Public Hunting Areas

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

Screenshot of CT hunting area interactive map at extent

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

Deer and Turkey Management Zone Map

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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 of Connecticut Migrant Goose Zones

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

Map showing intrusion of the NAP migrant goose 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.

Screenshot of property selection beside expanded property info card

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.

View of in-app measurement tool

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.

Screenshot of coordinate measurement in hunting maps tool

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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.

Screenshot of Android App

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.

Screenshot of app features

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.

Screenshot of coordinate search in app

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Content last updated in May 2024.