Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting available at White Clay Creek, Cape Henlopen, Lums Pond, Trap Pond, and Delaware Seashore State Parks

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) is now available for purchase at select Delaware state park stores. Hunters, tourists, and park visitors can purchase the 217-page paperback at White Clay Creek, Cape Henlopen, Lums Pond, and Trap Pond State Parks and at the Indian River Life-Saving Station.

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) provides an in-depth look at hunting in Delaware and the surrounding region. Author and Delaware native Steven M. Kendus uses his hunting wisdom, experience, and research to preserve Delaware’s hunting legacy by sharing history, tactics, locations, tips, and tricks associated with Delaware hunting. Hunting The First State discusses common game species such as white-tailed deer, Canada geese, and ducks, but it also offers insight into Delaware coyotes, wild turkeys, red foxes, woodcocks, quail, snow geese, crows, rabbits, and more.

“Delaware’s state parks offer a wealth of recreational opportunities – including hunting and fishing,” said Author Steven M. Kendus. “I utilize the state parks year round, so I witness firsthand the number of visitors the parks receive.”

“Many of our state park locations have wonderful stores where tourists, hunters, and other park visitors can purchase Delaware-related merchandise, and I can’t think of a better place for Hunting The First State to be available,” Kendus continued.

Hunting The First State includes techniques, locations, tactics, and folklore from Kendus and some of Delaware’s most successful hunters and includes more than thirty-five photos of wildlife harvested in Delaware and the surrounding areas.

About Steven M. Kendus

Steven M. Kendus is a lifelong Delaware resident and avid outdoorsman dedicated to preserving hunting opportunities, lands, and traditions. He is a professional author, columnist, technical writer, and marketer, and has had various books and articles published. He is an active member of multiple hunting, shooting, and conservation organizations, including the National Rifle Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club International, Brandywine Hundred Rod and Gun Club, and Delaware State Sportmen’s Association.

Mr. Kendus is frequently consulted as an authority on Delaware hunting. He has been a speaker at hunting-related community events, a guest on Sirius XM Patriot’s Cam & Company, and a guest host for Versus, where he interviewed hunting legends Tred Barta and David Morris.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in English – Business and Technical Writing from the University of Delaware. He is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting available in Apple iBookstore, Amazon.com Kindle Store, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Book Store

WILMINGTON, DE — January 24, 2012 —Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition), published in paperback format in 2010,  is now available for digital purchase and download from leading eBook stores, including Apple iBookstore, Amazon.com Kindle Store, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Book Store.

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) provides an in-depth look at hunting in Delaware and the surrounding region. Author and Delaware native Steven M. Kendus uses his hunting wisdom, experience, and research to preserve Delaware’s hunting legacy by sharing history, tactics, locations, tips, and tricks associated with Delaware hunting. Hunting The First State discusses common game species such as white-tailed deer, Canada geese, and ducks, but it also offers insight into Delaware coyotes, wild turkeys, red foxes, woodcocks, quail, snow geese, crows, rabbits, and more.

“EBook reading devices are everywhere,” said Author Steven M. Kendus. “Hunters are increasingly turning to technology to assist them in the field, and many are favoring iPads, Kindles, and NOOKs over traditional books. After speaking with several ‘old-school’ hunters who received eReaders as holiday gifts, I was convinced that Hunting The First State had to be made available via the major eBook stores.”

Hunting The First State includes more than thirty-five photos of wildlife harvested in Delaware and the surrounding areas and includes techniques, locations, tactics, and folklore from Kendus and some of Delaware’s most successful hunters.

Digital downloads of Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) are available immediately in the Apple iBookstore, Amazon.com Kindle Store, and Barnes & Noble NOOK Book Store from $8.99.

The Delaware hunting seasons are almost over. As usual, I have been trying to cram in as many hunts as possible (which leaves me little time to post hunt updates). Here’s a chance to catch up. Details of my past 4 weeks of hunts are listed below.

12/28/2011 – Duck hunted a private pond with no success. As soon as I walked into the pond before dawn, about 25 ducks flew out — all before shooting time. None came back. I tried the pond again in the evening and saw nothing. As an added bonus, I stepped in the deepest hole while walking out and flooded my waders.

12/30/2011 – Had a great pheasant hunt at Meadowview Preserve in New Jersey. Two neighbors, one of my daughters, my vizsla Gus, and I went on a stocked pheasant hunt in 60-degree weather. Weird weather for the end of December, but we had a nice hunt. We harvested 12 of the 16 stocked pheasants.

