Sec.26-48a-1. Pheasant season, bag limits, tags, use and reporting

(a) (1) The open season for taking pheasant shall be from the third Saturday in October through the last day in February.

(2) The second Saturday in October shall be designated as junior pheasant hunting training day. On this day, only hunters having a valid Connecticut junior firearms hunting license and pheasant harvest stamp may hunt. The accompanying adult mentor shall have in his/her possession a valid Connecticut hunting license. The adult mentor shall not carry a firearm.

(3) The daily bag limit shall not exceed two pheasants and the season bag limit shall not exceed ten pheasants, except as provided in subsection (f) of this section.

(b) No person, required to be licensed per Section 26-27 of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended, shall kill, take, possess or transport any pheasant without a valid pheasant stamp, except as provided in subsection (j) of this section.

(c) No person shall allow another to have or use such stamp issued to himself or use any stamp issued to another.

(d) Pheasants taken under the provisions of Sections 26-48, 26-49 and 26-52 of the Connecticut General Statutes shall not be subject to regulations provided under this section.

(e) All stamp holders who are contacted by the department for the purposes of surveying pheasant hunting activity shall complete a hunting season activity report by the method specified in the hunting and trapping guide published annually by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

(f) (1) Members and guests of a private hunting club shall not be subject to state pheasant stamp requirements or seasonal bag limitations under subsections (a) and (b) of this section when hunting on club lands provided such club has qualified for an exemption pursuant to this subdivision. Members and guests of a private hunting club shall not be subject to daily bag limitations if a club tag is affixed to each pheasant taken on club lands. The club tag shall be affixed to the pheasant immediately upon kill and remain attached to the pheasant until it is prepared for consumption or mounted for display. The following information shall be printed legibly on each club tag: the name of the exempted club, date of taking, and the hunter’s current hunting license number. To qualify for an exemption, under this subdivision, a private hunting club shall:

(A) Obtain an application form for exemption from the Wildlife Division of the Department;

(B) Secure the signature of the local Department Conservation Officer on the completed application form prior to submitting it to the Wildlife Division;

(C) Submit the completed form to the Wildlife Division;

(D) Purchase and/or raise pheasants for liberation on club lands; and

(E) Post the boundaries of all club lands to be subject to such exemption in accordance with instructions from the Wildlife Division.

(2) The exemption shall be effective when the completed application form is signed by an authorized representative of the Wildlife Division.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "club lands" shall be defined as those lands which are closed to the public and which the club owns, leases or uses for hunting pursuant to an agreement with a private landowner. "Club lands" shall exclude lands on which pheasants are released under any state cooperative program.

(4) The Commissioner may revoke an exemption for submission of false or misleading statements on the application form or violation of the requirements of section 26-48a-1(j)(1)(C) or (D). Revocation shall be effective when the hunting club receives written notice of revocation.

(Effective May 16, 1996; Amended August 30, 1999; Amended December 18, 2002; Amended April 27, 2005; Amended October 4, 2011; Amended July 7, 2016)