If you are a hunter planning to visit Connecticut for the 2023 hunting season, this post is for you. We have list a comprehensive summary of the hunting seasons and rules for 2023 in Connecticut, so you can plan your trip with confidence. Read on to learn more about the hunting seasons and regulations in this state.
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Connecticut Hunting Seasons
Connecticut may not be the largest state in the country, but it packs a punch when it comes to hunting opportunities. This little state has a diverse range of huntable animals, including turkeys, deer, and ducks. Even though bear hunting is prohibited in Connecticut, visitors may still witness these magnificent animals in the wild.
Connecticut offers many advantages, and hunting is only one of them. This state, situated in the center of the Northeast, has some of the most beautiful scenery and mildest weather in the country. Because of its rich historical and cultural aspects, Connecticut offers a unique outdoor experience. Connecticut is a fantastic destination if you like the outdoors, whether you are an experienced hunter or just starting your outdoor adventure quest.
The Connecticut hunting season is listed below:
Deer Seasons
Deer Season
Zones/Note
Season Dates
Bowhunting Season
Private Land
Zones 11 and 12
Jan 1 - Jan 31
Private Land
All Zones
Sept 15 - Dec 31
State Land
Bowhunting Only Areas
Sept 15 - Dec 30
State Land
Sept 15 - Nov 14
Dec 20 - Dec 30
Shotgun Season
No Lottery Season (State Controlled Areas)
Nov 15 - Dec 5
Deer Lottery
Archery
Only Lottery
Sept 15 - Dec 30
State Land Lottery
“A” Season
Nov 15 - Nov 24
State Land Lottery
Regular Season
Nov 15 - Dec 5
Deer Shotgun/Rifle/Revolver
Private Lands
Nov 15 - Dec 5
Landowner
Nov 1 - Dec 30
Deer Muzzleloader
Private Land
Dec 6 - Dec 30
State Land
Dec 6 - Dec 19
Coyote Season
Season
Start Date
End Date
Coyote
2-Jan
30-Dec
Fox Season
CT Fox Season
Start Date
End Date
Note
Red and Gray Foxes
2-Jan
28-Feb
Daily Limit: 3 combined
21-Oct
30-Dec
Daily Limit: 3 combined
Grouse Season
CT Grouse Season
Start Date
End Date
Ruffed Grouse
21-Oct
30-Nov
Raccoon Season
Season
Start Date
End Date
Raccoon
2-Jan
21-Jan
Opossum Season
Season
Start Date
End Date
Opossum
21-Oct
30-Dec
Rabbit Season
CT Rabbit Season
Start Date
End Date
European Hare
21-Oct
30-Dec
Rabbit (Cottontail)
2-Jan
28-Feb
Rabbit (nowshoe Hare)
18-Nov
30-Dec
2-Jan
31-Jan
Woodchuck Season
Season
Start Date
End Date
Woodchuck
15-Mar
15-Nov
Turkey Season
CT Turkey Season
Start Date
End Date
Note
Turkey (Spring)
26-Apr
27-May
All lands.
Turkey (Fall Archery All State Land 1)
15-Sep
14-Nov
Turkey (Fall Archery Only State Land)
15-Sep
30-Dec
State Land Bow hunting Areas only
Turkey (Fall Archery All Private Land
15-Sep
30-Dec
All zones.
Turkey (Fall Archery All State Land 2)
20-Dec
30-Dec
Turkey (Fall Archery Late Private Land)
2-Jan
31-Jan
Zone 11 & 12.
Fall Archery Late (Private Land)
2-Jan
31-Jan
Turkey (Fall Firearms)
7-Oct
31-Oct
(All lands) State Land: 1 either sex. Private Land/Landowner: 2 either sex.
Squirrel Season
Squirrel Season
Start Date
End Date
Gray Squirrel
1-Sep
30-Dec
2-Jan
28-Feb
Upland Bird Season
CT Upland Bird Season
Start Date
End Date
Note
Chukar & Hungarian Partridge
2-Jan
28-Feb
NA
21-Oct
30-Dec
Pheasant Season
CT Pheasant Season
Start Date
End Date
Pheasant
21-Oct
30-Dec
2-Jan
28-Feb
Quail Season
CT Quail Season
Start Date
End Date
Quail
21-Oct
4-Nov
Crow Season
Season
Start Date
End Date
Note
Crow
14-Jan
25-Mar
(Mon through Sat)
12-Aug
13-Oct
(Wed, Fri, Sat)
21-Oct
30-Nov
(Wed, Fri, Sat)
Duck Season
CT Duck Season
Start Date
End Date
Note
Duck (Scaup South Zone 1)
8-Oct
12-Oct
There is a daily bag restriction of one. See the rules.
Duck (Scaup North Zone 1)
8-Oct
15-Oct
There is a daily bag restriction of one. See the rules.
Duck (Early North Zone)
8-Oct
15-Oct
There is a daily bag restriction of six. See the rules.
Duck (Early South Zone)
8-Oct
12-Oct
There is a daily bag restriction of six. New mallard bag limit restrictions. See the rules.
Duck (Scaup North Zone 2)
11-Nov
17-Dec
There is a daily bag restriction of one. See the rules.
