Most public-land hiking in Sussex County is safe most of the year. The windows to stay aware of are roughly September through January, when deer and waterfowl seasons run on many of the same lands that hikers use.
Knowing which areas allow hunting, when, and what to do about it is simple once the rules are in one place. Every fact here links to its official source.
Which public lands in Sussex County allow hunting
The answer differs by land type, and the differences matter.
Redden State Forest is Delaware’s largest state forest at more than 14,000 acres across 18 tracts in central Sussex County. Hunting is a permitted use there. According to the Delaware Forest Service hunting page, properly licensed hunters may use any open season except in areas designated as Wildlife Sanctuary, NO HUNTING, or Safety Zone.
Deer, small game, and waterfowl (in designated areas) are all permitted; no special permit is required beyond normal state licensing, with limited exceptions noted in the DNREC Hunting and Trapping Guide. Redden is a multiple-use area. The Forest Service page notes explicitly that hunters share state forest lands with hikers, campers, horseback riders, firewood cutters, and loggers. The trail network is covered in detail in the Redden State Forest trails guide.
DNREC State Wildlife Areas make up the bulk of Delaware’s managed hunting land. DNREC manages approximately 68,000 acres across 19 public wildlife areas, including parcels scattered through Sussex County. Hunting is a primary use on these lands.
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton runs a regulated hunting program for deer, waterfowl, and upland game. The USFWS hunting page for Prime Hook describes archery, shotgun, and muzzleloader opportunities, with no centerfire rifles permitted. All hunters must obtain a refuge-specific permit on top of their state and federal licenses and stamps. Headquarters unit deer hunts run by lottery; waterfowl blind assignments are drawn two hours before legal shooting time each morning on refuge hunting days, per the USFWS hunting page.
The Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge guide covers hiking and wildlife viewing there.
Delaware State Parks handle hunting separately from the Forest Service and DNREC wildlife area rules. The Delaware State Parks hunting page governs park-specific hunts; rules differ by park. The Prickly Pear Trail at Delaware Seashore State Park is one example with a specific hunting-season closure (more on that below).
Rules differ park by park. Check the one you’re visiting, not the one you visited last.
When hunting happens, roughly
Delaware deer seasons typically run from the start of September through January, according to the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. Archery seasons open earliest; firearm deer seasons run later in the fall; waterfowl seasons overlap. Spring turkey runs April through early May.
Exact dates change every year. The current Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide is the authoritative source for season-specific dates, bag limits, and area rules. DNREC publishes the guide annually; consult it before your fall or winter hike rather than relying on last year’s calendar.
At Redden State Forest, one internal rule worth knowing: small game hunting is closed on state forest lands during firearm deer season. That compressed window is when the most activity concentrates to deer.
Sunday hunting in Delaware
The answer depends on which type of land you’re visiting, and the law has changed in recent years. What you may have heard previously could be out of date.
On DNREC State Wildlife Areas, Sunday hunting is now permitted. The DNREC Sunday hunting page states that Delaware law allows Sunday hunting for deer, waterfowl, and gamebirds during established hunting seasons on designated publicly owned lands. All state wildlife areas are open for Sunday hunting during archery and crossbow deer seasons; portions may be closed to firearm Sunday hunting depending on the area map.
On Redden State Forest, Sunday hunting remains prohibited. The Delaware Forest Service hunting page states plainly: there is no Sunday hunting on any tract of Redden State Forest. That rule has not changed. If you want to hike Redden without any hunting activity on-site, Sundays are your window.
At Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the refuge is not open to hunting on Sundays, per the USFWS Prime Hook hunting page.
The practical summary: Sunday hiking at Redden and Prime Hook means no hunting. Sunday hiking on DNREC wildlife areas may still overlap with archery or firearm hunting depending on the specific area.
When trails and areas close for hunts
Specific hunts can trigger temporary closures on trails that are otherwise open year-round.
The Prickly Pear Trail at Delaware Seashore State Park closes for hunting season, as noted on TrailLink. Check DNREC dates before visiting this trail during fall and winter. The closure windows align with hunt dates, not a fixed calendar block.
