Public Hunting Areas

Closures and Damage Due to August 18, 2024, Flooding Event

Interactive Hunting Area Maps

Maps and hunting information for State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, State Parks, Permit-Required Areas, Waterfowl Closures, and other areas managed or leased by DEEP.

Consult the User Guide for desktop and mobile app instructions.   

2024 List of Public Hunting Areas from the 2024 CT Hunting and Trapping Guide

ATTENTION: When visiting or hunting at State Forests, State Parks, or Wildlife Management Areas, please DO NOT park in front of closed gates. Even though the gates are closed to the public, DEEP staff may need to use those gates to access the road/area behind them. 

Deer/Turkey Managment Zone Map

A map of Deer/Turkey reporting zones by town.

Pheasant Hunting in Connecticut

A link to the pheasant hunting page with further information about and maps of the pheasant areas.

Waterfowl Hunting Areas

A non-inclusive list of popular waterfowl hunting areas with good access.

Connecticut Migrant Goose Zones

Map and list of towns for Connecticut Migrant Canada goose seasons.

 

Deer/Turkey Management Zones

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Waterfowl Hunting Areas

The following areas are open for waterfowl hunting. This list is not inclusive; however, it represents areas where a majority of waterfowl hunting occurs and that have good access. Maps and a full list of areas that are open to waterfowl hunting are on the Interactive Hunting Area Map (select the query button on the top right of the map to obtain a list of areas open to waterfowl hunting).

Town	Waterfowl Hunting Area
Andover	Bishop Swamp WMA
Barkhamsted	Peoples State Forest
Bloomfield	Bloomfield Flood Control Area (Site 2)d
Bolton	Bolton Aread
Canaan	Robbins Swamp WMA
Canterbury, Plainfield	Quinebaug River WMA
Colchester	Salmon River State Forest (including Holbrook Pond)
Colebrook, Hartland	MDC-Colebrook Reservoir/Hogback Dam
Cornwall	Wyantenock State Forest
Cromwell, Middletown	Cromwell Meadows WMA
Durham	Durham Meadows WMA
East Haddam, Colchester	Babcock Pond WMAa
East Haddam, Haddam	Salmon River Cove and Haddam Neckb
East Lyme	Nehantic State Forestc
East Windsor, Enfield	East Windsor-Enfield Aread
East Windsor	Scantic River State Parkc, d
Eastford	Natchaug State Forestc
Eastford, Union, Ashford	Yale-Myers Forest (owned by Yale University)d
Enfield, Suffield	Eversource Kings Island Cooperative WMA
Greenwich	Stewart B. McKinney NWR (Calf Island Unit)e
Guilford	East River Marsh WMAb
Guilford	Great Harbor WMA
Haddam	Higganum Meadows WMA
Haddam	Cockaponset State Forestc
Hartland	Tunxis State Forest
Harwinton	Roraback WMA
Hebron	Raymond Brook WMA
Kent	Housatonic River WMA
Killingly, Sterling	Ross Marsh WMA
Lebanon	Bartlett Brook WMA
Lebanon	Moween State Park (Red Cedar Lake)
Lebanon, Colchester	Lebanon Coop. Mgmt. Aread
Lyme	Lords Cove WMAb
Lyme	Nott Island WMAb
Lyme	Selden Neck State Park (Selden Island)b
Mansfield	Mansfield State-leased Field Trial Area
Mansfield, Chaplin	Mansfield Hollow State-leased WMA (excluding State Park and Field Trial Area)
Middlefield	Black Pond WMA
New Harford	MDC-Greenwoods Pond
North Franklin	Franklin Swamp WMA
North Haven	Quinnipiac River Marsh WMAb
Norwalk	Stewart B. McKinney NWR (Chimon and Sheffield Islands)e
Old Lyme	Roger Tory Peterson WMAb
Old Saybrook	Plum Bank Marsh WMA
Old Saybrook	Ragged Rock Creek Marsh WMAb
Old Saybrook	South Cove WMA
Oxford, Beacon Falls	Naugatuck State Forest
Portland	Wangunk Meadows WMA
Portland, etc.	Meshomasic State Forest
Ridgefield	Bennett's Pond State Park
Salem	Zemko Pond WMA
Salisbury	East Twin Lakes Water Access Area
Scotland	Mohegan State Forest (including Waldo Tract)
Sharon	Eversource Skiff Mountain Cooperative WMAd
Sharon	Housatonic State Forest
Simsbury	Simsbury WMA
Stafford	Ellithorpe Flood Control Area
Stafford	Shenipsit State Forest
Stonington	Barn Island WMA
Stratford	Stewart B. McKinney NWR (Great Meadows Unit)e
Stratford, Milford, Orange	Charles E. Wheeler WMAb
Thompson	West Thompson Dam (Army Corps)
Tolland	Kollar WMA
Torrington	John Minetto State Park
Torrington	Paugnut State Forest
Torrington	Sunnybrook State Park (west of Newfield Rd.)
Union	Nipmuck State Forest
Voluntown	Pachaug State Forestc

^a Handicap accessible blind available
^b Access by boat only
^c Some areas designated as firearm restricted, bowhunting only
^d Permit required
^e Permit required through Stewart B. McKinney NWR  

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Connecticut Migrant Goose Zones

Map showing the intrusion of the NAP Zone into the AFRP Zone.

