A Guide for Residents and Communities
This booklet was designed to provide communities and residents concerned about overabundant deer populations with facts about deer and deer management in urban and suburban areas.
Managing Urban Deer in Connecticut
A Guide for Residents and Communities
Third Edition
Prepared by:
Andrew LaBonte, Deer Program Biologist
Howard Kilpatrick, Program Supervisor
Photos by Marija Beqaj, Brian Embacher, Paul J. Fusco, Raymond Hardy, Jennifer Kilburn, Ann Kilpatrick, Howard J. Kilpatrick, Andrew M. LaBonte, Rob Lucas, Wayne Ryan, Georgina Scholl, Marquis Walsh, and W. David Walter
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Bureau of Natural Resources / Wildlife Division
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
860-424-3011
Wildlife Division website
Contact Information
Deer Management Program
Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division
Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area
7 Plains Road
N. Franklin, CT 06254
Phone: 860-418-5921
Email: andrew.labonte@ct.gov
Connecticut Venison Donation Contacts
Hunt to Feed, Bristol
860-384-0099
Bob Jean, Montville, 860-608-8555
Paul Cickowski, East Hampton, 860-267-0857
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Emma Cimino, Acting Commissioner
Bureau of Natural Resources
Justin Davis, Bureau Chief
Wildlife Division
Jenny Dickson, Director
Important Note: Footnotes designated by superscript numbers throughout this document refer to the References and Suggested Readings section of this publication.
Disclaimer: Mention of a product or company is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division.
Chapter 1: Introduction
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.
This publication is 75 percent funded by Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson) Program, which provides funding through an excise tax on the sale of sporting firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. The remaining 25 percent of the funding is matched by the Connecticut Wildlife Division.
Content last updated in August 2026.