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Floating blind law ?

6K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  bubbasblazer 
#1 ·
Here in Va. we have to have a floating blind lic. east of interstate 95. What are the laws in Del. ? Use to hunt with a buddy that leased a blind in black bird ck. . Was wondering if i can hunt the Del. River with my boat. I can't find any info on hunting from a boat there.
 
#2 ·
good luck with trying to find something in the book, or online. Its kind of a gray area i think. Ive always seen guys hunting from shore. i do know that there isnt a lic. or permit that you need to hunt from a boat, like you speek of. Floating blind license?? sounds interesting.
 
#3 ·
De does have floating laws, no floating license or squatter sites that you are used too on the tidal potomac or such. in DE there is required distances you have to be from an established blind and that distance depends on where you are in the state. For instance many do not know majority of the bay front and land on the delaware river is privately owned there for you have to be a certain distance from it to hunt. Hamburg Cove up above Delaware City was one of the last places you could really squat and hunt so as you were not above the mean low water mark. They put an end to that last year when several groups of guys were abusing it. some guys squat on the island out there. However much further south then delaware city it gets very tough to find any where that is "legal" I wont go into the distances as I know you can find them on the web with a little bit of effort but I know for certain anything from the smyrna river down to the murderkill is 500 yards from and established blind and 1/2mile east of the bay front to hunt and be legal. above the smyrna river such as BBC as you speak I believe it is 250 yards. but hey what do I know......
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the info. I dont know if i will ever get back up there to hunt. I have 5 blinds on the James river in Va. with friends. I would trade all of them to hunt be able to hunt the one i use to with my friend up there. If you have ever hunted here you'ed understand.
 
#6 ·
Huntfish12 said:
good luck with trying to find something in the book, or online. Its kind of a gray area i think.
Actually, it's spelled out clearly in the Delaware Regulations, IMHO.

http://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCo ... #TopOfPage

2.3 Hunting from Boats.

2.3.1 Distance from Blinds. During the season for the hunting of migratory waterfowl, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt from a boat of any kind that is within 1500 feet of an established blind, except that:

2.3.1.1 Any person may use a boat to tend lawfully set traps for fur-bearing wildlife;

2.3.1.2 Any person may retrieve crippled waterfowl by the use of a boat in accordance with federal regulations;

2.3.1.3 Any person may use a boat for transportation to and from an established blind lawfully used by such person;

2.3.1.4 Any person may hunt from a boat that is firmly secured and enclosed in an established blind.

2.3.2 Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.2.1 of this section, any person may hunt migratory waterfowl within 1500 feet of an established blind, from a boat, with permission of the blind owner.

2.3.3 Gunning Rigs.

2.3.3.1 During the season for hunting migratory waterfowl, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt within 900 feet of the shoreline (high tide line) of the Delaware River and Bay, between the Appoquinimink River and the Smyrna River, without written permission of the closest adjoining landowner(s).

2.3.3.2 During the season for hunting migratory waterfowl, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt within 1500 feet of the shoreline (high tide line) of the Delaware River and Bay, between the Smyrna River and the Murderkill River, without written permission of the closest adjoining landowner(s).

2.3.4 Tender Boats. It shall be unlawful for tender boats servicing gunning (layout) rigs to be further than 1500 feet from the rig or to conduct any activity, except to pick up downed birds or service the rig.

2.3.5 During the season for hunting migratory waterfowl, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt from a boat, or a floating or fixed blind in the Little River in areas bounded on both sides by land administered by the Division, except as permitted in writing by the Director.
 
#7 ·
So basicaly as long as long as you're 1500 ft away from an established blind you are o.k. EX. hunting the misipillion river in (milford) area 1500 ft away from established blind and you're good, other than the exceptions listed? I asked a g.w. about it and can't say he was exacly sure at the time.
 
#8 ·
Barring you're following the rules listed above, I don't see how you could hunt in the wrong. With that being said, ...and I'm not familiar with hunting the Misipillion..., would there be any areas that AREN'T owned by the state, county, city, etc and have a 1500' radius without a blind?
 
