HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut's fall firearms deer hunting season opens Nov. 18, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Thursday, urging hikers, bikers, horseback riders and others using the woods to take precautions as several hunting seasons get underway.

Before the firearms season, the state holds Junior Deer Hunter Training Days from Nov. 7 to 14, except Nov. 8 on state land, the department said. During that period, licensed hunters ages 12 to 15 may hunt when accompanied by a licensed adult hunter 18 or older.

Hunting is allowed in most state forests and wildlife management areas, in some state parks and on private land with the owner's permission, according to the department. It said hunting is generally heaviest in the early morning and late afternoon, particularly from mid-October through mid-December.

The department recommended that anyone outdoors during hunting season wear a piece of fluorescent orange clothing, such as a vest or hat, tell someone where they are going and when they expect to return, and call out to make their presence known when they meet someone else in the woods. It also warned that storms, drought and insects have damaged many trees across the state, and that weakened trees can fall without warning.

Hunters are required to wear fluorescent orange for most hunting. Bowhunters must wear 400 square inches of it while walking to and from tree stands during the firearms deer season, but may take it off once they are in a stand at least 10 feet off the ground, the department said.

Deer and turkey hunters must get and carry written permission from the landowner, on an official form, to hunt on private land. Verbal permission is enough for small game.

To guard against chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological illness in deer and related animals, state rules bar the use of natural deer urine products and restrict bringing in deer and elk carcasses from states where the disease has been found. Deboned meat is exempt.

The state's hunting and trapping guide is available at town halls and outdoor equipment stores.

This brief was drafted by AI from a public agency or political press release and published by The New England Signal. Why we use AI for stories like this one.