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2025-2026 Connecticut Hunting: New Season Dates, Licenses & More!
If you are planning to visit Connecticut for latest hunting pursuit, here is a comprehensive summary of everything you need to know to go outdoors including, up-to-date schedules, licenses, bag limits and more.
Migratory Bird Stamp: Required for waterfowl, rails, snipe, etc.
Federal Duck Stamp: Needed for duck hunting.
HIP Registration: Included with state stamp.
Sunday Hunting: Allowed on private land (except migratory birds).
(Always verify with Connecticut DEEP for last-minute updates.)
Licenses & Fees
Hunting and trapping licenses, stamps, and permits are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the DEEP’s Online Outdoor Licensing System and certain sporting goods stores and municipal offices (although availability and restrictions may vary). You can sign and store an online license on your phone, but you’ll need to visit a licensing bureau to get a printed copy.
Licenses are available Monday through Friday at the Wildlife Division’s Sessions Woods, Franklin Field Offices, and the DEEP Western District Headquarters. To find out whether license sales are prohibited, contact the DEEP’s Eastern or Marine Districts. 12 to 15-year-olds pay half the price for license and permit fees, while 16 and 17-year-olds pay the full amount. For young hunters, the Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp is $9. (12-15 years old).
License/Permit
Valid For
Non-resident Fee
Resident Fee
Licenses
Firearms Hunting (age 16-17)
Hunting with firearms
$19.00
$10
Hunting & Inland Fishing (Firearms)
Hunting & inland fishing
$38.00
$19
Firearms Hunting & All Waters Fishing
Hunting & all waters fishing
$40.00
$20
Firearms Hunting & Marine Fishing
Hunting & marine fishing
$25.00
$13
3-Day Non-Resident Bird Hunting
3 days bird hunting
$35.00
-
Junior Firearms
Ages 12-15 hunting
$11.00
$11.00
Senior Firearms
65+ hunting
-
Free
Small Game & Archery Deer
Archery hunting deer & small game
$41.00
$21
All Waters Fishing, Small Game & Archery Deer
$65.00
$33
Junior Archery Deer & Small Game
Ages 12-15 archery hunting
$19.00
$10.00
Trapping
Trapping furbearers
$250.00
$34.00
Resident Trapping (16-17)
-
$17.00
Junior Trapping
Under 16 trapping
-
$11.00
Senior Trapping
65+ trapping
-
Free
Permits
Lottery "A"
state land
$19.00
$10
Regular Season Lottery
state land
$19.00
$10
No Lottery
state land
$19.00
$10
Private Land Shotgun, Rifle, or Revolver
private lands
$19.00
$10
Muzzleloader (state land)
state land
$19.00
$10
Muzzleloader (private land)
private lands
$19.00
$10
Landowner
10 or more acres that are adjacent
Free
Free
Hunting Regulations
Sunday hunting is illegal unless you are an archery deer hunter in a Deer Management Zone. Private preserves, certified dog training facilities, and sanctioned field trials are the only exceptions. Bowhunters may kill deer on private property on Sundays in all Deer Management Zones, but they must keep 40 yards away from blazed hiking paths.
During the Private Land Shotgun/Rifle and Muzzleloader seasons, “Antlerless Only” tags are not acceptable in Zones 2 and 4A. Some places just honor “Either Sex.”
It is illegal to intentionally load a weapon to enter or leave a game area. During deer and turkey hunting, if there is no live cartridge in the chamber, a person may have a loaded rifle or shotgun one hour before dawn.
Any tool with a live round in the chamber or an attached magazine, such as a rifle or shotgun, muzzle-loaded firearm with a primer, flintlock firearm with powder in the pan, bow and arrow with an arrow notched on the bow, drawn crossbow with a bolt in place, or high-velocity air gun is considered a loaded hunting implement.
It is prohibited to go outdoors when intoxicated or high.
It is illegal to shoot from a public street and aim at a person, building, or animal.
On state property, ATVs and other motorized vehicles are prohibited for hunting, shooting, and other purposes (with some exceptions for disabled individuals).
Hunting is prohibited from October 8 to 1/2 hour before dawn on October 15, except for rails in marshes, waterfowl, squirrels, deer, turkeys, and coyotes, as well as approved private shooting preserves or field trials.
Electronic calling devices may be used to take deer, ravens, coyotes, and other small animals.
Westport, has a hunting prohibition.
Trap or target shooting is prohibited on state-owned or public grounds except at an established range. Target shooting, shotgun patterning, and rifle sighting are available at state-maintained shooting ranges.
Wooster Mountain State Park is home to Danbury’s Cooperative Shooting Range. Clay target shooting is available at Wooster Mountain Shooting Range; for hours and fees, contact (203) 794-9821.
In Naugatuck State Forest, the High Rock Shooting Association, Inc. manages the High Rock Cooperative Shooting Range. Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closures are posted on the website.) You must have a state pistol permit and pay $5 per hour at the range to fire pistols. High Rock Shooting Association may be contacted at (203-720-1101) or their website.
The Meshomasic State Forest shooting range is accessible through Toll Gate Road. Paper targets are free of charge. Reservations are required.
The Nye Holman Field Archery Range is located on South River Road near Tolland. The field course is always open to the public, and only field points are awarded (arrows with broadheads are strictly prohibited).
Falconry requires a permit. Falconers are allowed to attend any small public game or waterfowl shooting place and must follow the same restrictions. Entering private property needs explicit authorization. Like small game and waterfowl hunters, Falconers must wear bright orange and get licenses, stamps, and permits. A falconry permit is required for non-residents.
What are the clothing requirements for hunting in Connecticut?
From September 1st until the end of February, all hunters in Connecticut (even those with deer damage licenses) must wear 400 square inches of neon orange above the waist and an orange cap in order to comply with the rules. This regulation is intended to improve hunter security and visibility., make a question for this
Can I hunt pheasants in Connecticut?
Pheasant can be legally taken in Connecticut. With a daily bag restriction of two and a season bag maximum of ten, the pheasant season typically lasts from January to February and October to December. Youth and junior hunters may also shoot pheasants and local birds, including ruffed grouse, quail, and chukar.
Do I need to complete a hunter and trapper education program in Connecticut?
If you’re new to hunting or trapping in Connecticut, completion of an education program is mandatory. This curriculum encompasses comprehensive lessons in advanced hunting techniques, as well as safety education in handling guns, bowhunting, and trapping.
John Lewis, the passionate founder of HuntingSeasons.org, is committed to promoting responsible hunting and a profound love for the wilderness. With years of expertise, his platform serves as a reliable guide for hunting enthusiasts, advocating ethical practices and nature preservation.
