Connecticut Firearms Deer Season Runs Nov. 18 to Dec. 8 With Two-Deer Private Land Limit

Connecticut’s firearms deer season opens Wednesday, Nov. 18 and runs through Dec. 8 on private land and on state land, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said in a Nov. 5 release. Junior Deer Hunter Training Days come first, Nov. 7 through 14, when licensed hunters age 12 to 15 may hunt deer with firearms beside a licensed adult 18 or older, except on Sunday, Nov. 8 on state land.

The private land shotgun, rifle and revolver season carries a limit of one either-sex deer and one antlerless deer statewide, the 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide says, with exceptions by Deer Management Zone: Zones 2 and 4A allow one either-sex deer only, Zone 7 adds one antlerless deer and Zones 11 and 12 add two. Legal firearms are 12, 16 or 20 gauge shotguns loaded with single soft-alloy projectiles and holding no more than three shells, muzzleloaders, and, on holdings of 10 or more acres where the landowner has authorized it on the consent form, centerfire rifles of 6mm (.243) or larger and revolvers of .357 caliber or larger. A revolver hunter also needs a Revolver Deer Endorsement, and every private land hunter must carry the landowner’s signed consent on DEEP’s official form.

State land no-lottery hunting runs the same Nov. 18 to Dec. 8 dates with a limit of one either-sex deer, and a hunter may buy only one type of state land shotgun permit. Muzzleloader seasons follow, Dec. 9 to 22 on state land and Dec. 9 to 31 on private land, and the landowner season runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 with a two-deer limit for owners of 10 or more contiguous acres. Hunting hours in every season run from a half hour before sunrise until sunset.

Sunday hunting is allowed on private land only, under the same rules as the rest of the week, with two exceptions: no migratory bird hunting and no hunting within 40 yards of a blazed public trail. The printed 2026 guide gave that distance as 40 feet, which DEEP says is a mistake. Since Oct. 1, 2026 small game hunters need only verbal landowner permission on Sundays, matching the rest of the week, while deer and turkey hunters still need written permission. Sunday hunting on state and public lands and waterways remains closed.

Hunters must wear fluorescent orange in most seasons, and bowhunters must wear 400 square inches of it from Nov. 18 through Dec. 31 while walking to and from their stands, though they may take it off in a tree stand at least 10 feet up. Deer decoys cannot be used in that window. On the junior days, the adult mentor may not carry a firearm, must stay within physical contact of the junior hunter and may supervise no more than two at a time, DEEP’s junior hunter page says. DEEP recommends that hikers, bikers and riders wear an orange vest or hat too. “Connecticut hunters have an excellent safety record, and together we can help keep the outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone,” said Acting DEEP Commissioner Emma Cimino.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has not been found in Connecticut or anywhere in New England. State regulations ban natural deer urine products and bar hunters from bringing deer or elk carcasses into Connecticut from the 37 states and five Canadian provinces where the disease has been confirmed unless the meat has been deboned.

After the firearms season closes Dec. 8, muzzleloader hunting continues through Dec. 22 on state land and Dec. 31 on private land, and the private land archery season stays open through Dec. 31, 2026.