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December 2025
Wildlife Highlights is published by the Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division. Please share the newsletter with others to help spread awareness about Connecticut's wildlife!
Pheasant hunting occurs across many wildlife management areas and also relies on cooperative relationships with hunting clubs and landowners.
2026 Hunting and Trapping Guide Now Available
The 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide is now available on the DEEP website. Limited quantities of the printed version will be available at town halls and vendors that sell hunting and fishing licenses in early January 2026.
A PDF of the printed version of the guide, which can be downloaded to a mobile device and accessed while out in the field, is also available. 2026 licenses, permits, and stamps are currently on sale on DEEP's Online Outdoor Licensing System.
Hunters and trappers are encouraged to use the online guide to keep up to date with any regulation changes that might occur during the year.
Regulated hunting helps fund wildlife conservation, provides healthy local food, and mitigates the negative impacts of overpopulation.
Connecticut Celebrates 50 Years of Regulated Deer Hunting
Former Wildlife Division Director Paul Herig was Connecticut’s first deer biologist and was responsible for drafting the Deer Management Act of 1974, creating the foundation of today’s Deer Program. In 1975, Connecticut held its first deer firearms hunting season, changing the status of white-tailed deer from agricultural nuisance to valuable game animal.
Paul was directly involved in the development and design of landowner, private land, and state land deer hunting permits and seasons, determining the biological data to be collected at deer check stations, and many other facets of natural resource protection. Since then, many other biologists have contributed to white-tailed deer research and management in Connecticut.
Regulated hunting helps fund wildlife conservation, provides healthy local food, and mitigates the negative impacts of deer overpopulation on Connecticut’s ecosystems.
More on deer hunting . . .
The northern leopard frog is a species of special concern in Connecticut.
Provisional Copy of CT Wildlife Action Plan Now Available
Earlier in the fall, the Wildlife Division submitted the 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approval. We would like to thank everyone who provided input to the in-depth revision process over the past two years! While we await final approval, a provisional copy of the Wildlife Action Plan is available online.
The Wildlife Action Plan is a 10-year blueprint for biodiversity conservation in Connecticut. It identifies species and habitats in need of protection, issues that impact wildlife, and actions to safeguard wildlife into the future. Healthy wildlife populations support natural ecosystems that, in turn, support human wellbeing in the form of clean air, clean water, food, forest products, opportunities for recreation, climate resilience, and protective wetlands.
At this time, our focus is shifting from revision to implementation of the plan. Everyone can play a role in protecting our wildlife and ecosystems, and we look forward to what can be accomplished with our partners over the next 10 years.
To stay up to date on progress and all things Wildlife Action Plan, we encourage you to subscribe to the quarterly electronic newsletter.
Wildlife Division biologists continue to collect data to better understand Connecticut's declining fisher population. Photo courtesy of Frank Bartlett Sr.
Fisher Research Project Enters a Third Season
Wildlife Division staff are now in the third season of live-trapping and tracking fisher as part of its multi-year study to better understand the state’s population. Despite having suitable habitat in Connecticut, the fisher population has been gradually declining over time. Through this study, staff biologists are hoping to better understand fisher habitat preference, den selection, reproduction rates, and mortality.
The fisher is a large member of the weasel family that typically inhabits large tracts of coniferous or mixed hardwood-softwood forests. The fisher’s long, slender body, short legs, and elongated bushy tail are usually dark brown to nearly black. Because fishers seldom travel in open areas and tend to be nocturnal, they are not often seen by humans.
The Wildlife Division encourages the public to report their fisher sightings, including road-killed fishers. When submitting sightings, it is especially helpful to include any photos and videos if possible. In some cases, mink are mistaken as fisher, and while the two species are related, mink are smaller on average and are most likely to be encountered in and around aquatic habitats. Also, please note that many people claim to have heard fisher calls that sound similar to a person "crying". In reality, those calls are most likely coming from a red fox (fishers are not nearly as vocal).
Report a fisher sighting . . .
