Connecticut hunting ?
 

My daughter just got a job in Waterbury, and I was wondering what, if any hunting opertunities might be in the area ? We used to hunt Ohio & West Virginia for deer, turkey & squirrel, but she won't be able to do that for a while now.Thanks for any help I don't know a thing about that area.

RE: Connecticut hunting ?
 

Welcome to the Nutmeg State.

I hunt a bit north of Waterbury.

My first advice is for your daughter to get a 2008 license ASAP and get a set of regulations. Depending on her age, etc., she may need to take a hunter safety course (they are free). When she has her license she can get all the other tags (spring turkey, archery deer, black powder deer, etc.) and apply for state land deer (shotgun). I would also suggest she join a club. Unlike a few years ago, most are begging for members as their old members die and there is no one to replace them.

Our regs are more than a bit confusing with different seasons and distinctions drawn between private and public lands. But once you have lived them they are not too bad. There is no Sunday hunting.

There are spring and fall turkey seasons. The spring season is later than it should be, starting in the first week of May. The fall season runs around the same time as upland bird.

I am not too sure about squirrel because I stopped hunting them some years ago. If I remember correctly, squirrel starts in September. She'll have the woods to herself. After about a month it closes and then reopens around the start of upland bird. In CT that essentially means stocked pheasant as grouse, rabbit, and woodcock populations are very low.

Deer has a multipart season. Bow starts in mid-September and runs through December 31, except in certain areas (Fairfield county), where it runs through the end of February. Gun season (rifle and shotgun) varies but typically runs from mid-November through early December. To hunt private land you need signed permission from the land owner and you may use a rifle. State land deer season requires the use of a shot gun and is split into A and B seasons. There is a lottery for permits. If you don't get a permit, there are areas that in B season do not require a permit. After gun season there is about a 3 week long black powder season. If you own more than 10 acres, you can hunt all of November and December on your property. You can get multiple tags (bow, black powder, state gun, and private land) and some of the permits such as bow come with multiple tags.

Anyway.

Good luck.

When you get your license you can get spring turkey tags. More importantly you can apply for the State land deer lottery for the 2008 shotgun season. Applications are due in mid-March. If you miss the deadline, all is not lost. There

RE: Connecticut hunting ?
 

there is the naugatuck state forest over in that area....never hunted it but it is big....My friends father hunts and it has some deer

RE: Connecticut hunting ?
 

I'm making a trip up this week to move her things,hope to look around. Thanks

RE: Connecticut hunting ?
 

Here is a link to the hunting guide, you can look around in there for public hunting areas:

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=397464&depNav_GID=1633