 

Migrant Goose Zones by Town

 

Town	Goose Zone	Goose Zone Description If Town Has More Than One Zone
Andover	NAP
Ansonia	AFRP
Ashford	NAP
Avon	AP
Barkhamsted	AP
Beacon Falls	AFRP
Berlin	AP
Bethany	AFRP
Bethel	AFRP
Bethlehem	AP
Bloomfield	AP
Bolton	NAP
Bozrah	NAP
Branford	NAP
Bridgeport	AFRP
Bridgewater	AP
Bristol	AP
Brookfield	AFRP
Brooklyn	NAP
Burlington	AP
Canaan	AP
Canterbury	NAP
Canton	AP
Chaplin	NAP
Cheshire	AFRP
Chester	NAP
Clinton	NAP
Colchester	NAP
Colebrook	AP
Columbia	NAP
Cornwall	AP
Coventry	NAP
Cromwell	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Cromwell	AFRP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Danbury	AFRP
Darien	AFRP
Deep River	NAP
Derby	AFRP	All of Town not in NAP
Derby	NAP	Portion of Town lying South of RT 34 to RT 8 and then East of RT 8
Durham	NAP
E Granby	AP
E Haddam	NAP
E Hampton	NAP
E Hartford	NAP
E Haven	NAP
E Lyme	NAP
E Windsor	NAP
Eastford	NAP
Easton	AFRP
Ellington	NAP
Enfield	NAP
Essex	NAP
Fairfield	AFRP
Farmington	AP
Franklin	NAP
Glastonbury	NAP
Goshen	AP
Granby	AP
Greenwich	AFRP
Griswold	NAP
Groton	NAP
Guilford	NAP
Haddam	NAP
Hamden	AFRP
Hampton	NAP
Hartford	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Hartford	AP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Hartland	AP
Harwinton	AP
Hebron	NAP
Kent	AP
Killingly	NAP
Killingworth	NAP
Lebanon	NAP
Ledyard	NAP
Lisbon	NAP
Litchfield	AP
Lyme	NAP
Madison	NAP
Manchester	NAP
Mansfield	NAP
Marlborough	NAP
Meriden	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Meriden	AFRP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Middlebury	AFRP
Middlefield	NAP
Middletown	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Middletown	AFRP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Milford	NAP	That portion of Town to the East and North of RT 15 to the Milford Parkway and North of I-95.
Milford	AFRP	The rest of Town not in NAP
Monroe	AFRP
Montville	NAP
Morris	AP
Naugatuck	AFRP
New Britain	AP
New Canaan	AFRP
New Fairfield	AFRP
New Hartford	AP
New Haven	NAP	Rest of Town not in ARFP
New Haven	AFRP	That portion of Town lying South of I-95 to the West shore of the Quinnipiac River and the portion of Town North of State St and RT 34
New London	NAP
New Milford	AP
Newington	AP
Newtown	AFRP
Norfolk	AP
North Branford	NAP
North Canaan	AP
North Haven	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
North Haven	AFRP	Portion of Town West of I-91
North Stonington	NAP
Norwalk	AFRP
Norwich	NAP
Old Lyme	NAP
Old Saybrook	NAP
Orange	NAP	That portion of Town lying North of I-95 and South of RT 34
Orange	AFRP	The rest of Town not in NAP
Oxford	AFRP
Plainfield	NAP
Plainville	AP
Plymouth	AP
Pomfret	NAP
Portland	NAP
Preston	NAP
Prospect	AFRP
Putnam	NAP
Redding	AFRP
Ridgefield	AFRP
Rocky Hill	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Rocky Hill	AP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Roxbury	AP
S Windsor	NAP
Salem	NAP
Salisbury	AP
Scotland	NAP
Seymour	AFRP
Sharon	AP
Shelton	NAP	Portion of Town south of RT 8 and east of RT 110
Shelton	AFRP	Rest of Town not in NAP
Sherman	AFRP
Simsbury	AP
Somers	NAP
Southbury	AFRP
Southington	AP
Sprague	NAP
Stafford	NAP
Stamford	AFRP
Sterling	NAP
Stonington	NAP
Stratford	NAP	Portion of Town east of RT 110 and North of RT 15
Stratford	AFRP	Rest of Town not in NAP
Suffield	NAP	Portion of Town East of RT 159
Suffield	AP	Portion of Town West of RT 159
Thomaston	AP
Thompson	NAP
Tolland	NAP
Torrington	AP
Trumbull	AFRP
Union	NAP
Vernon	NAP
Voluntown	NAP
Wallingford	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Wallingford	AFRP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Warren	AP
Washington	AP
Waterbury	AFRP
Waterford	NAP
Watertown	AP
West Hartford	AP
West Haven	NAP	That portion of Town north of I-95 and South of RT 34
West Haven	AFRP	The rest of Town not in NAP
Westbrook	NAP
Weston	AFRP
Westport	AFRP
Wethersfield	NAP	Portion of Town East of I-91
Wethersfield	AP	Portion of Town West of I-91
Willington	NAP
Wilton	AFRP
Winchester	AP
Windham	NAP
Windsor	NAP	East of RT 159
Windsor	AP	West of RT 159
Windsor Locks	NAP	East of RT 159
Windsor Locks	AP	West of RT 159
Wolcott	AFRP
Woodbridge	AFRP
Woodbury	AP
Woodstock	NAP

