2014 CONNECTICUT HUNTING & TRAPPING Connecticut Department of VISIT OUR WEBSITE Energy & Environmental Protection www.ct.gov/deep/hunting INVISIBLE M E E T S 2014 TERYX4™ CAMO The best hunting spotts are ofteen thhe moso t did ffificuc ltlt to rreacch.h The 2014 Teryx4 Camo doesn’t juustt havve thhe RReallttree® APPG™ HD® Cammo pap tttere n to blend in with the fooliaagge, its got the legenddaary 8000-classs VV-Twwin power and Fox suspennsionn to rreacch trtrailss most ottheer Sidde x Siddees caan only dream about. TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DEALER VISIT KAWASAKI.COM KAWASAKI CARES: Warning: The TERYX® Side-x-Side can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Avoid excessive speeds and stunt driving. Be extra careful on difficult terrain. Protect the environment. The Kawasaki TERYX® Side-x-Side is an off-highway vehicle only, and is not designed, equipped or manufactured for use on public streets, roads or highways. ©2012 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. 2014 CONNECTICUT HUNTING & TRAPPING Contents Licenses, Permits & Tags .........................................................8–10 Firearms Hunting Licenses Small Game and Deer Archery Deer and Turkey Permits Pheasant Tags Waterfowl Stamps Hunter Education Requirements Lost License Handicapped License Hunting Laws & Regulations ...................................................12–15 MOOSE ON THE MOVE, page 4 Definitions In the spring of 2013, the DEEP Wildlife Division saw a flurry of moose Closed Seasons activity that hasn’t been seen in Connecticut since 2007. Safety Zones Legal Firearms and Bows Fluorescent Orange Private Land Permission New Laws and Regulations Hunter Harassment Landowner Liability Release Deer Hunting .......................................................................... 16–22 Season Descriptions Deer Lottery Tagging and Reporting (see pages 23–27) Use of Attractants Chronic Wasting Disease Deer Liver Health Advisory Turkey Hunting ....................................................................... 32–33 Season Descriptions Tagging and Reporting (see pages 23–27) Small Game Hunting............................................................... 34–35 Season Dates and Bag Limits Season Descriptions Permit-Required Hunting Areas ............................................. 36–37 Issuance of Daily Permits Location of Vendors DEER POPULATION STUDY, page 26 Public Hunting Areas .............................................................. 38–43 An ongoing, multi-year deer research project assessing fawn Litchfield and Hartford Counties production, adult and juvenile survival rates, causes of mortality, and Tolland and Middlesex Counties habitat use in northwest Connecticut continued during winter and Windham and New London Counties spring of 2013. Fairfield and New Haven Counties Trapping ................................................................................. 44–45 Season Dates and Bag Limits Legal Methods Pelt Tagging and Carcass Collections On the cover: Rabies Advisory The gray squirrel season runs until Other Information February 28th and Trap and Target Shooting ............................................................14 reopens on September Junior Hunter Training Days ........................................................15 1st. Deer/Turkey Tagging and Reporting Requirements ............... 23–27 State-Leased Areas .....................................................................38 Photo by: Hunting Opportunities for the Disabled ........................................38 Paul J. Fusco Dog Training & Field Trial Areas ...................................................38 Sunrise/Sunset Table...................................................................48 2014 CONNECTICUT 2014 CONNECTICUT HUNTING HUNTING & TRAPPING & TRAPPING Connecticut Department of State of Connecticut Energy & Environmental Protection VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.ct.gov/deep/hunting Dannel P. Malloy, Governor Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Wildlife Division Daniel C. Esty, Commissioner Richard Jacobson, Director About this Guide Susan Whalen, Deputy Commissioner Department of Energy & Environmental Protection This high-quality regulation guide is offered to Bureau of Natural Resources 79 Elm Street you by the Connecticut Department of Energy William Hyatt, Chief Hartford, CT 06106-5127 & Environmental Protection through its unique www.ct.gov/deep partnership with J.F. Griffin Publishing, LLC. J.F. Griffin is an award winning publishing house The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/ that specializes in producing state fish & wildlife Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Any person with a disability who may need information in an alternative format may contact regulation books. J.F. Griffin supports CT DEEP’s the agency’s ADA Coordinator at 860-424-3194, or at [email protected]. Any person with limited staff in the design, layout and editing of the guides. proficiency in English, who may need information in another language, may contact the agency’s They also manage the marketing and sales of Title VI Coordinator at (860) 4234-3035, or at deep.aaoffi[email protected]. Any person with a hearing advertising to appropriate businesses within the impairment may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Discrimination complaints may book. be filed with DEEP’s Title VI Coordinator. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two The revenue generated through ad sales significantly weeks prior to any agency hearing, program or event. lowers production costs and generates savings. This guide is intended to provide a summary of the most pertinent laws and regulations concerning These savings translate into additional funds for hunting and trapping, and to provide information on these opportunities in Connecticut. No attempt other important fisheries and habitat programs. has been made to employ the exact wording of laws and regulations, nor to provide their complete If you have any feedback or are interested in listing. For legal purposes the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies and the General Statutes of advertising, please contact us at 413.884.1001 or Connecticut must be consulted. online at www.JFGriffin.com Graphic Design: Directory of Services Jon Gulley, Evelyn Haddad, Erin Murphy, For additional information the following DEEP offices may be contacted from 8:30 a.m. to Chris Sobolowski, Dane Fay 4:30 p.m. Please note that the DEEP – Licensing and Revenue Permit Sales Office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Note that the Sales Office closes at noon before major holidays and may close early during periods of severe weather. Wildlife Division 860-424-3011 Division of Env. Cons. Police 860-424-3012 430 Main St. Suite 5 | Williamstown, MA 01267 Licensing and Revenue 860-424-3105 Inland Fisheries Division 860-424-FISH J.F. Griffin Publishing, LLC is proud to print Marine Fisheries Division 860-434-6043 the official Connecticut Regulations Guides Parks and Recreation Division 860-424-3200 on recycled content paper. Forestry Division 860-424-3630 DEEP Home Page www.ct.gov/deep Field Services Questions concerning hunting, trapping, fishing, boating, camping, recreational use of state available online lands, forestry, and law enforcement may be directed to one of the following field offices (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). in a new Digital Edition! Eastern Area Headquarters 860-295-9523 Western Area Headquarters 860-485-0226 Fully searchable Email pages Office of Boating Safety (Old Lyme) 860-434-8638 Live hyperlinks to One-click printing Marine Patrol (Old Lyme) 860-434-9840 expanded content Conservation/Firearms Safety Course Information Sessions Woods WMA 860-675-8130 Franklin Swamp WMA 860-642-7239 L9LN\SH[PVUZJVT*;O\U[PUN 24 Hour Emergency Numbers Report a Violation 1-800-842-4357 DEEP-Emergency Dispatch 860-424-3333 2 2014 Connecticut Hunting & Trapping Guide A proven performer - from varmints to predators to deer. 7VS`TLY;PW (SSV`LK3LHK*VYL 3\IHSV_®)SHJR6_PKL*VH[PUN Perfection on whitetails! 7YV[LJ[LK/VSSV^7VPU[)\SSL[ )VUKLK*VYL;LJOUVSVN` /PNO9L[HPULK>LPNO[ Adapt for any waterfowl or upland hunting situation! /L_:[LLS:OV[ /PNO7HJRPUN+LUZP[` +Y`SVR:\WLY:[LLS:`Z[LT Present this coupon for $25 OFF your in-store purchase of $150 or more! Valid through December 31, 2014 Not valid online, on gift cards, non-merchandise items, licenses, previous purchases or special orders. CT2014 Excludes UGG, THE NORTH FACE, PATAGONIA, DANSKO, MERRELL, SAGE, MATHEWS & HOYT items. Cannot be combined with any other offer. No copies. One per customer. Not redeemable for cash. Rte 1 Kittery, ME / Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 10-6 / 888-587-6246 / ktp.com / ktpguns.com From January 1 to mid-June 2013, the Division recorded 67 reports of moose via email ([email protected]), phone (860-642-7239 or 860- 424-3333), and our online moose reporting system (www.depdata.ct.gov/ Moose are wildlife/sighting/mooserpt.htm). In comparison, the Division received about the same number of reports in 2007 for the entire year (the online reporting system was not operational then). Also that year, four moose were struck by a motor vehicle during spring and two were euthanized due to public safety concerns. Similarly, in spring 2013, four moose were on the struck by motor vehicles in Harwinton, Simsbury, Bolton, and Goshen. So why is there such an increase in moose activity during