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Fall Hunting Seasons Are Just Around the Corner | |
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Multiple fall hunting seasons are starting up as summer draws to an end. The Wildlife Division receives a majority of its funding through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. This means the purchase of hunting equipment and licenses helps fund wildlife habitat acquisition and management, wildlife research, and hunter safety education. We hope you have a successful 2021 season, and please remember to safe, ethical, and responsible out in the field. See you outdoors!
Purchase your license . . .
More on Hunting in Connecticut . . .
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Online Hunting Permits Now Available | |
Online permits for some of DEEP’s Permit-Required Hunting Areas are now available, or will be available starting September 10, 2021, through DEEP’s Online Outdoor Licensing System. New for this year, all permits launch at 7:00 AM. (This information is not included in the printed version of the Hunting Guide. Permits previously launched at 12:01 AM.) | |
Join Us for Bat Day at Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine | |
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Join the DEEP Wildlife Division and Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for a celebration of bat conservation during an event to be held on September 12, 2021, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, at the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in East Granby. Bat Appreciation Days will highlight the story of one of Connecticut’s most intriguing historical sites and its importance to the conservation of endangered species.
This event will feature bat activities for the whole family and include exhibits, bat story time, historical tales, the unique opportunity to sneak a peek at the “bat cave”, a bat craft “door prize” for kids, and a chance to see a live bat up close.
More information on Bat Day 2021 . . .
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Advisory on Feeding Birds | |
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While Connecticut has seen cases of the songbird illness reported in many states this summer, the Wildlife Division was able to modify guidance due to a decline in dead bird reports during the first half of August, an increase in natural bird dispersal, and close collaboration with other state and federal agencies investigating this mortality event. Residents who choose to do so may resume feeding birds, but it is strongly recommended that you remain vigilant. However, the Wildlife Division does not recommend feeding birds during the warmer months because plenty of natural foods are available, and bird seed and suet are known to attract other animals like rodents, bears, and turkeys, which can cause conflicts between humans and wildlife. The DEEP still discourages bird feeding in areas of the state frequented by bears.
Those who put bird feeders back up should watch closely for sick birds, remove any spilled or waste seed from beneath feeders, and clean and disinfect all feeders and bird baths on a weekly basis (clean with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10% bleach solution, rinse with clean water, and allow to air-dry). If you observe dead or sick birds at or near a feeder, it is recommended that you remove and clean feeders and leave them down for at least two weeks. Please continue to report dead birds and work with our licensed wildlife rehabilitators to assist distressed birds. We need your help to continue monitoring this situation as we work with our regional partners to try and determine the cause of the bird illness.
Rather than using bird feeders, the Wildlife Division suggests considering alternatives which attract birds to yards, such as planting native plants, shrubs, or trees; installing water features; and erecting bird houses. These bird-friendly actions safely attract a wider variety of birds while avoiding the potential nuisance issues associated with bird seed (i.e., rodents, bears).
Family-friendly projects to improve backyard habitat . . .
Native landscaping for wildlife . . .
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Late Season Asters Create Valuable Wildlife Habitat | |
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Late summer and fall wildflowers are a special treat for nature enthusiasts looking for splashes of color leading into the fall foliage season. The Aster family provides a variety of colorful late season blooms that rivals any other. The bright yellow goldenrods, white and blue wood asters, and tall purple and gold New England asters yield a mosaic of colors for sunny and shaded areas.
Not only are these plants colorful in bloom, but they also have tremendous value to other wildlife. The pollen and nectar support native bees and domesticated honey bees. The nectar is also used by butterflies and moths, including migrating monarchs. These plants also serve as host plants for the caterpillars of dozens of species of butterflies and moths. Abundant caterpillars on these plants support many bird species, and is especially important as neotropical migrants, like warblers, refuel on their southern migrations.
If you want to help support these healthy natural food webs, try planting some native asters and goldenrod. You can also identify where they may already be growing in your yard and support them by giving them room to spread and clearing out any invasive plants that may outcompete these wonderful natives.
More on native plant options for your yard . . .
