The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds sportsmen that the 2018 fall archery hunting season for deer and wild turkey opens on September 15.
Fall archery hunting season for deer and wild turkey extends to the end of December on private lands and state land bowhunting only areas, and to the end of January 2019 on private lands in Deer Management 11 and 12.
On state lands also open to firearms hunting, the archery season runs from September 15 to November 13 and from December 19 through the end of the month.
Starting October 1, 2018, archery deer hunting is allowed on private lands on Sundays in all Deer Management Zones.
“The outlook for the 2018 hunting season is good because mild winters and abundant acorn crops over the past two years have made it easy on deer and challenging for hunters as harvest numbers have been low,” said Andy LaBonte, DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist. “It is expected that acorn production will be lower this year due to gypsy moth infestation, so if pending weather conditions are favorable, harvest numbers this fall should increase from 2017.”
“The best hunting opportunities are in the southwest corner of the state and many of the shoreline towns, especially for bowhunters,” continued LaBonte. “Many landowners use the archery deer hunting season as a safe and effective means of reducing deer populations, especially in the more developed areas of the state where firearms hunting may not be feasible.”
Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp: A Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp was established in 2016, which replaces all turkey permits and the Pheasant Stamp, and is required to hunt any resident (non-migratory) game birds, including wild turkey, pheasant, ruffed grouse, partridge, and quail.
