Connecticut DEP Announces Opening Days of Upcoming Fall Firearms Hunting Seasons
October 6, 2008
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has announced the Opening Days of upcoming fall firearms hunting seasons. Peak hunting occurs during early morning and late afternoon, primarily during the period from mid-October through mid-December.
The fall firearms turkey season opens statewide on Saturday, October 4 and will continue through October 31. The regular waterfowl season opens statewide on Wednesday, October 15 in both the north and south hunting zones. Small game hunting season opens at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 18 for pheasant, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, chukar partridge, crow and cottontail rabbit. Statewide firearms deer hunting season begins Wednesday, November 19. The 2008 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide and the 2008-2009 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide, which contain additional information on laws, regulations, and season dates, can be obtained at any town clerk or Wildlife Division office, or they can be found on the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep. Maps denoting many state-owned hunting areas and most permit-required hunting areas may be obtained, free-of-charge, from the DEP Wildlife Division’s office at the DEP Headquarters, located at 79 Elm Street in Hartford. Maps can also be found on the DEP website.
Small Game Season and Permit-required Information
With the exception of opening day (October 18,) small game hunting is allowed for most species from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. Waterfowl hunting is permitted from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
In addition to most state forests and wildlife management areas, small game hunting will be available on a number of areas established under the permit-required hunting program. Permit-required areas are open to public hunting via a daily permit system and are made available through the cooperation of private landowners and local sportsmen’s clubs. Hunting access to some state-owned properties also is controlled on a daily basis through the permit-required program. A designated number of daily permits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for each day of the season. Permits may be requested up to two days in advance of the day that you wish to hunt. A special “seasonal” access permit for Junior Hunters, aged 12-15, will continue to be available for selected areas. The permit allows access during any day of the season for a Junior Hunter and accompanying adult licensed hunter without the need to obtain daily hunting permits. Further details and permit forms are available from the DEP website or designated permit agents.
Sportsmen wishing to hunt any designated permit-required hunting area should consult the 2008 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide for locations of vendors issuing daily permits. Changes in permit vendor locations include the following:
Hebron Area - DEP Eastern District HQ, 209 Hebron Road, Marlborough
East Windsor/Enfield - Riverview Sales, 4 Prospect Hill Road, East Windsor
NU-Kings Island - Riverview Sales, 4 Prospect Hill Road, East Windsor
Permit Restrictions Removed for Some Permit-required Areas
In an effort to increase opportunities for more sportsmen on quality hunting areas, daily permit restrictions have been removed on five areas under DEP ownership. Continuing this fall, daily permits are not required for small game hunting on Babcock Pond WMA (Colchester), Bear Hill WMA (Bozrah), Goshen WMA (Goshen), Higganum Meadows WMA (Haddam), and Nathan Hale State Forest (Coventry). This change is reflected in the 2008 Hunting Guide.Pheasant Prospects Remain Good; Tags Now Available for Sale
The DEP will purchase 14,742 adult ring-necked pheasants for the upcoming fall season; a decrease of 1,115 birds from the previous year’s purchase. Most stocking areas will receive adjustments in allocations as a result of the decrease in the number of birds purchased. In addition to adult pheasants, 844 eight-week-old pheasants were purchased and delivered to Norwich Fish and Game and Sprague Rod and Gun Clubs for eventual release on permit-required hunting areas.
Revenue collected from pheasant hunters in the previous year determines the annual budget for purchasing pheasants. The 2008 stocking program was directly affected by a decrease of approximately $4,000 in the net revenue collected from pheasant hunters in 2007, combined with a substantial annual increase in average pheasant costs. Rising fuel and grain costs continue to impact commercial growers.
Despite the reduction in the number of pheasants stocked, sportsmen should recognize that the ratio of pheasants stocked per hunter has actually increased over the years and the prospects for pheasant hunting are as good as they have been in several years.
Stocking Areas Maintained - Limited Stocking During Deer Season Opener
A total of 44 major public hunting areas will be stocked with pheasants during the 2008 fall season. A number of lower quality/lower public use areas were removed from the stocking list in 2007 in an effort to maintain sufficient allocations on the higher quality sites. The Natchaug State Forest in Eastford, Nye Holman State Forest in Ellington, Shenipsit State Forest in Stafford, and the Tanney Hill Block of Nehantic State Forest in Lyme will not be stocked in 2008.
