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Spring 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!
Take Your Shot!
Do you think you know your way around the woods? Each issue we will test your hunting knowledge with a quick poll or challenge; whether it is spotting a hidden animal, aging a deer, or identifying a track. Take your shot, and see how you stack up against fellow Connecticut hunters. In the next issue, you will find out if you have earned the bragging rights!
Connecticut's wildlife management areas total approximately 40,000 acres.
Habitat and Hunting Area Update
Habitat Management:
- Suffield WMA (Suffield): Mowing was conducted throughout the fields to reduce invasive shrubs and sustain high-quality grassland habitat. Forestry mowing along field borders created a shrubby early
successional ecotone that complements the open grassland.
- Robbins Swamp WMA (Canaan, North Canaan): A 6-acre field was planted in fall 2025 with native grasses and wildflowers using seeds and bareroot plants. The goal is to restore food and cover across the field and its edge habitat through a biologically diverse mix of native plants, including woody shrubs to build thicket structure.
Acquisitions:
- A patch of 13.87 acres of land was generously donated to the State by the Ayer family. This property will be added to the Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area in North Franklin.
The 2026 Spring Turkey Hunting Season runs from Wednesday, April 29, to Saturday, May 30.
Turkey Hunting Safety Tips
Spring turkey season is around the corner; and safety is not an accident, it is a planned outcome. Be sure you keep these tips in mind when you go out hunting:
- Inspect your firearm and ensure it is in working order before you head out to the woods.
- Know the boundaries of the property you are hunting.
- Carry decoys in and out of the woods covered so they cannot be mistaken for live birds.
- Carry a fluorescent orange vest to wear when moving from set to set and to cover your harvest when walking out.
- Only carry the ammunition you intend to use for the gun you are carrying.
- Remember to use tick repellent.
- Dress for success - wear camouflage that blends in to your environment, but never wear red, white, or blue while turkey hunting.
- Sit against a large tree or rock wide enough and tall enough to shield you from hunters approaching from behind.
- If approached by another hunter, do not wave or try to hide. Do the one thing animals cannot do, call out in a loud voice and announce your presence.
- Never stalk a turkey; it is far safer to have the bird come to you.
- Identify your target and verify beyond your target before shooting
For more turkey hunting resources, check out these helpful reads: Turkey Hunting Tips from the National Wild Turkey Federation and a quick guide on Patterning a Shotgun to make sure you are dialed in before the season opens.
More on turkey hunting . . .
“Taking Off from Water” by Megan Song.
Winner of the 2026 Connecticut Junior Conservation (Duck) Stamp Art Contest
Congratulations to Mansfield resident, Megan Song (grade 8), whose remarkable acrylic painting of a common goldeneye, entitled “Taking Off from Water”, was selected as the “Best in Show” for the 2026 Connecticut Junior Conservation (Duck) Stamp Contest.
Megan’s painting will be featured on the 2027 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp! Funds from the sale of these stamps go directly to conserving wetlands in Connecticut. Since 1993, nearly 4,000 acres of wetlands have been enhanced or restored through this program, providing critical habitat not only for waterfowl but for a wide range of wildlife that depends on wetlands.
Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamps can be purchased by hunters, collectors, conservationists, and others for $17 each wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold: participating town clerks and retail agents, DEEP Licensing and Revenue (79 Elm Street in Hartford), and through DEEP's Online Outdoor Licensing System or the online DEEP Store.
The Glastonbury Shooting Range is located in the Meshomasic State Forest in Glastonbury and has been in operation since 1980.
Glastonbury Range Open
The Glastonbury Public Shooting Range is open weekends from Saturday, April 11, through Sunday, November 29. Reservations can be made through the Online Outdoor Licensing System starting on Monday, April 6, 2026. Please be sure to view the range webpage and range usage rules before signing up.
Federal funding for site improvements, range equipment, and seasonal staffing is provided through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act.
Figure 1. Percentage of boxes with duck use, 2004 - 2025.
