DEP announces Opening Days of Upcoming Fall Firearms Hunting Seasons
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced the Opening Days of upcoming fall firearms hunting seasons. Peak hunting occurs during early morning and late afternoon, primarily during the period from mid-October through mid-December.
The fall firearms turkey season opens statewide on Saturday, October 3, and will continue through October 31. The regular waterfowl season opens statewide on Wednesday, October 14, in both the north and south hunting zones. Small game hunting season opens at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, for pheasant, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, chukar partridge, crow, and cottontail rabbit. Statewide firearms deer hunting season begins Wednesday, November 18. Youth deer hunting training days are scheduled for Saturday, November 7 and Saturday, November 14.
The 2009 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide and the 2009-2010 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide, which contain additional information on laws, regulations, and season dates, can be obtained at any town clerk or Wildlife Division office, or they can be found on the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting. Maps denoting many state-owned hunting areas and most permit-required hunting areas may be obtained from the DEP website.
Small Game Season and Permit-required Information
With the exception of opening day (October 17) small game hunting is allowed for most species from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. Waterfowl hunting is permitted from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
In addition to most state forests and wildlife management areas, small game hunting will be available on a number of areas established under the permit-required hunting program. Permit-required areas are open to public hunting via a daily permit system and are made available through the cooperation of private landowners and local sportsmen’s clubs. A designated number of daily permits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for each day of the season. Permits may be requested up to two days in advance of the day that you wish to hunt. A special "seasonal" access permit for Junior Hunters, aged 12-15, will continue to be available for selected areas. The permit allows access during any day of the season for a Junior Hunter and accompanying adult licensed hunter without the need to obtain daily hunting permits. Further details and permit forms are available from the DEP website.
Sportsmen wishing to hunt any designated permit-required hunting area should consult the 2009 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide for locations of vendors issuing daily permits. Since the printing of the guide, there has been one change in a permit vendor location; the DEP’s Eastern District Headquarters in Marlborough will be the vendor for the Herbron permit-required area.
Increased opportunities for small game hunting on some of the highest quality state-owned areas occur at Babcock Pond Wildlife Management Area (Colchester), Bear Hill WMA (Bozrah), Goshen WMA (Goshen), Higganum Meadows WMA (Haddam), and Nathan Hale State Forest (Coventry) where daily hunting permits are not required.
Pheasant Prospects Remain Good; Tags Now Available for Sale
The DEP will purchase 14,303 adult ring-necked pheasants for the upcoming fall season; a decrease of 439 birds from the previous year’s purchase. Most stocking areas will receive minor adjustments in allocations as a result of the decrease. In addition to adult pheasants, 780 eight-week-old pheasants were purchased and delivered to Norwich Fish and Game and Sprague Rod and Gun Clubs for eventual release on permit-required hunting areas.
The Pheasant Program budget is determined by the net revenue collected in the previous year. In 2008, pheasant stamp sales increased for the first time in many years. A total of 6,346 pheasant stamps were sold; however, program costs increased as well.
Despite the small reduction in the number of pheasants stocked, sportsmen should recognize that the ratio of pheasants stocked per hunter has actually increased over the years and the prospects for pheasant hunting are as good as they have been in several years.
Stocking Areas Maintained – Limited Stocking During Deer Season Opener
A total of 42 major public hunting areas will be stocked with pheasants during the 2009 fall season, including two new areas – Suffield WMA (Suffield) and John Minetto State Park (Torrington). A number of lower quality/lower public use areas will not be stocked in an effort to maintain sufficient allocations on the higher quality sites.
Stocking will occur two to three times per week during the seven-week distribution period, except during the third week in November when the firearms deer season opens statewide. Only a limited number of pheasants will be stocked during that week on 22 areas. Pheasants will be nearly evenly distributed with one-half of the allocations released in October and one-half during November. All stocking will conclude by Thanksgiving Day.
To provide opportunities for weekend/family and youth hunters, volunteers for the DEP will release pheasants on Friday evenings and variable Saturdays on selected sites.
Cooperative sportsmen’s clubs that provide public hunting access to permit-required hunting areas will continue to stock state-purchased birds on several areas.
For additional details, such as area allocations and an updated listing of all major stocking areas, visit the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting. Sportsmen are reminded that, in addition to their firearms hunting license, a Pheasant Harvest Tag Series is required to hunt pheasants on public lands. Tags are no longer available for over-the-counter purchase at town halls or vendor locations. Tags may be ordered through the DEP’s on-line licensing system (www.ct.gov/dep/sportsmenlicensing) or through town clerks and their agents, but hunters should allow at least two weeks to receive their tags through the mail. Tags may be obtained in person at the following DEP offices: Sessions Woods WMA (Burlington), Franklin Swamp WMA (Franklin), Marine Headquarters (Old Lyme), Eastern District Headquarters (Marlborough), Western District Headquarters (Harwinton), and DEP Headquarters (Hartford).
