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Fall Edition 2026
Hunter Highlights is published by the Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division. Please share the newsletter with others to help spread awareness about hunting and trapping in Connecticut!
NEW! Submit your hunting photos! The Wildlife Division is seeking a photo to grace the cover of the upcoming Hunting and Trapping Guide. If you have a great photo you would like to submit, please email it to deep.ctwildlife@ct.gov.
White-tailed Deer.
Fall Hunting Underway
We wish all those participating a successful 2026 season and remember that safety comes first! The best way to stay up to date with hunting season information is to check the 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide and the 2026-2027 Connecticut Migratory Bird Hunting Guide.
New: The 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary and 2025 Connecticut Wild Turkey Program Report are now available on the DEEP website! The documents summarize white-tailed deer and wild turkey information for 2025, including regulations, harvest statistics, research activities, and population dynamics.
New England or Eastern Cottontail?
Take Your Shot!
Do you think you know your way around the woods? Connecticut is home to two wild species of cottontail rabbits. Do you think you have what it takes to identify them?
Take your shot. See how you stack up against fellow Connecticut hunters, and check the next issue to find out if you've earned the bragging rights!
Results from last issue:
Thank you to all folks who participated in our last issue! There were 135 total responses, and 83% of the participants were able to find the animal! The correct location was cell G3.
Prescribed fire occurring at Quinebaug River Wildlife Management Area.
Habitat and Hunting Area Update
Habitat Management:
- Prescribed Burns: Earlier this spring, the Wildlife Division conducted multiple prescribed fire burns at several locations across state lands, including a 10-acre burn at Quinebaug River Wildlife Management Area in Plainfield to sustain pitch pine barren and sandplain grassland habitat. Prescribed fire helps suppress invasive species and sustain early successional habitat.
Acquisitions:
- 358 acres added to Sunnybrook State Park (Torrington) through shared costs.
- 101 acres added to Cockaponset State Forest (Deep River).
- 152 acres added to Paugusset State Forest (Newtown).
- 71 acres added to Nehantic State Forest (Salem) through a combination of State, Migratory Bird Stamp, and private funds.
- 104 acres added to Wangunk Meadows WMA (Portland).
When pheasant hunting in shared spaces, be sure to know your target and what lies beyond.
Safety Tips: Pheasant Hunting in Shared Spaces
Pheasant season is one of the most social hunting experiences Connecticut has to offer; and that's exactly why safety deserves extra attention. Stocked pheasant hunting areas can draw multiple hunting parties at once, so awareness of your surroundings is arguably more critical in this type of hunting.
Know Your Field of Fire
Before you pull the trigger, be certain of your target and what lies beyond it. In open fields and brushy edges, pheasants flush fast and at low angles, and other hunters may be working the same bird from a different direction.
When hunting with dogs, stay alert to where the dog is working and where your partners are at all times.
Establish safe zones of fire before the hunt and stick to them, even when a bird flushes in an unexpected direction. Never swing your muzzle past your zone of fire, and resist the urge to shoot at a bird that is angling toward another person or party.
If in doubt, let it fly.
Communicate with Other Hunting Parties
If you arrive at an area where others are already hunting, take a moment to identify yourselves and establish where each group is headed. A brief conversation before you spread out can prevent dangerous overlap and make for a more enjoyable day for everyone.
Wear Blaze Orange… and Then Some
Connecticut regulations require all hunters to wear a minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent orange above the waist, visible from all sides, from September 1 through the last day of February. We strongly recommend adding a blaze orange hat as well. In tall grass, shrubby cover, and field edges, a hat is often the first (and sometimes only) thing another hunter sees of you.
A little communication and a lot of orange go a long way toward making pheasant season safe for everyone in the field.
More on pheasant hunting . . .
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 could use additional testing of deer from Deer Management Zones 4a, 4b, and 8. To submit your deer for testing, please contact Madi at Madison.HenrieFisher@ct.gov.
Take Precautions Against Chronic Wasting Disease:
- Deer hunters are reminded that a state regulation prohibits all use of natural deer urine products. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) can spread through exposure to infected deer urine.
- Another state regulation prohibits hunters from transporting into Connecticut any deer or elk carcasses or part thereof from any state where CWD has been documented, unless the meat has been de-boned. The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance provides an updated map showing where CWD has been documented in North America.
Roughly 40 women participated in last month's Women's Shooting Day.
Connecticut's Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Program
Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Women's Shooting Day in August. This annual, introductory event focuses on the basics of firearms safety and marksmanship. Participants have the opportunity to shoot bows and firearms in a structured, closely supervised environment to begin building safe habits and foundational knowledge of shooting sports.
The Wildlife Division will continue to build on the excitement of this experience through the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Program. The goal of this educational initiative is to increase women's participation in outdoor activities, including hunting and shooting sports, and to build community and confidence in the outdoors.
Whether you are new to the outdoors or looking to expand your abilities, BOW offers an encouraging environment to learn, grow, and connect with others who share your interest in nature.
Small game is often an underused form of hunting.
Seasonal Recipes: Buffalo Hot Legs with Squirrel or Rabbit
A small-game take on Buffalo hot wings. The secret to this recipe is a double fry: the first fry cooks the meat through, while the second, hotter fry makes the outside crisp before the pieces are tossed in Buffalo sauce.
More on cooking with wild game . . .
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, including the Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) Program, that work together to conserve and manage Connecticut's wildlife.
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.
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