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Managing an Aquatic Invasive Species | |
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In July, DEEP Fisheries Division staff and volunteers continued a yearly tradition of removing water chestnut from the Connecticut River. This highly invasive aquatic plant has spread across the east coast from Virginia to Quebec. Water chestnut is a rooted, annual plant that produces a seed resembling a nut with horns. This spiny fruit is not only painful to step on, but will also ensure the continued spread of this invasive species as it falls to the water body floor or hitchhikes to new locations.
Timing is crucial to battling this threat: too early, and plants are missed or unseen below the water’s surface; too late, and seeds have already fallen to begin the cycle of producing new plants. Teams focus on removal in July and August.
Retired DEEP Fisheries Division Biologist Steve Gephard led the team in July as a volunteer. He optimistically compared this year’s single truckload of water chestnut to previous years’ when up to seven truckloads were filled! After seven years of annual pulls, there are some areas along the river where the plant is no longer seen. Steve is hopeful this invasive story could “have a happy ending.”
If you find this plant, please contact Harry Yamalis at 860-424-3034 or [email protected]. This effort involves multiple organizations and volunteers.
More on aquatic invasives . . .
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Cicada Killer Wasp: Invader or Neighbor? | |
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Each year beginning around late June, a very large wasp begins to show up in some people’s outdoor spaces. Don't worry -- it is not the dreaded “murder hornet” but rather something that has lived here for many thousands of years.
Fortunately, “murder hornets”, also known as Asian giant hornets, have only been detected in the Pacific Northwest, thousands of miles from Connecticut. Instead, this wasp you are noticing is emerging from a tunnel its mother dug last year at this time. Coinciding with annual summer cicada activity, eastern cicada-killer wasps (also called cicada hawk wasps) emerge to complete their long-awaited lifecycle. After feeding on flower nectar, females will mate and dig tunnels in barren, sandy soil. Each tunnel is about 6 to 10 inches long and divided into individual cells for each egg the female will lay. Females then go off to hunt cicadas, which they will paralyze with a sting and drag back to the nest. Each cell will get several cicadas and a single egg. After the egg hatches, the developing larva will consume the cicadas within weeks, spin a cocoon, and continue developing into an adult over the winter all from inside the tunnel. The lifecycle above ground for adults lasts just a couple of months in the summer. Males spend their short adult life trying to mate and defending territories from other males.
While cicada-killer wasps look quite formidable, they are not aggressive towards humans or pets, nor are they particularly defensive of their territories if humans or pets investigate these large-winged insects. Males are often seen hovering around their territories, and might seem intimidating to us, but they lack stingers altogether. Because they generally pose no threat to people or pets, there is usually no reason to try to exterminate them from your property. Within a couple of weeks of emergence, they will die off on their own until next year’s brood comes out.
See cicada killer wasp sightings on iNaturalist . . .
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2021 Junior Pheasant Hunter Training Days | |
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The Wildlife Division, along with volunteer instructors from the Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) Program and several Connecticut sportsmen's clubs, holds special events for junior pheasant hunters at various sportsmen's clubs throughout Connecticut on Junior Pheasant Hunter Training Day (October 9, 2021) and additional dates in the fall. These “no charge” events allow Junior Hunters to sharpen their shooting skills on a trap field before taking to the field for a mentored hunt.
More information . . .
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Species of the Month: Hairy-banded Mining Bee | |
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The hairy-banded mining bee is a unique native bee that is only active above ground for a few weeks each year. Similar to the cicada hawk wasp mentioned above, newly-emerging adult mining bees take flight from tunnels their mothers dug the previous year. Having a short window of time to complete their life cycle from late August through September, they time their activity to the abundance of late season fall flowers, especially goldenrod species. At a quick glance, hairy-banded mining bees may resemble domesticated honey bees, but upon close inspection, they are fuzzier with lots of long, yellowy hair on their abdomens; some even have a greenish tinge to them. Females spend their time digging a nest, mating, laying eggs, and collecting pollen to store for their developing offspring, which will emerge as adults the following August as the goldenrods begin blooming. Hairy-banded mining bees and other specialist pollinators help support late season food webs, which are critical for other wildlife preparing for winter.
More on the hairy-banded mining bee . . .
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|  | The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact Barbara Viadella or Cenit Mirabal, DEEP Office of Diversity and Equity at 860-418-5910 or by email at [email protected] if you are requesting a communication aid or service, have limited proficiency in English, need some other type of accommodation, or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event. | | | | |