#9 ·
EyeHuntFowl said:
Barring you're following the rules listed above, I don't see how you could hunt in the wrong. With that being said, ...and I'm not familiar with hunting the Misipillion..., would there be any areas that AREN'T owned by the state, county, city, etc and have a 1500' radius without a blind?
there are a lot of places that are legal and sucessful. with that being said I am not going to list them. it does however get harder to do the farther north you go. for instance the boys over to Doc Mastens got tired of guys squatting on the outside of his impoundments trying to skybust everything coming and going so he built a bunch of makeshift blinds that they never have any intention of hunting to keep guys from squatting below the high water mark. pretty smart if you ask me, then he went further to build othe rimpounds on his property to keep the birds from crossing the river. prettty smart management in my opinion. wish I had the land like he does.
 
#10 ·
Thats pretty much what he did, you can see it all along the murderkill and and a few spots where on the misipillion where his prop. borders. Most of them are nothing more than 4 2x4's with chicken wire wrapped around them with no grass. You are right about the fact they hardly hunt, and when they do they have trouble finding the birds thye have so much land. :lol3: . I think it's cool that he holds birds in the area but then again if he didnt have all the land and imp. would the birds be forced to use public land and stay in the area or just keep truckin'. One day I will have a duck wonderland such as Doc. one day :biggrin:
 
#11 ·
bubbasblazer said:
Thats pretty much what he did, you can see it all along the murderkill and and a few spots where on the misipillion where his prop. borders. Most of them are nothing more than 4 2x4's with chicken wire wrapped around them with no grass. You are right about the fact they hardly hunt, and when they do they have trouble finding the birds thye have so much land. :lol3: . I think it's cool that he holds birds in the area but then again if he didnt have all the land and imp. would the birds be forced to use public land and stay in the area or just keep truckin'. One day I will have a duck wonderland such as Doc. one day :biggrin:
Robbie and his crew do their fair share of damage on those farms trust me. they manage their hunting pressure which is very intelligent. you may see birds in once impound that doesnt mean that is all they have I am sure of that. smart management of what they have thats for sure. I do agree that the birds would blow by if those impounds were not there. the quality of habitat on public lands is pizz poor and only getting worse. look at Little creek, ted harvey, prime hook, and milford neck to name a few and tell me there is quality oppurtunities there? if you truly think those are good hunting areas go to some other states and you can get a good understanding of just how bad the state manages or better yet fails to manage the property that they have.
 
#12 ·
Yea, I agree with ya on the management practices of the areas mentioned. the part I posted about them having trouble finding birds was told to me by my neighbor who has a few of the Milford cops hunt with us. I ran into Doc. at work a few months ago but didnt realize who he was until he left. One thing is for sure..... HE HOLDS BIRDS. It's quite a sight to be laying out in penuel tract fields and all them cans and snogs get up. All this fowl talk has me hearing honkers, :biggrin:
 
#13 ·
You all see that artical in the paper the other day about prime hook? It was about the state/government trying to come up with a plan on fixing the broken dike or somethin like that. Dont know much about that area but if i was a guessin man , id say that the damage has already been done.
 
#15 ·
the salt intrusion down there has damaged the marsh almost to the point it is not reversable. it would take years for the fresh water plants and such to come back in the form that it once was if they fixed it today. I dare someone to tell me the duck numbers there are what they once were even just 5-10 years ago. I can remember waves of teal coming across that marsh in october that would rival any piece of private ground in the state. those days are few and far between. take little creek for that matter and tell me the duck numbers are what they once were. there is no way, I wont even go into harvest numbers I will just leave it at duck numbers. the years of open water and healthy grass in those impoundments are long gone. while we are at it can anyone tell me where the money for the state blind use permits is? it sure hasnt gone back into hunting as they continue to let the wma's fall to the wayside. hell they havent even addressed the whole in the dike on TH.
 
#16 ·
Good question dude, i have wondered that myself. 20 bucks a permit and all us public land hunters = a mess of cash. Might just be worth a call to Dover. At least we have opportunities to get out there. As far a P-hook goes if there was a boardwalk and 50 french fry stands there it woulda been repaired already.
 
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