Deer Disease Technician Madison Henrie-Fisher records data as part of the Wildlife Division's routine surveillance for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
Testing for Chronic Wasting Disease
Each year, the Wildlife Division collects samples from white-tailed deer carcasses to test for chronic wasting disease (CWD) as part of its proactive management strategy.
CWD is a fatal, contagious neurologic disease that mostly impacts deer, elk, and moose. Since sampling began in 2003, the Wildlife Division has tested over 9,500 white-tailed deer, and NO cases of CWD have been detected in Connecticut. However, it is important to remain vigilant through continued surveillance by regularly testing deer, monitoring where CWD has spread, and trying to close potential avenues of entry for CWD to Connecticut.
This season, Deer Disease Technician Madison Henrie-Fisher has tested roughly 350 deer so far, but she could use additional testing of deer from Deer Management Zones 1 and 4a. To submit your deer for testing, please contact Madi at Madison.HenrieFisher@ct.gov.
Master Wildlife Conservationists participate in a bat house building workshop.
Master Wildlife Conservationist Class of 2026 Coming Soon!
The Wildlife Division’s Outreach Program will be accepting applications for the 2026 cohort of the Master Wildlife Conservationist (MWC) Program in the first quarter of 2026. This free program provides adults with education and training on the natural history, biology, conservation, management, and interpretation of Connecticut’s wildlife.
Those accepted into the program receive approximately 40 hours of intensive classroom and field training. After completing a training session, each participant provides 40 hours of volunteer service within the first 18 months to become certified as a Master Wildlife Conservationist (MWC). Volunteer service can include public outreach and education, habitat management assistance, assistance with field projects, and more based on participants’ skills and interests.
The main goal of the Master Wildlife Conservationist Program is to foster a dedicated corps of knowledgeable volunteers who promote healthy and sustainable relationships between Connecticut’s residents and wildlife resources. If you are interested in applying, please be sure to complete the form on our webpage under the section “How Can You Get Involved”.
More on the Master Wildlife Conservationist Program . . .
Nest dumping is a common strategy among some cavity-nesting waterfowl, including wood ducks and hooded and common mergansers.
Some Waterfowl Don't Put All their Eggs in One Basket
After the nesting season, sometimes whole, unhatched eggs remain inside a waterfowl nest box. In the photo above, you’ll notice the egg in the middle is different from the others. This is a classic example of egg or nest dumping. Wood ducks will often lay some of their eggs in another wood duck nest, or in this case, in the nest of a hooded merganser.
Nest dumping is a common strategy among some cavity-nesting waterfowl, including wood ducks and hooded and common mergansers. Hens that dump eggs typically lay and incubate their own eggs later in the nesting season. Dumping eggs helps ensure some of a hen’s genetic material survives, even if her own nest attempt fails. That is why it is sometimes a good idea to not “put all your eggs in one basket".
This time of year, Wildlife Division waterfowl biologists are assessing nest box use and productivity and conducting routine maintenance to prepare the boxes for the birds that will nest next spring.
More on the wood duck . . .
Upcoming Events:
The Wildlife Division will be participating in the following events in the near future:
- No scheduled events at this time. Please check back in 2026.
Who We Are
The Wildlife Division is part of the Bureau of Natural Resources within the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The Bureau is charged with managing the state’s natural resources (particularly fish, wildlife, and forests) through a program of research, management, public education, and regulation. The Wildlife Division is
comprised of several programs that work together to conserve and manage Connecticut's wildlife.
Contact Us
Email: deep.ctwildlife@ct.gov
Phone: 860-424-3011
Wildlife Website: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEPWildlife
Hunting Information: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEPHunting
Office Directory: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/wildlife-division-office-directory
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are seeking a communication aid or service, have limited proficiency in English, wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint, or require some other accommodation, including equipment to facilitate virtual participation, please contact the DEEP Office of Diversity and Equity at 860-418-5910 or by email at deep.accommodations@ct.gov. Any person needing an accommodation for hearing impairment may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event.