A limited number of pheasants and areas will be stocked during the week of November 17, which includes opening day (November 19) of the statewide firearms deer hunting season. Stocking will occur two to three times per week during the other six weekly distribution periods. Pheasants will be nearly evenly distributed with one-half of the allocations released in October and one-half during November. All stocking will conclude by Thanksgiving Day.
To provide opportunities for weekend/family and youth hunters, volunteers for the DEP will release pheasants on Friday evenings and variable Saturdays on selected sites.
Cooperative sportsmen’s clubs that provide public hunting access to permit-required hunting areas will continue to stock state-purchased birds on several areas.
For additional details, such as area allocations and an updated listing of all major stocking areas, visit the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep. Sportsmen are reminded that, in addition to their firearms hunting license, a Pheasant Harvest Tag Series ($14 for 10 tags) is required to hunt pheasants on public lands. Tags have been available since September and can be purchased at town halls and some license agents. Tags may also be ordered through the DEP’s on-line licensing system www.ct.gov/dep/sportsmenlicensing, but hunters should allow at least one week for the tags to be mailed to them.
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Small Game Hunting Opens in Minnesota Sept. 13, Blaze Orange Required
September 11, 2008
Grouse, rabbit, squirrel and partridge seasons open Sept. 13, offering Minnesotans the chance to discover the state’s vast amounts of land open to public hunting, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Small game season is a forgotten pleasure,” said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife section chief. “It doesn’t take a large investment of time and money or much hunting expertise to get out and find a few squirrels and rabbits.”
Simon noted many small game populations are relatively strong year-in, year-out. “Minnesota is consistently one of the top ruffed-grouse harvest states in the nation. What better place to introduce someone new to this type of hunting?” asked Simon.
Basic requirements include a blaze orange-colored article of clothing above the waist; a small caliber rifle or shotgun and a valid hunting license and firearms safety training. Complete details about seasons, requirements and bag limits are listed on pages 42-47 of the 2008 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook.
“Finding a place to hunt is the most difficult obstacle for many people,” Simon said. “But many people don’t know that Minnesota offers hunting in its 1.2-million-acre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system as well as state, county and national forests.”
The WMA system, one of the largest and most-developed in the United States, contains 1,380 public wildlife areas across Minnesota, with habitat ranging from prairies and wetlands to forests and swamps. State forests offer an additional four million acres in 58 designated areas.
Details about WMAs and state forests are available online at http://mndnr.gov/destinations
.
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New Hampshire Hunting Digest: Your Guide to Hunting in the Granite State
September 9, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - Fall is in the air, and some of New Hampshire’s hunting seasons are already underway. The 2008-2009 New Hampshire Hunting Digest is hot off the press, with most everything you need to know about hunting in the Granite State. The pocket-sized publication is available online at www.HuntNH.com (click on the orange publication cover) or pick up a free copy when you buy your license from Fish and Game license agents across the state.
The Hunting Digest provides details about New Hampshire’s hunting seasons, plus bag limits, Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) boundaries, license prices, check stations and other information hunters need. New Hampshire hunting seasons already underway include the bear and gray squirrel seasons, which began September 1; and the September season for resident Canada geese, which began September 2. Archery seasons for turkey and white-tailed deer start September 15; most small game hunting, including grouse and pheasant, begins October 1. Opening day for New Hampshire’s most popular hunting season — firearms deer hunting — is November 12, 2008.
Another hunting resource, the 2007 N.H. Wildlife Harvest Summary, provides a useful guide to the status of wildlife populations in different WMUs and towns around the state. It includes the most recent harvest statistics and hunting/trophy records. This report can be accessed at www.HuntNH.com/Hunting/hunting.htm (click on the tan publication cover at right).
If you need a hunter education class — required for first-time hunting license holders - sign up for one right away. Several course offerings are available in September; they are listed at www.HuntNH.com/Hunting/hunter_ed_schedule.htm, or call (603) 271-3212.
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Sharptails, Ruffed Grouse and Partridge Seasons Open Sept. 13 in North Dakota
September 8, 2008
Upland game hunters take to the field Sept. 13 with the opening of sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse and Hungarian partridge seasons.
