Open Seasons

(a) The hours for hunting deer authorized under the regulated sport hunting season permits shall be ½ hour before sunrise to sunset—prevailing time standard. The hours for hunting deer authorized under deer damage permits issued per Sec. 26-82 shall be from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset—prevailing time standard. (b) The open season for hunting deer with bow and arrow on state land shall be two distinct hunting periods: the first period starting on September 15 and continuing through the second Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day, the second period starting on the fourth Wednesday after Thanksgiving Day and continuing through the last day of December. On private lands and on those state lands designated by the commissioner and listed in his applicable annual Connecticut hunting and trapping guide as open to bow hunting only, the deer bow hunting season shall run from September 15 through the last day of December. On those private lands in deer management zones designated by the commissioner and listed in his applicable annual Connecticut hunting and trapping guide, the open season for hunting deer with a bow and arrow shall start on September 15 and continue through the last day of January. A hunter who hunts with a bow and arrow during the firearms deer seasons shall comply with the fluorescent orange clothing requirements under Section 26-66-1(r), tagging requirements under Section 26-86a-2(c) and check station requirements under Section 26-86a-1(b). (c) The open season for hunting deer with muzzleloader on state land shall start the second Wednesday after Thanksgiving day and end after fourteen consecutive days. (d) The open season for hunting deer with shotgun or rifle on private land shall start on the second Wednesday before Thanksgiving day and end after twenty-one consecutive days. The two Saturdays prior to the second Wednesday before Thanksgiving shall be designated as junior deer hunting training days. On these days, only hunters having a valid Connecticut junior firearms hunting license and a private land shotgun/rifle deer season permit may hunt on private lands for which they have written permission from the landowner. The accompanying adult mentor shall have a valid Connecticut hunting license, a valid deer permit and written landowner permission for the same property. The adult mentor shall not carry a firearm. (e) The open season for hunting deer with shotgun on state land shall be two separate seasons, one starting the second Wednesday before Thanksgiving day and ending after ten consecutive days, the other starting two days after Thanksgiving and ending after eleven consecutive days. The two Saturdays prior to the second Wednesday before Thanksgiving day shall be designated as junior deer hunting training days. On these days, only hunters having a valid Connecticut junior hunting license may hunt on state lands for which they have a valid state land shotgun deer permit. The accompanying adult mentor shall have a valid Connecticut hunting license and a valid deer permit. The adult mentor shall not carry a firearm. (f) The open season for hunting deer with muzzleloader on private land shall start the second Wednesday after Thanksgiving day and end on December 31st. (g) In those areas of the state as designated by the Commissioner, there shall be a special season for the taking of antlerless deer only with a muzzleloader, rifle or shotgun on private land only. This season shall start on the fourth Wednesday before Thanksgiving and end on the second Tuesday before Thanksgiving day.