Annual Wood Duck Box Checks Completed
The Wildlife Division began monitoring wood duck nest boxes starting in 1953. Today, Waterfowl Program staff maintain over 400 boxes annually on state land. This past season, staff checked 410 boxes at 142 sites throughout Connecticut. Overall duck use of boxes was 71.2%. Box use by waterfowl species was variable, but most of the boxes that were checked this season had evidence of hooded merganser use. Hooded merganser use of boxes has increased in Connecticut since 2004 (Figure 1).
Eighty-three percent of the boxes that had duck use were successful and produced 1,756 ducklings. Staff installed 14 new boxes, replaced 65 boxes, and raised 58 boxes this season.
For more information on wood duck boxes in Connecticut contact Kelly Kubik at kelly.kubik@ct.gov.
Black bears and bird feeders are a bad combination. Properly managing birdfeeders, garbage, and other attractants is essential to reducing human-bear conflicts.
DEEP Releases Annual State of the Bears Report
Connecticut’s black bear population continues to increase, and the thousands of human-bear conflicts reported each year follow a long-term increasing trend. While a majority of the reported conflicts take place in the western half of Connecticut, residents are reporting issues with bears across the state. Roughly two thirds of the reported conflicts involve bird feeders and trash. From conflict reports to ongoing research efforts, the State of the Bears report provides the most up-to-date information on Connecticut’s black bear population.
To avoid human-bear conflicts in your yard, it is essential to properly manage birdfeeders, garbage, and other food attractants. Access to these attractants directly leads to bears becoming comfortable around people and associating homes and backyards as good places to find food. The best approach to managing wildlife conflicts is preventing them in the first place.
View the 2026 report . . .
Wild ramp pesto.
Seasonal Recipes: Wild Ramp Pesto
A fresh spring pesto made with foraged ramp leaves pairs beautifully with game meat, like this delicious Smoked Turkey Breast from the Hunter Angler Gardener Cook website.
Note: Ramps are a wild spring green with a garlicky flavor. Keep an eye out for them in moist woodland areas across Connecticut from April through May. This pesto works wonderfully as a sauce, spread, or finishing touch on your favorite game meat dish.
More on cooking with wild game . . .
Connecticut hunter Paul Bossardet.
Hunter Profile: Paul Bossardet
Would you like to be our next featured hunter?! If so, please send us a short write-up (500 words or so) about yourself and a photo to deep.ctwildlife@ct.gov, and you may be featured in our next issue!
I grew up in southeast Connecticut and hunting entered my life around the age of 7. I have memories of going to my grandfather's hunting cabin in Michigan, where I would stare at the mounts on the wall in wonder at how cool they looked. I am primarily a bowhunter because where I live, my parents did not have enough property to hunt with a firearm. More importantly, my father was an avid archer and introduced it to me as a way for us to spend time together. I got the idea to hunt with a bow when I watched Mark Kayser bowhunt whitetail deer in Kansas on what was back then the Versus channel.
I have been hunting for over 16 years now, and for at least 10 of those years, I hunted one spot that is roughly 20 acres in size and did decent on it. I have been fortunate over the last 6 years to expand my hunting areas and even harvest a buck in Illinois in 2023. Most of my hunting these days is done alone, but I have a nephew who is very interested in learning and going out with me, so I imagine I may have a partner in the next few years!
The hunt I know I will never forget is the first deer my father harvested with his bow. We hunted out of a two-man ladder stand that morning and had a group of four does come in just out of range, eating acorns. After they walked off, we decided to try a stalk. We came up with a plan that involved me circling around and cutting them off. If they turned back, my dad would be set up waiting. Sure enough, I jumped two younger deer, and they took off in his direction. I slowly worked my way along the trail, thinking they might come back my way, and came around a corner of rocks to find my father with his arms raised above his head, pointing at himself and then at the ground. When I reached him, the excitement on his face said it all. A large doe had come running toward him, along with the two deer I had spooked, and ended up less than 15 feet away. He made a solid shot and harvested his first
whitetail deer with a bow.
I have two bucket list hunts: an archery moose hunt in Canada or Alaska, and an archery elk hunt out west in the mountains.
For anyone curious about hunting in Connecticut, I’d say it takes practice and patience, but it is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do. Some of my best memories have come from simply being in the woods, even without seeing the animal I was after. From owls to coyotes and bobcats, you will have at least one encounter you will never forget.
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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