Pheasant Hunting in Connecticut Changes in 2017: This year, the DEEP will purchase a total of 15,000 adult pheasants. This year 7-8 areas will be stocked on Saturday morning and afternoon and will only be open to hunters with a Saturday a.m. (9 am -12 noon) or Saturday p.m. (1:30 pm - 4:30 pm) permit. These select areas will be stocked prior to the morning permit and during the afternoon break to assure hunters that birds will be available at these areas on the weekend. These areas will include: Cromwell Meadows WMA, Durham Meadows WMA, Housatonic WMA, Nathan Hale State Forest, Naugatuck State Forest (Hunter's Mountain Block only), Simsbury WMA and Skiff Mountain Coop WMA. All hunters wishing to use these areas on Saturdays must have a Saturday permit and will only be able to be present during the specified time on the daily permit. Saturday permits for these areas will only be available on the Online Sportsmen Licensing System the Monday preceding the Saturday hunts starting at 12:01 am. As in past years, the third week of November (13th - 18th) will be an abbreviated week. During that week birds will only be released in the beginning of the week at all areas except: Cromwell Meadows, Durham Meadows WMA, East Windsor/Enfield PR Area, Higganum Meadows WMA, Housatonic WMA, Mansfield Hollow, MDC New Hartford, Simsbury WMA, Suffield WMA and Thomaston Dam. CONNECTICUT RESIDENT GAME BIRD CONSERVATION STAMP: All pheasant hunters must purchase a Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp, along with a hunting license. The Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp is also required for those who wish to hunt wild turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, chukar and Hungarian partridge. The stamp costs $28 for adults and non-residents. Connecticut resident youth hunters (ages 12-17) can purchase the stamp for a discounted price of $14. All revenues from the sale of Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamps will be deposited into a separate, non-lapsing account to use exclusively for the purchase and management of game birds and their habitat. Hunters who wish to enjoy hunting woodcock while pursuing pheasant are required to also purchase a Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp rather than a HIP permit. The cost of the stamp is $17. Both stamps can be purchased through the online Sportsmen Licensing System and from participating Town Clerks and Retail Agents including: Franklin Swamp WMA - Franklin Sessions Woods, WMA - Burlington Marine Headquarters - Old Lyme Eastern District Headquarters - Marlborough Western District Headquarters - Harwinton DEEP Headquarters - Hartford Three-day Non-Resident License: (as of July 1, 2016) Non-resident hunters wishing to take advantage of the vast bird hunting opportunities that Connecticut has to offer can now purchase a three-day non- resident bird hunting license, which is good for 3 consecutive privilege days (Sundays not included). The license will cost $35. In addition to the three-day non-resident license, hunters wishing to pursue wild turkey, pheasant, quail, and partridge will also need to purchase a Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp. Visitors wishing to hunt woodcock, snipe, rails, crows, and waterfowl will need to purchase a Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp in addition to their three-day non-resident license. Daily Permits on-line: Daily permits for a select group of Permit-Required Areas will be available on- line. Please check the online Sportsmen Licensing System for a complete list of areas available. As in the past, permits will be available up to two days in advance; however, only one permit will be issued per day online to any one individual. AREA Changes: We will not be stocking Cockaponset SF, Franklin WMA, Mad River Dam, Pease Brook WMA, Pootatuck SF, Roraback WMA and Woodstock PR Area. The parking area on the Thomaston Dam will be closing at 3:00 pm on weekdays and will be closed during the weekends. The only parking area that is open after 3:00 pm and on weekends is the picnic area parking lot on Route 222. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM: Each year pheasants are purchased and distributed throughout the state on state-owned, state- managed, and permit-required areas. The pheasant program is funded solely by the sale of Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamps and hunting licenses. The number of pheasants that are purchased is directly correlated to the number of Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamps sold in Connecticut during the previous season and revenue derived from pheasant hunters. The pheasant program relies heavily upon cooperative relationships with hunting clubs and landowners. Many of our permit-required hunting areas are available due to agreements with private Pheasant release by Wayne Labrecque at Pachaug State Forest landowners. Thanks to these landowners pheasants are released in the towns of Bristol, East