Officers responded to 72 complaints and issued 41 citations, five of which were related to the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail, where there is an increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence.
An incident of note:
• On Sept. 1, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police cited two New Castle County men for illegal deer hunting activities at the C&D Canal Conservation Area. One was cited for hunting deer over bait on a wildlife area and littering; he was fined $214, including court costs. The other was cited for hunting deer over bait on a wildlife area, possession of unlawfully taken deer and littering on a state wildlife area; he was fined $379, including court costs. K-9 River, a Labrador retriever deployed by NRP, aided the investigation, using her tracking skills to lead Fish & Wildlife officers to a wooded area baited with corn and evidence that a deer had been harvested there.
Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:
Wildlife Conservation: Hunting deer over bait on a wildlife area (2)*, possession of unlawfully taken deer (1)*, hunting with an unplugged shotgun capable of holding more than three shells (1), hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number (1), hunting doves on a wildlife area without a permit (1), trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (4), and littering on a state wildlife area (2)*.
Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (2), possession of undersized blue crabs (8), improperly marked recreational crab pots (3), and trespassing to fish (1). Commercial: Unlawful transfer of commercial tags/striped bass (9).
Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of lifejackets (1), no lifejacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (1), allowing use of a non-compliant vessel (2), operating a personal watercraft after sunset (1), and no boating education certificate (1).
*Citations issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.