While spring counts indicated a slight increase in sharptail numbers from last year, preliminary summer brood counts suggest poor reproductive success with fewer young birds. Counts showed Hungarian partridge numbers are down slightly from last year, and ruffed grouse are still toward the lower end of the cycle.
The sage grouse season is closed in 2008 due to low counts during the spring survey.
Aaron Robinson, upland game biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said untimely spring rain at the peak of the hatch for most upland game birds resulted in poor success. Drier than typical weather during late summer roadside counts may have contributed to low numbers observed.
“While hunters in some local areas may find good numbers of sharptails, most hunters will have to work a little harder this fall to find birds,” Robinson said.
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and Huns each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12.
Hunters, regardless of age, must have a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. In addition, hunters ages 16 and older need a small game license.
For further season information and regulations, hunters should consult the North Dakota 2008-09 Small Game Hunting Guide.
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New Rules for the Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area
August 18, 2008
The Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area in Marion County has a new permitting process this year. In an effort to provide an equitable hunting opportunity, daily quota permits are limited to five per person per waterfowl season. Additionally, the horsepower limit allowed for boat motors on the area has been raised from 10 to 40 to enable hunters to navigate through vegetation more successfully.
“It’s important to create rules and quotas on public lands, such as this one, that allow as many hunters as possible to use the area, without sacrificing hunt quality,” said Jen Williams, hunting coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Northeast Region.
Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area is about 2,300 acres, just north of Moss Bluff along the Ocklawaha River and is convenient to Ocala. It is legal to hunt ducks, coots and snipe during the season. Hunters must enter through the check station off 137th Avenue (Old River Road).
For detailed regulations specific to this hunting area, log onto MyFWC.com/hunting/wma/2008-09/Northeast/OcklawahaPrairiePSGHA.pdf.
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Where to go Small Game Hunting in Eastern Colorado
August 14, 2008
Join the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) for a free evening seminar to explain the Walk-in Access program that provides small game hunters with places to hunt in Eastern Colorado. Learn about places to hunt in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the state, with a particular focus on dove season. Biologists and wildlife managers will provide information on dove hunting, how to best use the walk-in access program, and a short update on new regulations. Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
What: Small Game Hunting Access Program and Dove Hunting Seminar
When: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Where: Hilton Fort Collins, 425 W. Prospect, Fort Collins – directly west of the DOW office
How: To register, please email the Division of Wildlife at Julie [dot] kallenberger [at] state [dot] co [dot] us or call 970-472-4447.
Or
When: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Where: DOW Hunter Education Building, 6060 Broadway, Denver
How: To register, please email the Division of Wildlife at Meaghan [dot] doyle [at] state [dot] co [dot] us or call 303-291-7386.
For more information about the Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
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Pennsylvania Game Commission Urges Support For License Fee Increase
July 21, 2008
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today offered support for Senate Bill 1527, sponsored by state Sen. Charles T. McIlhinney Jr. (R-Bucks), Senate Game and Fisheries Committee chair, which proposes to increase certain license fees beginning with the 2009-10 license year.
“It has been 10 years since the General Assembly approved the last license fee increase in 1998,” Roe said. “During that time, the agency’s cost of doing business - from gasoline to utility bills, from lime, seed and fertilizer costs to personnel costs - have increased significantly. All of these increasing costs are outside of our control, and leave us with the choice of cutting or eliminating programs and services.
“If approved, this license fee increase will enable the agency to restore pheasant production and stocking to 200,000 birds for small game hunting, move forward with planned habitat improvement projects stalled due to sky-rocketing fuel and fertilizer costs, and fill vacancies throughout the agency so that we can fulfill our wildlife protection, research and habitat improvement mission.”
Roe offered special praise for Sen. McIlhinney proposing a significant reduction in the nonresident junior license fees.
“Increases in the nonresident adult license fees will be offset by the significant reductions proposed by Sen. McIlhinney in the nonresident junior license fees category,” Roe said. “This reduction will give nonresident parents who want to bring their children to Pennsylvania to hunt a break.
“While increasing revenues is critical for the agency’s wildlife management mission, we do not want to see young people, residents or nonresidents, discouraged from hunting due to license fees.”
