Connecticut Canned Hunt Statutes and Regulations

Complete Ban

Statute

The Connecticut Fisheries and Game Code defines quadruped as "any four-legged animal which is ferae naturae or wild by nature, although such animal may be enclosed and considered a pet or semi-domesticated, but shall exclude purely domesticated animals." (§26-1).

The Commissioner may issue a free private land deer permit for certain farmers for certain corporations or corporate members (§26.29c).

A game breeder's license, fee of $21, is required to "possess more than one live specimen, breed or propagate" sika and white tail deer. (§26-40).

However, no entity, with limited exceptions, may possess a potentially dangerous animal such as any species of the "felidae, including, but not limited to, the lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat; the canidae, including, but not limited to, the wolf and coyote; and the ursidae, including, but not limited to, the black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear." (§26-40a).

For a fee of $50, the commissioner "may issue permits authorizing the establishment and operation of regulated private shooting preserves when in his judgment such preserves will not conflict with any reasonable prior public interest." A hunting license is then unnecessary "to hunt on such private shooting preserves." Regulations will prescribe the size of the preserves, and methods of hunting allowed." (§26-48).

A permit is required to import or introduce, possess, or liberate wild mammals without a permit, excepting "any primate species that weighs not more than fifty pounds at maturity that was imported or possessed in the state prior to October 1, 2003." (§26-55).

A permit is also required to transport within or out of the state, or export any mammal "for which a closed season is provided without a permit" and tag or label, unless the person has a permit to legally take, breed, propagate or possess, and the transported animal falls under these categories (§26.57).

Connecticut animal cruelty laws provide additional guidance on the use of animals. Specifically, any person "who uses any animal, reptile or bird for the purpose of soliciting any alms, collection, contribution, subscription, donation or payment of money, or uses any animal or bird as a prize or award in the operation of any game or device, or exhibits any wild animals in connection with any business for the purpose of attracting trade… at any fair, exhibition or place of amusement, recreation or entertainment, or owns, keeps or has in his custody any animal… for any such purpose, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days or both..." This statute, however, does not apply to the exhibition of any animal by any educational institution or in a zoological garden or in connection with any theatrical exhibition or circus (§53-250).

Regulation

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection states that "any person or organization who owns or controls by lease or agreement the hunting rights on an area may apply for a regulated private shooting preserve permit" (§26-48-1).

No permit may be issued "for an area of less than two hundred contiguous acres" (§26-48-2). Permits "authorize the hunting of legally propagated pheasants, quail, chukar partridge and/or ducks," while the hunting of all other wildlife "shall be in accordance with statewide regulations governing the season, and daily and season bag limits for each particular species" (§26-48-4).

No person may "import or introduce into the state or possess or liberate therein without a permit...any of the following wild quadrupeds: those on the threatened or endangered species list; and those...in the family Cervidae, sika and white tailed deer" (§26-55-2).

The commissioner may issue a game breeder's license for a fee of $21, a regulated shooting preserve permit for $50, or an importation permit (no fee) (www.ct.gov).

A Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection official stated that regulated private shooting preserves are only authorized for game birds.

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