Delaware § 786 Raccoon and opossum

Delaware Statutes

§ 786 — Raccoon and opossum

Delaware § 786

JurisdictionDelaware

Title7

PartGame, Wildlife and Dogs

Ch. 7REGULATIONS AND PROHIBITIONS CONCERNING GAME AND FISH

Subch.Other Game and Fish

This text of Delaware § 786 (Raccoon and opossum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Del. Code tit. 7, § 786 (2026).

Text

(a)No person shall kill any raccoon or opossum, or needlessly destroy, break or interfere with any den or lair of any raccoon or opossum, or set fire to, burn or otherwise mutilate any tree, living or dead, stump or log for the purpose of killing or destroying in any way any raccoon or opossum at any time of the year, between 1 hour before sunrise and 1 hour after sunset.

(b)Any person may trap, hunt with dogs or otherwise take raccoons from any lands during the period as defined by Departmental regulations.

(c)Raccoon and opossum may be legally trapped, statewide, in a box type trap operated in such a way as to confine but not otherwise harm the entrapped raccoon or opossum with a maximum opening dimension not to exceed 195 square inches.

(d)Any person may trap or hunt, with dogs,

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(a) No person shall kill any raccoon or opossum, or needlessly destroy, break or interfere with any den or lair of any raccoon or opossum, or set fire to, burn or otherwise mutilate any tree, living or dead, stump or log for the purpose of killing or destroying in any way any raccoon or opossum at any time of the year, between 1 hour before sunrise and 1 hour after sunset.

(b) Any person may trap, hunt with dogs or otherwise take raccoons from any lands during the period as defined by Departmental regulations.

(c) Raccoon and opossum may be legally trapped, statewide, in a box type trap operated in such a way as to confine but not otherwise harm the entrapped raccoon or opossum with a maximum opening dimension not to exceed 195 square inches.

(d) Any person may trap or hunt, with dogs, raccoons with permission of the landowner from any lands in New Castle County or Kent County from the southerly boundary of New Castle County Route 380 and east and southeast of the center line of U.S. Route No. 13, thence following said center line of U.S. Route No. 13 to the point where U.S. Route No. 13 forms a junction with U.S. Route No. 113 and thence along the center line of U.S. Route No. 113 to a line dividing Kent County from Sussex County during any time of the year excepting on Sundays; provided, however, that this subsection shall not apply to lands in Kent County lying east of the center line of Rt. 113, north of the Sussex County line and south of the St. Jones River.

(e) Notwithstanding § 704(d) of this title, a .22 caliber rimfire pistol may be used to hunt raccoons and opossums.

Legislative History

26 Del. Laws, c. 165, § 3 ; 27 Del. Laws, c. 158, § 2 ; 27 Del. Laws, c. 159 ; Code 1915, § 2375; 37 Del. Laws, c. 220, § 1 ; 38 Del. Laws, c. 145, § 1 ; Code 1935, § 2821; 41 Del. Laws, c. 177, § 3 ; 45 Del. Laws, c. 202, § 1 ; 47 Del. Laws, c. 164, § 1 ; 7 Del. C. 1953, § 791; 52 Del. Laws, c. 245 ; 62 Del. Laws, c. 326, §§ 5, 6 ; 63 Del. Laws, c. 374, § 1 ; 66 Del. Laws, c. 43, § 1 ; 70 Del. Laws, c. 275, § 103 ; 71 Del. Laws, c. 366, § 3