Roe noted that Sen. McIlhinney’s effort to reduce nonresident junior license fees is consistent with the last license fee increase package that included the creation of a combination license for resident and nonresident juniors, and afforded these young hunters the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of hunting and furtaking seasons at a greatly reduced price.
“We also salute Sen. McIlhinney’s bill for reducing the amount of time a member of the armed forces reserve units must serve overseas in order to qualify for the reduced military license fees,” Roe said. “These brave men and women who serve our country deserve this consideration.”
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Dove Club Permits Go On Sale July 1
June 23, 2008
Seven special-opportunity dove fields will be open to the public this season through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s special-opportunity Dove Club Program.
Beginning 10 a.m. (EDT) July 1, sportsmen can purchase Dove Club permits by submitting a completed Special-Opportunity Dove Club Permit Worksheet to any county tax collector’s office or authorized license agent. Permits also can be bought online at www.wildlifelicense.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356). Worksheets are available on the Web at MyFWC.com/hunting under “Special-Opportunity.”
Dove Club permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and as long as they remain, the deadline to purchase them is 11:59 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 9.
The permit allows one adult and one youth (under age 16) to participate in all scheduled hunts (up to eight days) for a designated dove field. These Saturday half-day hunts cost $150 and enable both the permit holder and youth to each take a daily bag limit of birds.
The seven special-opportunity dove fields are: Brown Farm Public Small-game Hunting Area (PSGHA) in Holmes County, Caravelle Ranch (Putnam County), Combs Farm PSGHA (Baker County), North Newberry PSGHA (Alachua County), Allapattah Flats (Martin County), Fussell Farm PSGHA (Polk County) and Frog Pond (Miami-Dade County).
Dove hunting opportunities are in high demand, and these special hunts provide the perfect social setting for friends and family to hunt together. Interested hunters are encouraged to purchase permits early because the most popular fields sell out fast. And hunters who purchase these season-long permits save more than half the cost of buying individual daily dove permits for the season.
Daily dove permits cost $35 and enable one adult and one youth (under age 16) to hunt together on one half-day hunt but allows only one bag limit of birds between the two hunters. Daily dove permits do not go on sale until Sept. 18. For more information on these great public land dove hunting opportunities, click on MyFWC.com/dove.
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Texas Youth Target Shooting Gala Event Set June 21
May 19, 2008
DALLAS — Young target shooters from across Texas and their families are invited to spend a day of fun and competitive target shooting during the first annual Texas Youth Invitational June 21 at the Elm Fork Shooting Sports complex.
The day-long festivities will include competitive shotgun clay target shooting for youth ages 9-18, regardless of experience, and a host of fun target related activities and other outdoors related events and exhibits. The non-profit Youth Target Foundation is producing the event, in cooperation with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Scholastic Clay Target Program, Texas 4-H Shooting Sports and a host of sponsors.
Similar events will be planned at ranges throughout Texas in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009.
The Texas Youth Invitational will feature a 100 target, five-stand sporting clays competition, where shooters test their shooting skills at clay targets resembling bird or small game hunting scenarios, such as a flushing quail or a passing dove. This competition will serve as an official event for the Texas 4-H Shooting Sports and the Scholastic Clay Target Program and features a Lewis-based scoring system providing additional trophy award opportunities.
“This event partially represents the efforts of a new statewide coalition of shooting sports programs, ranges, agencies and organizations coming together to provide even more opportunities for getting youth involved in the outdoors,” said Steve Hall, education director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “Top Texas ranges like Elm Fork in Dallas, and youth shooting sports programs such as 4-H, the largest of its kind in the country, and the Scholastic Clay Target program, a program aimed at getting more schools and youth groups involved in the shotgun sports, are combining their efforts to introduce thousands more to fun, healthy, lifelong outdoor pursuits.”
As one way to accomplish the goal of the coalition, a new kid’s clinic will be held for first-timer shooters, who can then compete on an abbreviated rookie course.
“Our motto for this event is ‘No Kid Left Indoors,’” said Jeanie Almond, event coordinator and founder of the Youth Target Foundation. “We’re making this a fun, family-oriented event with everything from clay target shooting to fly fishing instruction and dog handling exhibitions. Any kid that shows up and wants to shoot will not be turned away.”
