delaware Deer Harvest Information Dashboard data)).

How many turkeys are taken in Zone 5?

47 in the 2026 spring season, against 44 in 2025 (DNREC turkey harvest by zone (Delaware Turkey Harvest Information Dashboard data)).

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Where these numbers come from

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.

Delaware hunting Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 6 Zone 8 Zone 9