Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 26 - Fisheries and Game › 66 - Hunting and Trapping › Section 26-66-2 - State-owned, State-leased, and Permit-required Hunting Areas; Weapons

Current through July 10, 2024
(a) Any rifle or handgun using centerfire
			 ammunition may not be used to hunt on state-owned land. Any rifle or handgun
			 that uses rim fire ammunition larger than .22 caliber and shotgun ammunition of
			 loads larger or heavier than number two shot shall not be possessed or used for
			 the purposes of hunting as defined in section
			 26-1 of
			 the Connecticut General Statutes on any state-owned land, including state
			 forests. Muzzleloading rifles larger than .36 caliber or using any projectile
			 other than round ball shall not be possessed or used for the purposes of
			 hunting as defined in section
			 26-1 of
			 the Connecticut General Statutes on any state-owned land, including state
			 forests, except as provided for in section
			 26-86c
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes. This provision shall not apply to rifles,
			 shotguns, muzzleloaders, or revolvers possessed by persons transporting legally
			 killed and properly tagged deer taken on private lands to check stations
			 located on state-owned properties, approved shooting range areas or deer
			 hunting with shotgun or muzzleloader during the open season on such land.
			 Waterfowlers hunting from a boat, blind or stationary position may only use the
			 ammunition specified in section
			 26-66-4(q)
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(b) Rifles of any caliber and shotgun
			 ammunition of any shot load larger or heavier than number two shot shall not be
			 possessed and pistols or revolvers of any caliber shall not be used for the
			 purposes of hunting as defined in section
			 26-1 of
			 the Connecticut General Statutes on any state-leased or permit required hunting
			 area during the period starting the third Saturday in October through the last
			 day in February, except by landowners, lessees, their spouses, lineal
			 descendants and regular employees on land owned or leased by them. Waterfowlers
			 hunting from a boat, blind or stationary position may only use the ammunition
			 specified in section
			 26-66-4(q)
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. This provision shall not
			 apply to combination rifle-shotgun firearms when the rifle portion thereof is,
			 or has been made, inoperative, or to approved shooting range areas on such
			 land. This provision shall not apply to persons holding a valid permit to hunt
			 deer on such land with a revolver, shotgun, rifle or muzzleloader. Trappers
			 actively engaged in legal trapping and raccoon hunters may use handguns using
			 ammunition having a cartridge case not longer than that of a .22 rim fire long
			 rifle cartridge case and the projectile of which is not heavier than 20
			 grains.
(c) During the period from
			 the last day in February to the third Saturday in October, rifles, pistols or
			 revolvers without regard to caliber, and shotgun ammunition of any load may be
			 used in the legal hunting or taking of wildlife, or for any other legal
			 purpose, on state-leased and permit-required hunting areas only with written
			 permission of the landowner or lessee of the land.
(d) Hunting or possession of any hunting
			 weapon is prohibited in any park or forest recreation area except at
			 predetermined times in such areas as are set aside by the commissioner or the
			 commissioner's designee and posted for such purposes.
(e) Starting the third Saturday in October
			 through the last day in February, hunting or shooting is prohibited on any
			 permit-required hunting area without a written permit or other authorization
			 from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection or an authorized
			 agent of the Department except on lands owned by the Department of Energy and
			 Environmental Protection designated as a permit-required hunting area, a
			 written permit or other authorization from the Department is required from the
			 third Saturday in October through the first Saturday in December unless
			 otherwise posted. All such written permits or other authorizations shall be
			 returned to the Department, or its authorized agent, within forty-eight hours
			 following expiration of such permit or authorization. Records kept by any
			 authorized agent in issuing such permits or authorizations shall be available
			 for inspection by any state conservation officer or other Department official
			 during normal business hours.