You asked about hunting licenses for the elderly, the cost of permits to take deer and turkey, and how the legislature could make elderly citizens exempt from paying such permit fees.

By law, people who are age 65 or older may be issued a lifetime firearms, hunting, fishing, or a combination license with a license to trap, without a fee. To qualify for the exemption, the person must also (1) have lived in the state for at least a year or (2) live in a New England state or New York if that state’s law allows the same exemptions to Connecticut residents (CGS § 26-28). Anyone must be licensed before taking, hunting, or trapping any wild bird or mammal, or attempting or assisting someone to do so (CGS § 26-27).

The law allows the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) commissioner to establish permit, tag, and stamp fees for taking turkey, pheasant, other migratory game birds, and salmon. The law sets the permit, tag, or stamp fee for taking turkey and pheasant at not more than $ 14 and other migratory game birds at not more than $ 3 (CGS § 26-48a). The current turkey hunting permit fee is $ 14, according to the DEP’s 2005 Hunting and Trapping Field Guide. We have attached a copy the Hunting and Trapping License section of the guide for your reference.

The law requires permits for anyone taking deer and sets the fee for state residents and full-time members of the armed forces at $ 14. The fee for nonresidents is $ 50 (CGS § 26-86a).

The legislature could choose to change the law to exempt people age 65 and older from paying permit, tag, and stamp fees, for taking deer, turkey, and other game, similar to the hunting license fee exemption.

JH: tjo