Press Releases
11/05/2026
DEEP Announces Firearms Deer Hunting Season Begins November 18
Fall Is a Popular Time for Outdoor Recreation — Visitors Should Be Aware and Prepare for Outdoor Activities Taking Place Around Them
(HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today reminded residents that a variety of hunting seasons are underway or will begin soon, most notably the fall firearms deer hunting season, which opens Wednesday, November 18. Detailed information about deer hunting seasons is available in DEEP’s 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide.
Connecticut also designates Junior Deer Hunter Training Days when experienced adult hunters are encouraged to introduce young people to hunting. These opportunities help youth learn safe and responsible hunting practices, develop outdoor skills, and build the confidence needed to enjoy hunting. This year, Junior Deer Hunter Training Days will take place November 7–14 (excluding Sunday, November 8 on state land). During Junior Deer Hunter Training Days, licensed junior hunters age 12 to 15 may hunt when accompanied by a licensed adult hunter age 18 or older.
“Fall is a popular time of year for residents to enjoy the many outdoor recreation opportunities Connecticut has to offer, including hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking,” said Acting DEEP Commissioner Emma Cimino. “Everyone enjoying the outdoors should be aware of other activities occurring around them, take basic safety precautions, and respect fellow outdoor users. Connecticut hunters have an excellent safety record, and together we can help keep the outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, horseback riding, or mountain biking, it is important to observe basic safety precautions while outdoors:
- Before heading outdoors, let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
- Familiarize yourself with the area you plan to visit and the activities permitted there. Maps and hunting information for State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, State Parks, Permit-Required Areas, and other DEEP-managed or leased properties are available on DEEP’s Interactive Hunting Area Map webpage.
- Wearing brightly colored clothing is always a good safety practice when enjoying the outdoors. During hunting season, DEEP recommends that everyone recreating outdoors should wear an article of fluorescent orange clothing, such as a vest or hat, to help keep everyone safe.
- If you encounter another person in the woods, whether a hunter, hiker, biker, or horseback rider, call out to make them aware of your presence.
- Respect private property rights. All outdoor users must obtain permission from the landowner before entering private property. Deer and turkey hunters must obtain and carry written landowner permission when hunting on private land. Verbal permission from the landowner is sufficient for hunting small game on private land.
- Keep an eye out for hazardous trees when spending time in forested areas. Years of storms, drought, and insect infestations have damaged many trees across Connecticut. Trees with structural defects can fall without warning, posing a danger to anyone nearby.
General Hunting Information: Hunting is permitted in most state forests and wildlife management areas, and in certain state parks, as well as on private lands with landowner permission. Detailed information about hunting seasons, public hunting areas, laws, and regulations is available in the 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide, which is available online, at town halls and outdoor equipment stores, and on DEEP’s Interactive Hunting Area Map webpage. Hunting activity is generally highest during the early morning and late afternoon, particularly from mid-October through mid-December.
Sunday Hunting on Private Lands: All hunting that is currently in season is allowed on Sundays on private lands, subject to the same rules for private lands that are in place during the rest of the week, with the following exceptions:
- Hunters may not hunt on Sundays for migratory birds.
- Hunters may not hunt on Sundays within 40 yards of a blazed trail open to the public.
Effective October 1, 2026, verbal permission from landowners is required to hunt small game on Sundays on private land, which matches the existing permission requirements for small game hunting during the rest of the week. This change corrects an unintended inconsistency created by the 2025 Sunday hunting law that required small game hunters to obtain written permission on Sundays while allowing verbal permission on all other days of the week.
Deer and turkey hunters are required to obtain written permission from landowners on an official form to hunt on private land. DEEP reminds hunters that the Sunday hunting law only applies to private lands, and Sunday hunting on state and public lands and waterways remains closed.
Wear Fluorescent Orange: Hunters are required to wear fluorescent orange while participating in most hunting activities. DEEP also highly recommends that everyone visiting state lands wear an article of fluorescent orange clothing (e.g., vest or hat) during the hunting season to maintain a safe outdoor environment for everyone.
Bowhunters are reminded that they must wear 400 square inches of fluorescent orange while walking to and from their tree stands during the firearms deer hunting season. However, once in a tree stand elevated at least 10 feet off the ground, bowhunters may remove fluorescent orange clothing.
Take precautions against Chronic Wasting Disease: Deer hunters are reminded that Connecticut regulations prohibit the use of natural deer urine products. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease affecting deer and other members of the deer family, can spread through exposure to infected deer urine.
Connecticut regulations also restrict the importation of deer and elk carcasses and carcass parts from states where CWD has been documented. Deboned meat is exempt from these restrictions. Hunters traveling outside Connecticut are encouraged to review these requirements before returning with harvested deer or elk. The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance maintains an updated map showing where CWD has been documented in North America.
Photo of a white-tailed deer – Photo Credit: Matthew Balnis
Suggested Caption: The fall firearms deer hunting season opens on Wednesday, November 18. Regulated deer hunting has proven to be an ecologically sound, socially beneficial, and fiscally responsible method of managing deer populations. Deer hunting also provides participants with the opportunity to obtain locally sourced, sustainable food.
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.Communications@ct.gov
860-424-4100