Delaware publishes deer harvest in a form FDR could rank for 18 hunt units. Deer management zone 7 is highest at 14.5 deer harvested per square mile in 2025. Deer management zone 11 has 11.3 in 2025 and Deer management zone 13 has 11.1 in 2025. Harvest in a hunt unit includes private land, so the public share is shown next to each unit. The rankings describe reported harvest and do not measure access or hunting pressure.
KEY FINDINGS
- Deer management zone 7 has the highest harvest per square mile at 14.5. The agency reported 1,397 deer on 61,801 acres in 2025.
- 18 hunt units are ranked. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Delaware public land rankings
Best public land in Delaware
Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 18, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Download all ranked rows (CSV)
Hunt units
Top 15 of 18 ranked hunt units by deer harvest per square mile. Hunt units include private land, so the public share column shows how much of each unit is public land open to hunting.
15 of 18 hunt units shown
| 1 | Deer management zone 7 | Kent | 61,801 | 2025 | 1,397 | 14.5 | 2.1 | 2.1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Deer management zone 11 | Sussex | 78,072 | 2025 | 1,381 | 11.3 | 11.9 | 9.7% |
| 3 | Deer management zone 13 | Sussex | 57,638 | 2025 | 1,004 | 11.1 | 7.9 | 8.7% |
| 4 | Deer management zone 14 | Sussex | 51,174 | 2025 | 875 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 12.1% |
| 5 | Deer management zone 6 | Kent | 71,596 | 2025 | 1,198 | 10.7 | 7.1 | 6.4% |
| 6 | Deer management zone 10 | Sussex | 54,073 | 2025 | 875 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 2.4% |
| 7 | Deer management zone 16 | Sussex | 72,088 | 2025 | 1,098 | 9.7 | 5.0 | 4.4% |
| 8 | Deer management zone 8 | Kent | 90,983 | 2025 | 1,286 | 9.0 | 5.8 | 4.1% |
| 9 | Deer management zone 4 | Kent | 60,827 | 2025 | 821 | 8.6 | 5.4 | 5.6% |
| 10 | Deer management zone 2 | New Castle | 76,686 | 2025 | 1,004 | 8.4 | 13.4 | 11.2% |
| 11 | Deer management zone 12 | Sussex | 70,800 | 2025 | 924 | 8.4 | 9.7 | 8.8% |
| 12 | Deer management zone 17 | Sussex | 59,159 | 2025 | 713 | 7.7 | 5.7 | 6.1% |
| 13 | Deer management zone 3 | New Castle | 57,958 | 2025 | 654 | 7.2 | 24.4 | 26.9% |
| 14 | Deer management zone 9 | Sussex | 80,833 | 2025 | 819 | 6.5 | 34.6 | 27.4% |
| 15 | Deer management zone 15 | Sussex | 78,488 | 2025 | 766 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 5.6% |
01Hunt units
18 hunt units ranked on harvest per square mile
Deer management zone 7 has the most deer harvested per square mile at 14.5 in 2025. Deer management zone 11 has 11.3 in 2025 and Deer management zone 13 has 11.1 in 2025.
The public share is the part of each unit that is public land open to hunting.
02Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR divided the agency's deer harvest by the area's size to get harvest per square mile. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. Tied values share a rank and the order uses the unrounded values.
A ranking does not evaluate an individual property and does not confirm that it is open to hunting for you.
Sources
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 18, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR rankings are independent analysis of state agency numbers. A ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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