Sec. 26-66. Scope of regulations.
Sec. 26-66. Scope of regulations. The commissioner may adopt regulations in
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 governing the taking of wildlife, provided
any regulations concerning the taking of migratory game birds shall be consistent with
section 26-91. The regulations may: (1) Establish the open and closed seasons, which
may be modified by decreasing or increasing the number of days for any specific species,
(2) establish hours, days or periods during the open season when hunting shall not be
permitted for specific species, (3) establish legal hours, (4) prescribe the legal methods,
including type, kind, gauge and caliber of weapons and ammunition, including long
bow, (5) prescribe the sex of wildlife that may be taken on a state-wide or local area
basis, (6) establish the daily bag limit and the season bag limit, (7) establish the maximum
number of persons that may hunt on designated areas during any twenty-four-hour period, (8) require that a permit be obtained from the landowner or his agent, or the commissioner or his agent, to enter upon designated premises or areas for the purpose of hunting,
and further require that such permit be returned within a specified time to the issuing
authority with an accurate report of all wildlife taken under such permit, the time spent
on the premises or area and any other data required by the commissioner for management
purposes, (9) establish areas that shall be restricted for designated periods for hunting
only with long bow or other specified weapons, (10) establish areas that shall be restricted for designated periods for hunting exclusively by the physically handicapped,
(11) establish requirements and procedures for tagging and reporting birds or animals
taken by hunting or trapping; and, in the interest of public safety and for the purpose of
preventing unreasonable conduct and abuses by hunters, and to provide reasonable control of the actions and behavior of such persons, said commissioner may issue regulations
and orders to (12) prohibit the carrying of loaded firearms and hunting within specified
distances of buildings, (13) prohibit the discharge of firearms and other hunting devices
within specified distances of buildings and, when within specified distances, the discharge of such firearms and devices toward persons, buildings and livestock, (14) prohibit hunting while on any road adjacent to any state park, state forest, premises used for
the breeding, rearing or holding in captivity of wildlife or premises used for zoological
purposes, (15) establish minimum distances between fixed positions, floating and drift
blinds for waterfowl hunting, (16) prohibit crossing over lawns and lands under cultivation, (17) prohibit damage to property, livestock and agricultural crops, (18) prohibit,
during specified periods on designated areas, the training, exercising and running of
dogs under control or uncontrolled, (19) prohibit the operation and parking of vehicles
on designated portions of public and private roads, parking areas, lanes, passageways,
rights-of-way, fields and lots, (20) prohibit the discarding of bottles, glass, cans, paper,
junk, litter and trash, (21) control the launching, anchoring, mooring, storage and abandonment of boats, trailers and related equipment on properties under the control of the
commissioner, (22) specify (A) the persons who shall wear fluorescent orange clothing,
(B) the time periods during which such clothing shall be worn and (C) the types and
amounts of such clothing which shall be worn, on and after January 1, 1989, when
hunting.
(1955, S. 2476d; 1957, P.A. 406, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 261; P.A. 74-135, S. 1; 74-151, S. 1, 7; P.A. 81-103; P.A.
85-19; P.A. 86-111, S. 2; P.A. 88-98, S. 1, 6.)
History: 1971 act substituted references to environmental protection commissioner for references to board of fisheries
and game; P.A. 74-135 deleted exclusive hunting periods for women in Subdiv. (10); P.A. 74-151 deleted "except deer"
in provision authorizing commissioner to regulate hunting and substituted "wildlife" for "pheasants" in Subdiv. (5); P.A.
81-103 authorized the commissioner to regulate "the taking of all species of wildlife" where before authorization was to
regulate "hunting for all species of game birds and wild quadrupeds"; P.A. 85-19 added Subdiv. (21) re tagging and
reporting of birds and animals and clarified language re commissioner's regulatory power; P.A. 86-111 made technical
change, inserting former Subdiv. (21) as Subdiv. (11) and renumbering accordingly; P.A. 88-98 authorized regulations
governing the wearing of fluorescent orange clothing.
See chapter 54 re uniform administrative procedure.
See Sec. 53a-217e re negligent hunting offenses.
Cited. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 414.