Hunting
Rules and Regulations
You are required to know the rules and regulations. Please read and understand them and comply with them. There will be no exceptions!
General Rules
A. Rifle and Pistol Range and Archery Range are closed on stocking days.
B. Fishing closed on stocking days. Blaze orange is required when fishing a week day.
C. No hunting in the buffer zones. Watch for the posted signs if in doubt.
D. No hunting or shooting between the railroad tracks and Hammertown Road.
E. Shotgun only in the field. No handguns or rifles may be carried at all while bird hunting.
F. No shot larger than #5 allowed, and no more than a total of 3 rounds are permitted in a hunter's gun.
G. No rabbit or ground shooting on Saturdays, Wednesdays or holidays.
H. No shooting of birds until they are at least 8 feet off the ground.
I. No running of dogs on Sunday and no dogs in the clubhouse.
J. Dogs must be leashed prior to hunt and immediately after reaching daily limit or completion of hunt.
K. A member not hunting or without a gun may run his/her dog for another member.
L. No more than one dog per hunter on stocking days. Owner of dogs repeatedly flushing birds out of range or out of control will be charged for such birds against his/her limits.
M. No more than two dogs per hunter on non-stocking days.
N. All guns actions must be open unless actually hunting.
O. On designated skeet practice days, currently Tuesdays, no hunting in the shot fall area
P. NO HUNTING, SHOOTING OR RUNNING DOGS NEAR THE BIRD PENS! NO EXCEPTIONS! NO EXCUSES!
General Hunting Procedures
Membership back patch and current Connecticut hunting license (or a copy) must be worn on the outside of your jacket or vest while hunting on club property.
Blaze orange hat, blaze orange vest and eye protections are mandatory while hunting or walking in the woods during hunting season. At least 400 square inches of blaze orange must be worn while afield whether hunting or just walking.
Before hunting you must register by name, date, membership number, numbered cover plot selected (if applicable), and time you started hunting in the register book at the upper clubhouse. Immediately after hunting you must complete the registry, identify the game taken, record the tag number and sign out. Failure to follow these procedures will result in your being charged for a full days Bag Limit.
HUNTING GUEST POLICY
A guest is only allowed to hunt on NON-stocking days. The host member must pay the club $15.00 for each adult guest on club property. (Hunting guest policy to align with club guest policy.) Member and guest will share the member's bag limit and both must register in and out. The guest must display a guest pass and a valid current Connecticut hunting license on his or her back.
Hunting Periods:
Saturdays - 8:30 a.m. to Noon then again 1:00 p.m. to dusk
Wednesdays and Thanksgiving Day - 8:30 a.m. to dusk
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays - 7:00 a.m. to dusk The Skeet, Trap, and Five Stand fields ( Hunting blocks 10 &11)are closed to hunting between 1000 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
No vehicles may drive past the fishing pavilion as follows:
Saturdays - Oct 1- Nov 30 8:15 to 9:00 a.m. Dec 1 - March 9:15 to 1000 then again 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday -Oct 1- Nov 30, 8:15 to 9:00 a.m. Dec 1 - March -9:15 to 1000
Thanksgiving Day and any other to be announced special bird stockings between 8:15 to 9:00 a.m.
LIMITS
Life, Senior
2 birds per day regardless of species if applicable
6 birds per week
35 birds per season
Sub senior:
2 birds per day regardless of species if applicable
4 birds per week
20 birds per season
Honorary, Associates and Juniors:
2 birds per day regardless of species if applicable
4 birds per week
15 birds per season
Juniors: 12 - 16 years of age must wear Hunter Safety Certificate and back patch in plain view and a Senior or Life member must accompany them.
Pheasants/Birds
Pheasant/Bird Season runs from October to March
Numbered Cover Plots and Hunting Procedures on STOCKING DAYS:
1. There will be 12 numbered cover plots as indicated on a map to be generated. This number may increase over time as additional cover plots are created. On stocking days, each hunter or group of hunters will be allowed to select a numbered cover plot on a first come, first served basis. No hunter or group of hunters will be allowed to select the same cover plot twice in the same week or in successive weeks.
2. Hunters are restricted to hunting in their selected cover plots for at least 45 minutes following commencement of hunting at 8:30 AM for the morning stocking (Wednesday and Saturday, and Thanksgiving) or 1:00 PM for the afternoon stocking (on Saturday only). During this 45 minute period, hunters and their dogs shall hunt only in their selected cover plots, and other hunters shall not hunt in those cover plots nor allow their dogs to run in those cover plots. After the expiration of this 45 minute period (9:15 AM for the morning stocking and 1:45 PM for the afternoon stocking), hunters are free to hunt in any area, subject to safety considerations and good etiquette afield (i.e., hunters should keep a safe and courteous distance from other hunters not a part of the same hunting party).
3. The stocking party will endeavor to stock two birds per person in the selected cover plots for each person hunting in the morning hunt on a stocking day (Wednesday and Saturday) and the afternoon hunt (Saturday only). However, this will require timely notice to the stocking party on the day of stocking of the number of persons who will be present in each cover plot for each hunt. In addition, additional birds will be stocked in cover plots that have not been selected by any hunter or group of hunter at the time of stocking, so that persons arriving late may find some birds in unselected cover plots.
4. On stocking days, each person/group desiring to hunt shall be present or have at least one representative of the group present at the clubhouse not later than 7:30 AM for the morning stocking or 12:00 PM for the afternoon stocking to select a cover plot in which to hunt, and to advise the bird stocking party how many people will be present in the group, so that two birds per person can be stocked in that individual's or group's selected cover plot. It is strongly encouraged that at least one representative of each group participate in the stocking of birds that day. No member of the stocking party shall stock his/her selected cover plot, and that cover plot shall be stocked by other members of the stocking party.
5. Anyone arriving after 7:30 AM (morning hunt Wednesday and Saturday) or 12:00 PM (Saturday only) on a stocking day who is not part of a hunting party for which a representative was present at the clubhouse by 7:30 AM/12:00 PM that day may sign up to hunt on one of the unselected cover plots, if any remain at that time. If no unselected cover plots remain, or if so desired, such persons may request to join an individual or group that already has selected a cover plot, and such individual or group shall have sole discretion whether to permit additional persons to join them. It should be noted that, because the stocking party would have no notice of the existence of such additional persons, the stocking party will be unable to stock additional birds for additional persons, and there would no longer be two birds per person for the cover plots in which such additional persons hunt. Should there be no unselected cover plots, and should such additional persons not be allowed to join an individual or group having a selected cover plot, such additional persons shall await the expiration of the 45 minute period following the commencement of hunting at 8:30 AM/1:00PM before beginning to hunt, at which time such additional persons may hunt in any area subject to safety considerations and good etiquette afield.
6. On stocking days, when heading out from the clubhouse upon the commencement of hunting, hunters must leash their dogs until they reach their selected cover plots. When each hunter in a group or a person hunting alone has gotten his/her limit of birds for that day, all dogs of such group or person shall be immediately leashed for the return trip to the clubhouse in order to avoid disturbing any remaining stocked birds.All Birds regardless of species must be tagged!!
TURKEY AND DEER HUNTING
Contact Game Chairman for details.
Please read the monthly newsletter for changes to the rules or alerts of special notices regarding hunting. Any questions or concerns regarding hunting may be addressed to the hunting chairman or other hunting committee members.
Contact
Dan Semosky Hunting /Game Chairman
sgtsemo2@gmail.com