There will also be an opportunity for young shooters to pair up with an adult shooter of their choosing for a Pro Kid/Pro Am adult team competition to help raise funds for future youth target shooting events and programs.
“In this event, the kid gets to select the adult they want to shoot with and earn tickets they can use toward merchandise raffles,” said Almond. “We’re also inviting disadvantaged youth from Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Exodus Foundation to participate.”
In addition to the shooting events, attendees can try their hand at pellet gun shooting, archery and a variety of free fun games.
Competitors will be treated to a free wild game harvest and barbecue dinner prepared by the Dallas Woods and Waters Club.
Registration sign-in will be held Saturday, June 21 at 7:30 a.m. followed by a mandatory safety orientation at 8:15 a.m. The shoot starts at 8:30 a.m. Registration fee is $75 and includes Sporting Clays Five Stand, BBQ Dinner and awards, including drawings for merchandise and shotguns to be given away. Practice rounds and games cost $10 per round. Concessions (breakfast and lunch) will be available at the range. Additional dinner tickets for non-competitors cost $10.
Registration and more information about the event is available online at www.elmfork.com/nscaevents or by calling (972) 556-0103.
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Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Sets 2008-09 Small Game Hunting and Trapping Seasons and Bag Limits
May 13, 2008
Jackson - The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks established the 2008-09 small game hunting dates at its monthly meeting Tuesday in Iuka. Dates and bag limits are little changed from previous seasons. Migratory bird season dates and limits will be adapted later following guidelines and recommendations from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Commission also set the 2008-09 seasons for wild turkey; modified Wildlife Management Area Regulations; and set the dates for alligator season. Season dates and bag limits are listed below. Hunters are advised to check WMA regulations before hunting since some area specific changes may have occurred.
FROG:
April 1, 2009 - September 30, 2009
BAG LIMIT: 25
Only 25 may be taken in any one night. A valid hunting or fishing license is required.
RACCOON:
July 1, 2008 - September 30, 2008
BAG LIMIT: 1 per party per night
OPOSSUM, RACCOON, AND BOBCAT:
October 1, 2008 - October 31, 2008 (sport hunting with dogs and guns for food & sport)
BAG LIMIT: 5 per day; 8 per party
November 1, 2008 - February 28, 2009 (sport hunting with dogs and guns for food, sport, and pelt)
BAG LIMIT: No limit
SQUIRREL:
Zone 1: Areas north of Hwy. 82 plus those portions of Sunflower County and Washington County south of Hwy. 82.
October 4, 2008 - February 28, 2009
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
Zone 2: Areas between Hwy. 82 and Hwy. 84 plus portions of the state south of Hwy. 84 and west of I-55.
October 18, 2008 - February 28, 2009
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
Zone 3: Areas south of Hwy. 84 and east of I-55.
October 25, 2008 - February 28, 2009
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
Youth Squirrel Hunts** (Private Lands Only)
Zone 1 - September 27 - October 3, 2008
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
Zone 2 - October 11 - October 17, 2008
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
Zone 3 - October 18 - October 24, 2008
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
** Persons eligible to participate in this special hunt are those who are fifteen (15) years of age or younger. A child at least twelve (12) years of age and under sixteen (16) years of age must have a certificate of satisfactory completion of a hunter education course approved by the department before hunting in this state or be in the presence and under the direct supervision of a licensed or exempt hunter at least twenty-one (21) years of age when hunting. A child under the age of twelve (12) must be in the presence and under the direct supervision of a licensed or exempt hunter at least twenty-one (21) years of age when the child is hunting. A licensed hunter supervising a child as provided in this section must hold a valid Mississippi license for the species being hunted.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers managed lands:
These lands are authorized to provide youth squirrel hunting opportunities on days designated by Federal Regulations. Contact local National Wildlife Refuge or Corps of Engineers managers for details.
BOBWHITE QUAIL:
November 27, 2008 - March 7, 2009
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
RABBIT:
October 18, 2008 - February 28, 2009
BAG LIMIT: 8 per day
TRAPPING SEASON:
November 1, 2008 - February 28, 2009
BAG LIMIT: No Limit
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