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Interactive Hunting Area Maps User Guide

Desktop Guide

Mobile App Guide - Features detailed in the Desktop Guide are mentioned in the Mobile Guide. It is recommended to review the Desktop Guide first.

The Connecticut Hunting Area interactive map tool gives the hunter a powerful suite of utilities to help plan a hunt. To launch the app inside a web browser, use the link at the top of this page, or select here (to use alongside this guide, it is recommended to right-click and choose "Open in new window" to work alongside or split screen).

Launching the interactive map shows the state at full extent and the legend for quick reference to an area. Selecting an area will open a window detailing some basic information about the property. Expanding the window will provide a list of what hunting opportunities exist. Viewing the PDF map will allow access to a digital copy of the printed maps previously available at DEEP offices.

Selecting the info button gives a bit more background on some of the utilities available.

One of the most valuable tools available is the Basemap Selector. Options include the default Topographic layer, the relatively new USGS National Map topographic layer, the USA Topo Maps (the classic topographic map that many people are used to using in printed form; old road beds, logging access, and trails are marked on these), and Satellite Imagery with and without labels. By alternating through these views, a hunter can get a very good sense of what terrain to expect and, in some cases, specific habitat types from the comfort of their home.

Another useful tool, not mentioned in the information window, is Measurement. While the DEEP works to continuously update the data layers in the maps, new construction and property additions can lead to omissions. While 500-foot zones are marked on the map, it is the firearms hunter's responsibility to ensure compliance. An example at Franklin Swamp WMA shows how the Measurement tool can help.

After selecting the linear measurement icon (center icon) and changing the units to feet in the pulldown, single-clicking the start point and double-clicking the endpoint will give a linear distance. To measure a complex path, simply single click (as opposed to double) to add a turning point and continue the measurement as needed.

Measurement will also provide coordinates for a selected point, as well as the mouse pointer. Coordinates are only available in Decimal Degrees and Degrees Minutes Seconds. If converting to a grid system, ensure the datum is WGS84.

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Mobile App Guide

The data stored in the Interactive Hunting Area Maps is hosted by ESRI. To access on a mobile device, a user should download ESRI ArcGIS Field Maps (formerly called Explorer). Field Maps is available for free for Apple on the App Store and Android on Google Play.

On starting the Field Maps app, select "Continue without Signing In" and search for "Connecticut Hunting Areas Map". On selection of the map, your phone will prompt for location access. If you select to grant that access, your location will be displayed on the map.

With the map open, tools on the top bar consist of Markup (Pencil), Layers (stacked squares), Search, and the options menu (three dots). Markup allows drawing on the screen, which stays on the device. Markups can be shared with other users. Layers allows for toggling on and off closed and open hunting areas, towns, and points of interest. The options menu allows for changing the basemap (broader selection than desktop), accessing Bookmarks/Your Places, viewing the legend, measuring, and sharing maps.

Long pressing a location will drop a pin. A dropped pin can be navigated to by Directions (launched in Maps), navigated to on foot with Compass (gives a heading and unlocks the map orientation to follow movement), or saved to Your Places.

Tapping on an area will allow the same window of information to be pulled up from the desktop. Directions, Compass, and Add to Places are options at the bottom of the screen, as well. Tapping the compass on the map will reorient it to North-Up.

Navigating to a specific coordinate is straightforward with the Search feature. In fact, Search will accept coordinates and addresses. Search is not terribly case or format sensitive and will work with most common coordinate systems. If a specific measurement and/or coordinate unit is preferred, pressing the back button in the top left corner and from the main page selecting the "person" on the top right of the screen, the Units menu can be modified. Once a search has been performed, the same navigation options (Direction, Compass, My Places) are available.

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Content last updated in May 2024.