§ 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 such landowner's agent, or the commissioner or such commissioner's 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 persons with physical disabilities, (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. See Sec. 53a-217e re negligent hunting offenses.

Legislative History

(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; P.A. 17-202, S. 79.) 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; P.A. 17-202 amended Subdiv. (8) by making technical changes, and amended Subdiv. (10) by replacing “the physically handicapped” with “persons with physical disabilities”. Cited. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 414.