Connecticut
30,000 to 35,000 (NWTF estimate)
Wild Turkey Population
Easterns
Turkey Subspecies
4,303
Number of Licenses Sold Annually
$47 to $69
Firearms hunting, $19 (alternative: archery deer/small game, $41); game-bird conservation stamp, $28
Cost of Resident License and Permit
$63 to $119
Three-day out-of-state bird hunting, $35; firearms hunting, $91; game-bird conservation stamp, $28
Cost of Non-Resident License and Permit
Photo by David Turko
The Nutmeg State offers the opportunity to hunt birds on private and state land, with a five-bearded-bird limit. Brood production looked steady this past year. During Spring 2023, Connecticut hunters took 1,279 bearded turkeys.
Public-land hunts see more pressure, though some areas are big enough you'll likely not encounter another hunter. Private land offers some opportunities afield (as with neighboring Rhode Island), but it's not always easy to gain access. Despite the state’s overall small size, there are nearly 20,000 acres of state land available to public hunting, and some landowners will grant hunting permission, too. An official signed written consent landowner form must be carried at all times while hunting private land. It's available online.
Editor’s Note: Articles about public hunting are always popular with Realtree.com readers, but we’re public-land hunters, too, and we recognize that technology has made it more difficult than ever to keep a great hunting spot secret. With that in mind, we have made some edits to this piece to trim out specific mentions of some public tracts. The information is still out there and easy to find for anyone who wants to do the research, but we’ve decided that with a platform of our size, it’s best not to share all the secrets. — Team Realtree
