Connecticut State Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

2024 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide


State-managed Dog Training and Field Trial Areas


Hunting is permitted on dog training and field trial areas when field trial events are not scheduled. During field trials, these areas are closed to all other uses. Check the list of scheduled events.

State-managed Dog Training Areas

The following areas have been established as State-managed Dog Training Areas where hunting dogs may be trained with the use of live birds year-round. Game birds may not be shot on these areas except during the open hunting season. Only artificially propagated gamebirds (pheasants, chukar partridge, quail, ducks) and pigeons of either sex may be liberated. All birds liberated shall be full-winged and capable of maintaining normal flight. Birds should be free of disease and acquired from a NPIP-approved facility. All birds must be in a condition suitable to maintain themselves in the wild. No birds are to be shot except during the open season; use of blank cartridges will be permitted.

  • Nod Brook Wildlife Management Area and Field Trial Area
  • Dr. John E. Flaherty Field Trial Area and Wildlife Management Area
  • Pease Brook Wildlife Management Area

Field Trial Areas

The following areas have been established as state-regulated Field Trial Areas. Field trial clubs sanctioned by AKC, NAVHDA, or CASDFTA may obtain permits to use these areas for field trials.

Dates for state land and state-leased areas are scheduled in December of the preceding year. Any group wishing to use one of the above listed areas should contact Laurie Fortin at laurie.fortin@ct.gov in the month of December or earlier.

Propagated Game Birds for Shooting Preserves, Dog Training and Field Trials

The taking of propagated game birds on regulated private shooting preserves, regulated dog training areas, approved pheasant exempt areas, and field trial areas requires that each bird taken be identified with a tag containing the permittee’s name and date of taking. Handwritten tags are permitted or a full sheet of labels may be downloaded for printing (Game Bird Harvest Tags). Hunters wishing to hunt on state state-owned or state-managed lands stocked with pheasants should not have any pheasants in their possession that were harvested from a Shooting Preserve, Dog Training Area, approved exempt area, of Field Trial Area as those birds will be counted as part of the daily bag limit by Law Enforcement. Importation of game birds requires a permit from the Department of Agriculture (860-713-2508).

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Content last updated on November 28, 2023.