At Prime Hook NWR, refuge hunt days can affect access to specific units. The refuge manages hunt access through a permit and lottery system; non-hunters should check the refuge hunting page for scheduled hunt dates before planning a visit during the season.
At Redden State Forest, there are no published full-trail closures for hikers during hunting seasons, but activity concentrates during active hunting periods. The state forest hunting page includes waterfowl hunting zone maps for the tracts where waterfowl hunting is designated.
What hikers should do
The practical checklist is short.
Check before you go. Look up the current Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide and the specific page for the area you plan to visit. Season calendars shift year to year; the guide is published annually and reflects current rules.
Wear blaze orange during firearm deer seasons. Delaware law requires anyone hunting any wildlife (except migratory game birds) to display a minimum of 400 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange on their head, chest, and back during any firearm deer season, per 7 Del. C. § 718. That requirement applies during firearm deer seasons, not archery seasons, though orange during archery seasons remains sensible on heavily hunted tracts.
If you’re hiking at Redden or another multi-use public land between roughly November and January, a blaze orange vest or hat is cheap insurance.
Stay on marked trails. During active hunting periods on multi-use lands, staying on designated trails keeps you visible and predictable. The Forest Service notes that state forests are year-round multiple-use areas and that this shared use is expected.
Keep dogs leashed and visible. A leashed dog in a bright collar or bandana is easier to distinguish from wildlife. During firearm deer seasons on lands where hunting is active, that extra visibility matters.
Verified beats vivid: we’d rather be accurate than poetic.
Not legal advice
This article compiles publicly available information from official sources as a practical safety reference for hikers. It is not legal advice. Season dates, bag limits, licensing requirements, and area-specific rules change annually.
The official sources are the authority. For hunting rules, consult the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and the current Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. For state forest rules, consult the Delaware Forest Service hunting page. For state park hunting, consult Delaware State Parks. For Prime Hook NWR, consult the USFWS hunting page. For Sunday hunting rules specifically, the DNREC Sunday hunting page is the current source.
Nothing here substitutes for reading the current season’s regulations before you hunt or hike on public land.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to worry about hunters on Sussex County trails?
Not most of the time. Deer and waterfowl seasons run roughly September through January on public lands including Redden State Forest, DNREC wildlife areas, and Prime Hook NWR; that is the window to plan around. Outside those windows, or on days when no hunting activity is scheduled, shared public lands operate as normal. Sundays are hunting-free at Redden State Forest and Prime Hook NWR.
Does Delaware allow Sunday hunting?
It depends on the land type. Delaware law now allows Sunday hunting for deer, waterfowl, and gamebirds on designated publicly owned lands, including DNREC State Wildlife Areas, per the DNREC Sunday hunting page. Sunday hunting remains prohibited at all tracts of Redden State Forest and at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Check the specific land’s rules before assuming either way.
Should hikers wear blaze orange in Delaware?
During firearm deer seasons, wearing blaze orange is a reasonable safety practice on any public land where hunting is permitted. Per 7 Del. C. § 718, state law requires hunters to display 400 square inches of fluorescent orange during firearm deer seasons; hikers are not legally required to wear it, but visibility on shared-use lands like Redden State Forest is a straightforward precaution. A vest or hat is enough.
Which trails close during hunting season in Sussex County?
The confirmed example from official sources is the Prickly Pear Trail at Delaware Seashore State Park, which closes for hunting season. Prime Hook NWR also restricts access to specific units on scheduled hunt days. Check the relevant official page for the area you plan to visit, since closures are area-specific and dates change annually.
Where can I check the current Delaware hunting season dates?
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife publishes the Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide each year with all current season dates, bag limits, and area-specific rules. For state forest rules, the Delaware Forest Service hunting page covers Redden specifically. For Prime Hook NWR, the USFWS hunting page has the current season brochure.
For fall trip planning across the county, the Sussex County fall outdoor guide covers seasonal timing across hiking, paddling, and wildlife viewing. The full Sussex County hiking guide maps public-land options with current access notes.
Illustration: original stylized artwork, not a photograph of a specific location.
Last verified: 2026-06.