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced the Opening Days of upcoming fall firearms hunting seasons. Peak hunting occurs during early morning and late afternoon, primarily during the period from mid-October through mid-December.
The fall firearms turkey season opens statewide on Saturday, October 3, and will continue through October 31. The regular waterfowl season opens statewide on Wednesday, October 14, in both the north and south hunting zones. Small game hunting season opens at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, for pheasant, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, chukar partridge, crow, and cottontail rabbit. Statewide firearms deer hunting season begins Wednesday, November 18. Youth deer hunting training days are scheduled for Saturday, November 7 and Saturday, November 14.
The 2009 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide and the 2009-2010 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide, which contain additional information on laws, regulations, and season dates, can be obtained at any town clerk or Wildlife Division office, or they can be found on the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting. Maps denoting many state-owned hunting areas and most permit-required hunting areas may be obtained from the DEP website.
Small Game Season and Permit-required Information
With the exception of opening day (October 17) small game hunting is allowed for most species from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. Waterfowl hunting is permitted from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
In addition to most state forests and wildlife management areas, small game hunting will be available on a number of areas established under the permit-required hunting program. Permit-required areas are open to public hunting via a daily permit system and are made available through the cooperation of private landowners and local sportsmen’s clubs. A designated number of daily permits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for each day of the season. Permits may be requested up to two days in advance of the day that you wish to hunt. A special "seasonal" access permit for Junior Hunters, aged 12-15, will continue to be available for selected areas. The permit allows access during any day of the season for a Junior Hunter and accompanying adult licensed hunter without the need to obtain daily hunting permits. Further details and permit forms are available from the DEP website.
Sportsmen wishing to hunt any designated permit-required hunting area should consult the 2009 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide for locations of vendors issuing daily permits. Since the printing of the guide, there has been one change in a permit vendor location; the DEP’s Eastern District Headquarters in Marlborough will be the vendor for the Herbron permit-required area.
Increased opportunities for small game hunting on some of the highest quality state-owned areas occur at Babcock Pond Wildlife Management Area (Colchester), Bear Hill WMA (Bozrah), Goshen WMA (Goshen), Higganum Meadows WMA (Haddam), and Nathan Hale State Forest (Coventry) where daily hunting permits are not required.
Pheasant Prospects Remain Good; Tags Now Available for Sale
The DEP will purchase 14,303 adult ring-necked pheasants for the upcoming fall season; a decrease of 439 birds from the previous year’s purchase. Most stocking areas will receive minor adjustments in allocations as a result of the decrease. In addition to adult pheasants, 780 eight-week-old pheasants were purchased and delivered to Norwich Fish and Game and Sprague Rod and Gun Clubs for eventual release on permit-required hunting areas.
The Pheasant Program budget is determined by the net revenue collected in the previous year. In 2008, pheasant stamp sales increased for the first time in many years. A total of 6,346 pheasant stamps were sold; however, program costs increased as well.
Despite the small reduction in the number of pheasants stocked, sportsmen should recognize that the ratio of pheasants stocked per hunter has actually increased over the years and the prospects for pheasant hunting are as good as they have been in several years.
Stocking Areas Maintained – Limited Stocking During Deer Season Opener
A total of 42 major public hunting areas will be stocked with pheasants during the 2009 fall season, including two new areas – Suffield WMA (Suffield) and John Minetto State Park (Torrington). A number of lower quality/lower public use areas will not be stocked in an effort to maintain sufficient allocations on the higher quality sites.
Stocking will occur two to three times per week during the seven-week distribution period, except during the third week in November when the firearms deer season opens statewide. Only a limited number of pheasants will be stocked during that week on 22 areas. Pheasants will be nearly evenly distributed with one-half of the allocations released in October and one-half during November. All stocking will conclude by Thanksgiving Day.
To provide opportunities for weekend/family and youth hunters, volunteers for the DEP will release pheasants on Friday evenings and variable Saturdays on selected sites.
Cooperative sportsmen’s clubs that provide public hunting access to permit-required hunting areas will continue to stock state-purchased birds on several areas.
For additional details, such as area allocations and an updated listing of all major stocking areas, visit the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting. Sportsmen are reminded that, in addition to their firearms hunting license, a Pheasant Harvest Tag Series is required to hunt pheasants on public lands. Tags are no longer available for over-the-counter purchase at town halls or vendor locations. Tags may be ordered through the DEP’s on-line licensing system (www.ct.gov/dep/sportsmenlicensing) or through town clerks and their agents, but hunters should allow at least two weeks to receive their tags through the mail. Tags may be obtained in person at the following DEP offices: Sessions Woods WMA (Burlington), Franklin Swamp WMA (Franklin), Marine Headquarters (Old Lyme), Eastern District Headquarters (Marlborough), Western District Headquarters (Harwinton), and DEP Headquarters (Hartford).