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Connecticut deer hunting: zones, state hunting areas and 2026 seasons

Connecticut hunters took 10,027 deer in the 2025 regulated seasons, 7,521 of them on private land outside the landowner season. The 2026 private land shotgun/rifle season runs November 18 to December 8, and bag limits change by Deer Management Zone.

Data updated October 2026. Harvest: CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary. Seasons: CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide.

Map of Connecticut's Deer Management Zones with DEEP's wildlife areas and state forests shaded
Green: DEEP's wildlife areas, state forests and parks. Each zone's page has its own map.

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When are Connecticut's 2026 deer seasons?

SeasonDates, 2026Bag
Archery, private landSeptember 15 to December 312 either-sex and 2 antlerless
Archery, state landSeptember 15 to November 17 and December 23 to 31 (bowhunting-only areas September 15 to December 31)Same archery tags
Junior deer hunter training daysNovember 7 to 14Junior hunters with firearms deer permits
Shotgun/rifle, private landNovember 18 to December 81 either-sex and 1 antlerless
Shotgun, state land (lottery and no-lottery)November 18 to December 8 (lottery A season November 18 to 27)By permit
Muzzleloader, private landDecember 9 to 311 either-sex and 1 antlerless
Muzzleloader, state landDecember 9 to 22By permit
LandownerNovember 1 to December 31Owners of 10 or more acres and family
Archery, private land, JanuaryJanuary 1 to 31, 2027Zones 11 and 12; 1 more either-sex and 1 antlerless

Private land firearms bags by zone: Zones 2 and 4A, the either-sex tag only; Zone 7, one more antlerless; Zones 11 and 12, two more antlerless.

Source: CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide.

How many deer does each zone give up?

The most private land deer in 2025 came from Zone 5 (1,206), Zone 11 (1,012) and Zone 12 (734).

ZoneSquare milesPrivate land deer, 2025Private land deer, 2024Shotgun/rifle deer per square mileHunter successPublic land
Zone 13534324320.625%14.2%
Zone 24372972850.312%12.1%
Zone 35445364640.835%4.4%
Zone 4A2262752550.517%12.8%
Zone 4B1544413611.746%6.4%
Zone 55211,2061,0031.338%8.5%
Zone 62913923400.634%2.3%
Zone 75137106290.631%3.9%
Zone 8204341273124%13.9%
Zone 9297585469134%9.4%
Zone 102835604611.137%14.1%
Zone 116451,0129010.526%3.3%
Zone 125027346150.733%5.7%

Harvest: CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary, Tables 6 and 11. Public land measured by FilledTag from Connecticut DEEP Property for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.

How has the private land harvest changed?

YearPrivate land deer
20257,521
20246,488
20236,825
20227,875
20216,730
20208,342
20198,367
20189,024
20179,560
20168,391
20157,205

Source: CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary, Table 11; all seasons but landowner.

How much of Connecticut is public hunting ground?

7.7% of Connecticut is state or federal land: state forest 160,845 acres, state park 34,091 acres, wildlife management area 31,867 acres, Other DEEP land 10,490 acres, National Park Service 5,583 acres and national wildlife refuge 2,054 acres. Not all of it is open to deer hunting; DEEP's guide lists the state lands open to each season.

State hunting areas with their own page

Questions hunters ask

When is deer season in Connecticut in 2026?

Private land archery runs September 15 to December 31 (and January 1 to 31, 2027 in Zones 11 and 12); private land shotgun/rifle November 18 to December 8; private land muzzleloader December 9 to 31; state land shotgun November 18 to December 8 and state land muzzleloader December 9 to 22 (CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide).

How many deer were taken in Connecticut in 2025?

DEEP's 2025 summary counts 10,027 deer from the regulated seasons: 4,828 by archery, 3,539 by shotgun/rifle, 561 by muzzleloader and 1,099 by landowners. With crop damage permits and road kills DEEP's town table reaches 11,548 (CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary).

What are the deer bag limits by zone in Connecticut?

In the private land shotgun/rifle and muzzleloader seasons a hunter gets 1 either-sex and 1 antlerless tag; in Zones 2 and 4A only the either-sex tag is valid; Zone 7 adds 1 antlerless and Zones 11 and 12 add 2. Archery tags allow 2 either-sex and 2 antlerless deer.

Can you hunt deer on Sunday in Connecticut?

Yes, on private land only, and not within 40 yards of blazed public trails. Firearms hunting on private land Sundays began in 2025 in every zone, DEEP's summary says.

Which state lands give up the most deer in Connecticut?

In 2025: Pachaug SF (119), Natchaug SF (108), Cockaponset SF (94), Naugatuck SF (45) and Salmon River SF (including Holbrook Pond) (42) (CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary, Appendix 2).

Get a Connecticut hunt plan when they open

Hunt plans for Connecticut are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.

Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Connecticut included.

Where these numbers come from

FilledTag is not part of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. DEEP's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.

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