Windsor, Enfield, Meriden, Norwich, Seymour, Sprague, Suffield and Wallingford. There are still several private hunting clubs throughout the state who add to our state program by providing public access to private lands and by purchasing and stocking birds. These clubs participate in a statewide Cooperative Liberation Program. Through this program, hunters have the opportunity to hunt on private areas where both the state and the clubs are purchasing birds. While some clubs are provided with adult birds for stocking, others receive 8-week-old birds and raise them for release. Through the 8- week-old Cooperative Program the state is able to purchase birds at a reduced fee and the club then incurs the cost of raising and releasing birds on areas that the public can access. If you are out on a Permit-Required Area, please be respectful of our cooperating landowners and club members who are working hard to provide additional hunting opportunities! # of Pheasant Hunters and Birds Purchased 1983-2015 (The price of pheasant tags from 1983-1989 was $5, from 1990-2002 $10, and from 2003-2009 $14, starting on Oct. 1, 2010 tags were sold at $28) Average Price of Birds 1983-2015 SEASON DATES AND BAG LIMITS: Pheasant stocking activities begin each year just prior to the third Saturday in October "Opening Day" and ends the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving. During that time frame, pheasants are generally stocked 2-3 days each week, except during the third week of November when the Private Land Shotgun/Rifle season opens for deer hunters. Pheasants will be stocked this year on a limited basis during the week of November 13th. During that week birds will only be released in the beginning of the week at all areas except: Cromwell Meadows, Durham Meadows WMA, East Windsor/Enfield PR Area, Higganum Meadows WMA, Housatonic WMA, Mansfield Hollow, MDC New Hartford, Simsbury WMA, Suffield WMA and Thomaston Dam. All pheasant hunters must purchase a resident or nonresident small game firearms license (Conservation License) and a Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp for $28 ($14 for ages 12-17). Daily bag limits are 2 birds per day and the season limit is 10 birds. Connecticut 2017 Pheasant Hunting Areas Recommended Areas by County Hartford County Flaherty Field Trial Area, East Windsor - This is undeniably one of the very best pheasant hunting areas the state has to offer. If you are a weekday hunter, this area must be on your list of places to visit! (On most weekends, the area is used for Field Trial events and is closed to public access.) The state will be stocking nearly 340 birds here on weekdays only starting the week after opening day and ending the week of Thanksgiving (Map). Suffield WMA was purchased in 2008 and shares a boundary with a corresponding Massachusetts hunting area. The 250-acre area was formerly used for growing tobacco and contains more than 100 acres of open or managed field habitat and is contiguous to an additional 250 acres in Southwick, Massachusetts. Sportsmen should consider purchasing a non-resident Massachusetts license so that they can enjoy the entire site. At least 575 birds will be released at this area in 2017 (Map). Litchfield County Goshen WMA, Goshen - This area consists of over 900 acres of land and includes several large fields with ideal cover for pheasants. Stocking activities will result in nearly 555 birds being released at this area (Map). Housatonic WMA, Cornwall & Kent - This area consists of various fields along the Housatonic River. At least 410 birds will be released at this site (Southern Map, Northern Map). New: Saturday am or Saturday pm permit required. Northeast Utilities Skiff Mountain Permit-Required Area, Kent - 83 acres of old fields and open grasslands make this a popular area for pheasant hunters. A daily permit is needed and can be obtained at Backcountry Outfitters in Kent, CT (Map). Nearly 470 birds will be stocked at this site. New: Saturday am or Saturday pm permit required. Robbins Swamp WMA, Canaan - Litchfield County: Robbins Swamp is 1,569 acres of agricultural fields, forest, and wetlands and it will receive approximately 500 birds this year. This site contains many areas inaccessible to hunters and it is not uncommon to find birds throughout the season (Map). New: In 2016 a new parcel was purchased along Route 7 with a Pittman-Robertson grant. This area will be newly available for pheasant hunting in 2017. Middlesex County Higganum Meadows WMA, Haddam - If you are up for the hike, you’ll be pleased to find a 56-acre field along the Connecticut River that offers excellent habitat for pheasant hunting. This site will receive nearly 550 birds (Map). Wangunk Meadows WMA, Portland - With nearly 600 acres of fields on the north side of the Portland Fairgrounds, this is an ideal place to hunt pheasants. Enjoy a scenic walk along the Connecticut River and work your way through fields planted with pumpkins as you look for one of the 525 pheasants released here (Map).