Sec.26-66-12. Wild Turkey Seasons, Bag Limits, Firearms, Ammunition, Archery Equipment, Methods, Permits, Tags and Reporting

(a) Season and bag limit:

(1) Spring Season. In such areas of the state as designated by the commissioner and listed in the applicable annual Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide, the open spring season for hunting bearded wild turkey on private and state lands shall begin the last Wednesday in April and end the last Saturday in May. From the second Saturday before the last Wednesday in April through the first Saturday before the last Wednesday in April shall be designated as junior turkey hunting training days. On these days, only hunters having a valid Connecticut junior hunting license and a Resident Gamebird Stamp may hunt on state land or on private lands for which they have written permission from the land owner. The accompanying adult mentor shall have in his/her possession a valid Connecticut hunting license, a Resident Gamebird Stamp and written permission from the landowner when hunting on private lands. The adult mentor shall not carry a firearm, but may assist in calling. The adult mentor shall remain within physical contact of, and in a position to provide direct supervision and instruction of, the junior hunter at all times. Hunting shall be allowed from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. The season bag limit shall be five bearded wild turkeys.

(2) Fall Archery Season. In such areas of the state as designated by the commissioner and listed in the applicable annual Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide, the open fall season for hunting either bearded or non-bearded wild turkey with bow and arrow on private and state lands shall run concurrently with the archery deer season as specified in Section 26-86a-6(b) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Hunting shall be allowed from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. The season bag limit shall be two wild turkeys.

(3) Fall Firearms Season. In such areas of the state as designated by the commissioner and listed in the applicable annual Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide, the open fall firearms season for hunting either bearded or non-bearded wild turkey with firearms on private and state lands shall begin on the first Saturday in October and end on October 31. Hunting shall be allowed from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. The season bag limit shall be three wild turkeys.

(b) Firearms, ammunition, archery equipment.

During the regulated seasons, Wild turkey may only be hunted as specified with a 20 gauge or larger shotgun, smooth bore muzzleloader of 20 gauge or larger, or with bow and arrow. Shot sizes in all firearms shall be restricted to #4, 5, 6, 7, or 7 1/2. A shotgun used to hunt wild turkey shall not be capable of holding more than three shells and have its magazine plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three shells. Bow and arrow as used in this regulation section means a long, recurved or compound bow with a minimum draw weight of 40 pounds, or crossbow with a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds. The arrowhead shall have two or more blades and may not be less than seven-eighths of an inch at the widest point.

(c) Method of take

(1) No person shall hunt, pursue, kill, take or attempt to take any wild turkey without a validated turkey permit, in addition to the license required by Section 26-27 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

(2) No animal, including a dog, may be used in hunting or pursuing any wild turkey, except that a dog may be used to hunt turkey during the fall firearms season on private lands only.

(3) No person shall take or attempt to take any wild turkey with the aid of real or artificial bait; over any baited area; with the use of electronic amplified turkey calling device or live decoy.

(4) No person shall take or attempt to take any wild turkey by participating in a cooperative drive or assist in hunting, pursuing or killing of wild turkeys without a validated permit. This provision shall not prohibit a hunter that has harvested all of the turkeys allowed under their permit from calling for another hunter with a valid turkey permit.

(5) It shall be unlawful to shoot from a building or other permanent structure.

(6) No person shall take or attempt to take any wild turkey which is roosted in a tree.

(d) Written consent.

No person shall hunt or assist with the hunting of wild turkey on private land without carrying dated written permission of the landowner for the current season. During the spring and fall firearms seasons such written consent shall be on forms provided by the commissioner. Only those consent forms completely filled out, signed and dated by the landowner shall be valid. Persons hunting pursuant to section subsection (e)(2)(A) of this section shall not be required to carry written consent.

(e) Permits and tags.

(1) (A) During both the spring and the fall firearms turkey seasons an individual may apply for and purchase one state land and one private land permit. Application for all permits except state land designated areas requiring lottery selection shall be made on forms provided by the commissioner and shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee, as specified in Section 26-48a-2 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(B) The issuance of permits on designated state-owned lands for the spring and fall firearms seasons shall be on the basis of a random selection of single accurately completed applications on forms provided by the commissioner. The total number of permits to be issued shall be predetermined by the commissioner and announced prior to the actual selection of permits. Upon notification of selection, the applicant shall return such notice with the appropriate fee as specified in section 26-48a-2.

(2) (A) Upon receipt of a completed application signed by a landowner of record, the commissioner shall issue, without fee, a private land turkey hunting permit to the owner(s) of ten or more adjoining acres of private land and the husband or wife, parent, grandparent, sibling, and/or any lineal descendant of such owner(s), provided no such owner, husband, or wife, parent, grandparent, sibling, or lineal descendant shall be issued more than one such permit per season. Such permit shall be valid for hunting on the owner's land as specified in the permit application.

(B) The land listed in the application shall:

(i) Be located in a designated turkey hunting zone; and

(ii) Repealed June 11, 2014.

(3) No wild turkey permit may be used unless it is validated by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and signed by the hunter upon receipt. Such permit is valid only for the state land area and hunting period, or private land for which it is identified. A valid wild turkey permit shall be carried while hunting.

(4) Immediately upon killing a wild turkey, and before moving the carcass in any manner from where it was killed, a person shall write their conservation identification number; name; date and time of kill; town of kill; and permit type on a tag and then sign their name. This tag, signed and with complete information, shall be kept with the turkey at all times.

(5) No person shall change or alter a turkey permit or tag or loan to another or allow another to have or use such permit or tag issued to himself or use any permit or tag issued to another.

(6) During the spring season a person may obtain a single private land permit and a single state land permit. During the fall season a person may obtain a single archery permit, a single private land firearms permit and a single state land firearms permit.

(7) Information contained in the application for such turkey permit which is determined to be false or misleading shall be cause for rejecting such application or revoking such permit.

(f) Reporting.

(1) All spring and fall permittees, whether having taken a turkey or not, who are contacted by the Department for the purposes of surveying turkey 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.

(2) During the open spring firearms/archery season, the open fall firearms season or the open fall archery season, the fully completed and signed tag specified in subsection (e)(4) of this section shall remain with any harvested turkey until it is packaged for consumption or mounted for display. The fully completed and signed tag kept with a turkey harvested in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations shall constitute lawful possession, provided that the reporting required under subdivision (3) of this subsection has been completed.

(3) Any person taking a turkey during the open spring firearms/archery season, the open fall firearms season or the open fall archery season shall report the taking of such turkey within 24 hours after taking such turkey by the method specified in the Hunting and Trapping Guide published annually by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

(Effective October 18, 1996; Amended August 30, 1999; Amended December 18, 2002; Amended April 27, 2005; Amended August 3, 2009; Amended September 9, 2013; Amended June 11, 2014; Amended February 4, 2020)

Notation

Notes: Publisher’s note: Public Act 14-187 repealed subsection (e)(2)(B)(ii) , effective June 11, 2014. (June 11, 2014)