Great Pheasant Hunt at New Jersey's Meadowview Preserve

12/31/3011 – Curt Barkus, Gabriella, and I went on our last Delaware woodcock hunt of the season. What a great day it was! Gus pointed 3 woodcocks, and we harvested two. What’s more, Gabriella harvested her first woodcock — ever! Beautiful!

Steven and Gabriella Kendus with Gabriella's First Delaware Woodcock

1/7/2012 – I had the privilege of covering a 4-H Shooting Sports youth hunt. Literally, I saw about 100 deer. I will provide details in an upcoming post.

1/14/2012 – Since the Maryland woodcock season is still open, I purchased a Maryland license and hunted woodcocks with Curt Barkus. Within one hour of our bitter cold morning hunt, Gus got Curt his limit of 3 birds. We pushed on for 3 more hours, and I harvest one woodcock.

Curt Barkus with his first woodcock of the 2011-2012 season

1/16/2012  – Paul Quigley, Curt Barkus, and I hunted woodcocks in Maryland. It was even more cold than the previous hunt. We hunted hard and Got Paul his first two woodcocks in several years.

Paul Quigley and Steven M. Kendus with Quigley's First Woodcock of the 2011-2012 Season

1/21/2012 – Hunted deer in a snow, sleet, and freezing rain storm. I braved the elements for a morning hunt. While I could take the weather, my bow couldn’t. Ice from the freezing rain encased my bow, quiver, and arrows, so I left the woods by 8:30 AM.

Don’t let this summer pass you by without spending some quality time reading Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting.

You can always order Hunting The First State Online through this site or through the various online booksellers, but you can also support your  Delaware businesses by purchasing a copy (or two) from a local store.

New supplies of Hunting The First State have been delivered to Atlantic Books in Dover, Delaware and Old Inlet Bait and Tackle in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Stop by one of those fine establishments and get your copy of Hunting The First State while supplies last. With hunting season less than three weeks away and with some prime beach and fishing time remaining, grab your copy now. Think about it: you can sit on the beach, fish, relax by the pool, or whatever, all while reading history, statistics, techniques, tips, and tricks about Delaware hunting!

Atlantic Books – Dover
1159 N. Dupont Hwy.
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 734-1699
Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm
Monday-Saturday: 10 am – 9 pm

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop
Highway One, P.O. Box 129 (2 miles north of the Indian River Inlet)
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Phone: (302) 227-1490
Sunday 5am-8pm
Monday-Friday 6am-9pm
Saturday 5am-9pm

Delaware archery deer season and Delaware dove hunting season are weeks away! Now’s the time to learn all you can about Delaware hunting!

For a limited time (now through Friday, July 15, 2011), you can receive 20% off your order of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting when you order through this site (that’s www.HuntingTheFirstState.com) and use Code BIG305 at Lulu.com checkout!

Order a copy for home and a copy for your hunting pack! Order a copy for a friend! Order a copy for your dad! Whatever the case, order now because you can save 20%!

Remember to use Code BIG305 at Lulu.com checkout!

If you are still looking for that perfect gift for the Delaware hunter (ALERT! Father’s Day is coming), order Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting – Second Edition through www.huntingthefirststate.com and receive 15% OFF through MAY 31!

To receive 15% OFF your copy of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting – Second Edition enter code MAYSAVE305 at checkout!

Receive 15% Hunting The First State through May 31!

My vizsla Gus and I hunted stocked pheasants and chukars yesterday with some friends at our gun club. Snow was falling steadily during the hunt, and I was curious to see how Gus would react.

It was evident that the falling snow and the snow on the ground was keeping the bird scent close to the ground. Gus pointed a lot of birds, but several flushed while he was trying to get closer to them. It seemed like in some cases Gus had to be right on top of the birds to smell them.

Four guys hunted over him, and I think each of us harvested at least 3 birds. Check out the video.

Feedback Requested: Possible Dog Seizures?

Unfortunately, Gus had another health episode about 2 hours into the hunt. This has happened several times in the past, so I am bringing him to the vet again ASAP.

Here’s what is happening.

The Second Edition of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting is now available as an eBook in ePub format!

Yes, that means that all of you who received an iPad or similar eBook reader for Christmas can read the full version of Hunting The First State electronically.

Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting – Second Edition will be available within the Apple iBookstore within 30 days, but it is available now through my site! To purchase your ePub version of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting – Second Edition, click here!

Although the “cool factor” is reason enough to purchase your ePub version of Hunting The First State, another reason is that the ePub price is only $8.99, which is more than 50% off the printed price. Get your ePub version now!

Book Signing – Steven M. Kendus to Sign Copies of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition) at Atlantic Books in Dover, Delaware on December 5, 2010

Steven M. Kendus book signing December 5, 2010 at Atlantic Books in Dover, DE

WILMINGTON, DE — November 29, 2010 — Steven M. Kendus, author of Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition), will be signing copies of his book at Atlantic Books at 1159 North Du Pont Highway, Dover, Delaware, on Sunday, December 5, 2010 from Noon – 2:00 PM. Books will be available for purchase.

Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition), provides an in-depth look at hunting in Delaware and the surrounding region. Author and Delaware native Steven M. Kendus uses his hunting wisdom, experience, and research to preserve Delaware’s hunting legacy by sharing important history, tactics, locations, tips, and tricks associated with Delaware hunting.

The updated edition of Hunting The First State provides further insight, updated statistics, reader-submitted photos, and more first-hand accounts of hunting in Delaware. Hunting The First State discusses common game species such as white-tailed deer, Canada geese, and ducks, but it also offers insight into coyotes, wild turkeys, red foxes, woodcocks, quail, snow geese, crows, rabbits, and more.

According to author Steven M. Kendus, “Atlantic Books has sold numerous copies of the first edition of Hunting The First State since 2007, so I look forward to meeting and signing books for Dover-area hunters. This new edition of Hunting The First State is in high demand for the holiday season. It makes a great gift for any hunter, and a personalized copy is even better.”
S

ee www.HuntingTheFirstState.com for additional details about Hunting the First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting (Second Edition).

From my article that appeared in The News Journal on October 7, 2010.

Although Delaware’s deer season officially began Sept. 1 for those who hunt with vertical bows or crossbows, October marks the month where hunters who use shotguns and muzzleloaders enter Delaware’s forests and fields. Those using shotguns can hunt antlerless deer Oct. 18, 22, 23, 25, 29 and 30. Muzzleloader users can hunt antlered or antlerless deer from Oct. 8-16.

During the 2008-09 hunting season (the last season for which deer harvest data is available), 1,246 deer were harvested during the October antlerless seasons, and 1,658 deer were harvested during the October muzzleloader season. Delaware’s stable white-tailed deer population and ample October hunting opportunities should lead to continued hunter success.

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Game Mammal Biologist Joe Rogerson said the state’s deer population is stable to slightly declining.

“It should be noted that the goal of the division has been to reduce the population through the liberalization of the deer seasons, so this decline is a desired result,” Rogerson said. “Once the population reaches more appropriate levels, then the division will scale back harvest rates.”

Although Delaware’s overall deer population is healthy, there have been some confirmed cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, commonly called EHD. EHD is a virus that infects white-tailed deer typically through bites from specific species of midges, gnats and mosquitoes. Infected deer exhibit various symptoms, including lethargy, internal bleeding, labored breathing, disfigured hooves, and swelling of eyelids, head, tongue and neck. Typically occurring during late summer and early fall, EHD outbreaks sometimes kill up to 90 percent of infected deer in concentrated locations, but the disease does not affect humans.

Rogerson said he has received reports of EHD mainly in Deer Management Zone 3, north of Townsend. “EHD is a virus that can have significant local impacts, but overall is relatively insignificant,” Rogerson said. “The southeastern states have dealt with EHD for decades, and their deer herds are still thriving.”

EHD, and a similar disease called bluetongue, have been discussed in the Delaware hunting community for several years, especially during times of drought. Many believe that drought draws high numbers of deer to common water sources where the diseases are easily spread. I have spoken with several landowners and hunters who have seen deer die-offs that they attribute to EHD or bluetongue. Several have questioned why Delaware deer hunters are still encouraged to harvest antlerless deer (does, mostly) during October seasons if deer could be dying from disease.

“The Delaware deer herd is extremely productive due to the abundance of food and mild winters,” Rogerson said. “It is unlikely that seasons would be adjusted due to EHD, although it is something that we monitor and would act accordingly if need be.”

Despite low incidences of EHD, Delaware hunters can experience tag- and freezer-filling success in October.