Duck (Late North Zone)
11-Nov
11-Jan
There is a daily bag restriction of six. New mallard bag limit restrictions. See the rules.
Duck (Scaup South Zone 2
18-Nov
29-Dec
There is a daily bag restriction of one. See the rules.
Duck (Late South Zone)
18-Nov
21-Jan
There is a daily bag restriction of six. New mallard bag limit restrictions. See the rules.
Duck (Scaup North Zone 3)
20-Dec
11-Jan
There is a daily bag restriction of two. See the rules.
Duck (Scaup South Zone 3)
30-Dec
21-Jan
There is a daily bag restriction of two. See the rules.
Goose Season
CT Goose Season
Start Date
End Date
Note
Goose (Early Canada Goose North Zone)
1-Sep
30-Sep
There is a daily bag restriction of 15. See the rules.
Goose (Early Canada Goose South Zone)
15-Sep
30-Sep
There is a daily bag restriction of 15. See the rules.
Goose (Early Snow Goose North Zone)
1-Oct
14-Jan
There is a daily bag restriction of 25. Blue geese are included.
Goose (Early Snow Goose S)
1-Oct
30-Nov
There is a daily bag restriction of 25. Blue geese are included.
Goose (NAP-H Early)
8-Oct
15-Oct
Zones to the north and south. There is a daily bag restriction of two.
Goose (AFRP First)
8-Oct
15-Oct
Zones to the north and south. There is a daily bag restriction of five.
Goose (AP Early North)
10-Oct
15-Oct
Only the northern zone is available. There is a daily bag restriction of two Canada geese.
Goose (AFRP Second)
11-Nov
7-Dec
Zones to the north and south. There is a daily bag restriction of five.
Goose (AP Late North)
11-Nov
8-Dec
Only the northern zone is available. There is a daily bag restriction of two Canada geese.
Goose (NAP-H Late)
11-Nov
11-Jan
Zones to the north and south. There is a daily bag restriction of two.
Goose (AFRP Third)
21-Dec
15-Feb
Zones to the north and south. There is a daily bag restriction of five.
Goose (Late Snow Goose South Zone)
6-Jan
10-Mar
There is a daily bag restriction of 25. Blue geese are included.
Goose (Special Late Canada Goose South Zone)
16-Jan
15-Feb
Only the south zone is available. There is a daily bag restriction of five.
Goose (Late Snow Goose North Zone)
21-Feb
10-Mar
There is a daily bag restriction of 25. Blue geese are included.
*Note: For Goose and duck season the dates mentioned are tentative and required to be confirmed
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 hunting or fishing 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 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp is $9. (12-15 years old).
License Category
Note
Resident License Fee
Non-resident License Fee
Firearms Hunting
$19.00
$91.00
Firearms Hunting and Inland Fishing
$38.00
$110.00
Firearms Hunting and All Waters Fishing
$40.00
$120.00
Firearms Hunting and Marine Waters Fishing
$25.00
$94.00
3-day Out-of-state (Non-resident) Bird Hunting
$35.00
Junior Firearms Hunting
Junior (Ages 12 to 15)
$11.00
$11.00
Age 65+ Annual Firearms Hunting License
Senior (Age 65+)
Free
Archery Deer/Small Game
$41.00
$135.00
Archery Deer/Small Game and All Waters Fishing
$65.00
Junior Archery Deer/Small Game
Junior (Ages 12 to 15)
$10.00
$19.00
Trapping
$34.00
$250.00
Resident Trapping
16- and 17-year-old
$17.00
Junior Trapping
Junior (Ages 12 to 15)
$11.00
Age 65+ Annual Trapping License
Senior (Age 65+)
Free
You may review the complete list of licenses on eregulation website.
Hunting Regulations
Sunday hunting is illegal unless you are an archery deer hunter in a Deer Management Zone. Private hunting 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 hunting weapon to enter or leave a hunting area. During deer and turkey hunting seasons, if there is no live cartridge in the chamber, a person may have a loaded rifle or shotgun one hour before dawn.
Any hunting 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 hunting when intoxicated or high.
It is illegal to hunt or 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 hunters).
Hunting is prohibited from October 8 to 1/2 hour before dawn on October 15, except for hunting 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 hunt deer, ravens, coyotes, and other small animals.
Westport, Connecticut, has a hunting prohibition.
Trap or target shooting is prohibited on state-owned or public hunting 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 Connecticut’s 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).
In Connecticut, 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-Connecticut citizens.
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 in order to be legally on the hunt. In addition to a coat or vest, hunters should also wear an orange cap. This regulation is intended to improve hunter security and visibility., make a question for this
Can I hunt pheasants in Connecticut?
Pheasant hunting is legal 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 in Connecticut and local birds, including ruffed grouse, quail, and chukar. Please see the Connecticut Hunting Guide for further details about pheasant hunting in Connecticut.
Do I need to complete a hunter and trapper education program in Connecticut?
If you are a novice hunter or trapper in Connecticut, you must finish a hunter and trapper education program. The curriculum provides advanced hunter education courses and guns, bowhunting, and trapping safety lessons. For additional information on how to begin hunting in Connecticut and to register, please go to the Hunting Roadmap.
