2009 Connecticut Firearms Deer Season Closes One of the Safest on Record

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The private land muzzleloader and landowner deer seasons also closed on December 31. The archery season continues through January on private land only in deer management zones 11 and 12, which comprises Fairfield County and the shoreline towns.

"Connecticut hunters continue to be national leaders in hunting safety, due in large part to a mandatory firearms education regimen which has produced a safety-conscious generation of hunters," stated Charles Bruckerhoff, coordinator of the DEP Wildlife Division’s Conservation Education/Firearms Safety Program.

Since 1982, the Conservation Education/Firearms Safety Program has provided hunter safety courses to over 100,000 students taught by a dedicated corps of 328 volunteer instructors. Administration for the program, support staff, and all supplies and materials are funded through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act. Funding for the program is derived from a federal excise tax on sporting arms and equipment, which is distributed to the states for use in hunter education, wildlife research and management, and land acquisition. The required match in non-federal funds is provided by in-kind time donated by the volunteer instructors. Instructors donate nearly 11,000 hours of their time each year conducting firearms, bowhunting, and trapping classes to ensure that students are safe, knowledgeable, and responsible in the pursuit of their outdoor activities.

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