CT Firearms Deer Season

CT firearms deer season starts today!  State Land Lottery A and No-Lottery A permits run from Nov. 20 - Nov. 29.  State Land Lottery B and No-Lottery B permits run from Nov. 30 - Dec 10.  Private Land permits run from Nov. 20 - Dec 10.

Two notes:

1. Muzzleloader season is a separate season, starting Dec 11. 
2. Rifles are not legal firearms on state land permits.  Only shotguns shooting a single slug are legal firearms.  Buckshot is not legal in CT.  

These laws should be second nature to you if you have completed a hunter's safety course.  If you are not a hunter, it is still important to be aware of hunter safety and hunting laws/regulations.  Always wear blaze orange when you are in the woods during deer season, whether or not the land you are on permits hunting.  Even if you are on land where hunting is not permitted, you can never be sure that everyone is following that regulation.  Poachers are criminals and many times trespass on land.  It is better safe than sorry; stay visible when you are in the woods.  If you see someone breaking hunting laws, be sure to report it.  Wildlife conservation is everyone's responsibility, and we should have zero tolerance for people who do not follow the law.   

Sleeping Giant State Park

This weekend I hiked up to the observation tower at the top of Sleeping Giant in Hamden, CT with my girlfriend Liz.  It was a beautiful day, and the park was packed with people taking advantage of the seasonally warm weather.

Sleeping Giant offers many of miles of trails, but the most popular is the Tower Trail, which brings you directly to the observation tower.  The trail is a little over 1.5 miles to the tower, and is very well-maintained.  Hiking at a decent pace, Liz and I made it to the tower in about 45 minutes.  About halfway to the top, you pass an impressive cliff that offers a great photo op.  There are also several overlooks on the tower trail that will provide you with some decent views of the terrain to the north and west.      

Once you are at the top, the tower offers a great 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape, including New Haven and Long Island Sound to the south.  With the fall foliage at its peak, the view from the tower was spectacular.                                    
The tower trail is a great hike if you are looking for a hike that is moderate in difficulty.  Round trip for us was about two hours, which included a lunch break at the tower.

If you are looking for a hike that is a bit more difficult, I would highly suggest exploring the other trails Sleeping Giant offers.  The blue trail in particular is more difficult than the tower trail and will bring you right to the tower.  Do some research and you could easily spend all day hiking the numerous trails throughout the park.

It is also interesting to note that Sleeping Giant State Park is a Trout Management Area (TMA).  If you are interested in trout fishing, it certainly would be worth bringing a fishing pole and throwing a few casts.  Just make sure you are up to date on the fishing regulations in TMAs.

For more information about Sleeping Giant State Park, visit the CT DEEP website here:
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325264