Bow Hunting

You asked for the dates of bow hunting seasons in Connecticut, other New England states and New York. You wanted to know if these states have minimum acreage requirements for bow hunting on private land, and how long the Connecticut bow hunting law has been in effect. This reports focuses on bow hunting for deer.

We list the bow hunting seasons for deer below. None of the seven states has a minimum acreage requirement for bow hunting on private land. However, most of these states bar bow hunters from shooting towards public roads or occupied buildings within range. Connecticut’s bow hunting law (CGS § 26-86c) has been in effect since 1959.

• September 15 – November 16 and December 22 – December 31 (state land);

• September 15 – December 31 (state land, bowhunting only areas)

• September 15 – November 16 and December 8 – December 31 (private land, zones 1-10)

• September 15 – January 31 (private land, zones 11-12)

Note: Zones 11 and 12 are in southwest and shoreline Connecticut, which have problems with deer overpopulation.

• September 30 – October 29 (special archery hunting season)

• September 11- December 11 (expanded archery hunting season)

• September 27 – October 22 (northern zone)

• October 15 – November 21 and December 15 – December 19 (southern zone)

• October 15 – December 31 (Westchester County)

• October 1 – December 31 (Suffolk County)

• October 2 - October 24; December 4 - December 12

None of these seven states requires bow hunters hunting on private land to hunt only on land of at least a certain number of acres. Four states, (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island) require bow hunters to be a specified minimum distance away from public roads or occupied buildings. The minimum distance requirements are:

Massachusetts: No arrows may be released within 150 feet of, or across, any state or hard-surfaced highway. Hunting is prohibited within 500 feet of any dwelling or building in use, unless authorized by owner or occupant.

New Hampshire: No one may shoot with a bow and arrow within 300 feet of a permanently occupied dwelling without the permission of the owner or occupant of the dwelling, or from the owner of the land on which the hunter is located.

New York: It is illegal to discharge a bow so that the arrow passes

• over any part of a public highway,

• within 500 feet of any school, playground, occupied factory or church,

• within 500 feet of any dwelling, farm building, or structure in occupancy or use unless the hunter owns it, leases it, is an immediate family member, an employee, or has the owner’s consent.

Rhode Island: Bow hunters cannot release an arrow within 200 feet of an occupied dwelling.

In Vermont the owner of any dwelling, residence, barn, stable or other building may establish a 500-foot safety zone around it. The owner posts the zone with signs provided by the state. All shooting is prohibited within the zone, and no wild animal may be taken within it unless advance permission is obtained from the owner or rightful occupant.

Connecticut bars hunters, regardless of weapon, from shooting towards any people, buildings or domestic animals within range. Connecticut also bars hunters from shooting from or across the traveled portion of any public roadway.

Connecticut bars firearms hunters from discharging their weapons within 500 feet of any building occupied by people or domestic animals, or used to store flammable or combustible material without written permission (Conn. Agency Regs. § 26-66-1(d)). Landowners, their spouse and their descendants are exempt if the building belongs to them. However, no similar distance requirement exists for bow hunters.

More information on Connecticut bow hunting laws can be found in OLR Report 2001-R-0083.


November 1, 2004		2004-R-0828
BOW HUNTING

By: Paul Frisman, Associate Analyst