• Earlier this month, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced its new agency seal. More details can be found HERE.

• Yale Forest season permits for the 2023 season are now available in the Online Outdoor Licensing System. Small Game/Waterfowl and Turkey permits are also available. Please note: Permits will not be issued after March 31, 2023.

• The recently purchased 284-acre Fracchia parcel of Bishop Swamp WMA (see below for details) will be added to the State land Shotgun Deer Lottery in 2023. The property will be open for the State-land muzzleloader season in 2023 as well.

Questions about public hunting areas? We've got you covered! Our interactive hunting area map includes State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, State Parks, Permit-Required Areas, Waterfowl Closures, and other areas managed or leased by DEEP.

The 2023 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide is now available online on the DEEP website. Limited quantities of the printed version will be available at town halls and vendors that sell hunting and fishing licenses in January 2023. A downloadable PDF version of the guide can be found HERE. This PDF can be downloaded to a mobile device and accessed while out in the field.

2023 licenses, permits, and stamps are currently on sale on DEEP's Online Outdoor Licensing System.

Hunters and trappers are encouraged to use the online guide to keep up to date with any regulation changes that might occur during the year.

As the holidays near and the year draws to a close, it is time to enjoy the fruits, or more specifically the meats, of our labors hunting. Hunters know and appreciate the value of having a freezer full of meat that has been locally harvested. Not only does that full freezer go a long way feeding you throughout the year, but it is also an excellent way to introduce your non-hunting friends and family to the tradition of hunting through Venison Diplomacy. Venison Diplomacy is a catchy moniker that refers to using all harvested game and fish, not just venison, to unite hunters and non-hunters alike through the universal language of food. 

When participating in Venison Diplomacy, we encourage you to follow some simple tips to be most successful. 

Food is an integral part of our lives. We need it for sustenance, but we also benefit socially from food, as communal meals are often used to bridge gaps between people. Use the social, communal, and healthy benefits of eating to your advantage as you introduce your non-hunting family and friends to hunting and eating local. Remember, there is no one better to recruit new hunters than hunters themselves; and there’s no better way to do it than through food.

Approximately 284 acres in Hebron, formerly the Fracchia property, have been added to the 752-acre Bishop Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Andover and were opened for hunting during the 2022 small game, waterfowl, deer (fall archery only), and turkey (fall archery only) seasons. Shared boundaries between Meshomasic State Forest, Gay City State Park, and the new acquisition have been marked with appropriate signs, which indicate property boundaries and where hunting is permitted. Hunters should park at a pull-off parking area located at 239 North Street (Route 85) in Hebron to access the new section of the WMA (located east and west of Route 85) and Meshomasic State Forest. See map HERE.

In 2023, both sections of Bishop Swamp WMA will be open to all forms of hunting, including shotgun deer hunting as part of the State Land Deer Lottery and muzzleloader deer hunting. Hunters can apply for the 2023 Deer Lottery at Bishop Swamp on January 3, 2023, starting at 9:30 AM. . More details on how to apply for the deer lottery.

The 284-acre Fracchia property was acquired in two phases with funding from the State Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program and Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program is the nation's oldest and most successful wildlife restoration program. Funds from taxes paid by sportsmen and women on ammunition, firearms, and archery equipment go toward projects to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitats.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2023 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition, part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) environmental education program administered since 1987 by the Connecticut Waterfowl Association (CWA).

As part of a concerted effort to encourage more young people to explore the natural world and increase conservation awareness, the Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp “Best in Show” winner will be featured as the 2024 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp! The "Best in Show" winner will also be an entry for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest.

This contest is open to all students, kindergarten through grade 12, who are Connecticut residents. To enter, students create and submit a drawing or painting featuring native waterfowl (ducks or geese). There is no cost, and submissions must be postmarked by March 15, 2023.

We introduced our take on a classic Kentucky Burgoo recipe at a small game hunting seminar, and it was a big success! Burgoo is a stew that typically uses 3 or more meats. We chose squirrel, beaver, and pheasant, but you can easily replace the beaver with venison or goose; rabbit is also a great substitute. Be adventurous and use locally harvested game of your choice. 

Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven or soup pot, and set the heat to medium-high. Working in batches, brown all the meats. Do not crowd the pan, or the meat will not brown well. Salt the meat as it cooks. As they brown, move the various meats to a bowl.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, and green pepper to the pot, and turn the heat to high. Cook the vegetables until they are well browned; add oil as needed to brown vegetables. When the vegetables have browned, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add back the meats, along with the chicken and beef stock and the tomatoes. Stir to combine and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 2 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat pieces and strip the meat from the bone. Tear the large pieces of beaver into bite-sized pieces. Return all the meat to the pot, and return the stew to simmer.

Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks about the same size as the meat pieces. Add them to the stew and simmer until they are tender. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mix well, and taste for salt. Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste if needed.

Finally, add the corn and green beans. Mix well and cook for 15 minutes, or until the corn and beans are warmed. Enjoy!