Deer Hunting in CT?

[BizCT]

Anybody from NY hunt deer in Connecticut? I live like 20 minutes from the CT/NY border and was wondering what the whole process was and if it was worth it? I see there are lotteries for state land, certain gun restrictions, etc...

Thanks in advance.

[wztirem]

The CT DNR menu pertaining to deer hunting will make your head spin!

[cloke]

CT produces some bruisers just like westchester does my cuz been hunting around the greenwich area for years with great success ill be in those woods in sep. Archery tag goes for 135 and season is very long start in the whole month in jan and then sep15-dec31.

[BizCT]

Yea their website is nuts...I dont hunt with bow or muzzleloader...looks like i can put in for a lottery to hunt state land with a shotgun...but my shotgun can only hold 3 shells? my browning shotgun I use in NY can hold 4 and 1 in the chamber (so 5)...guess I can't use it??

[wztirem]

Yea their website is nuts...I dont hunt with bow or muzzleloader...looks like i can put in for a lottery to hunt state land with a shotgun...but my shotgun can only hold 3 shells? my browning shotgun I use in NY can hold 4 and 1 in the chamber (so 5)...guess I can't use it??

Put a plug in the magazine.

[BizCT]

i dont know what you mean?

[HectorBuckBuster]

A plug is a wooden dowel or some people use a pencil. You take the gun barrel off and insert down tube.You just need to get it to the correct size so it only hold 3 shells. Most duck hunters have to do this to their guns.

First empty your shotgun chamber.Put the safety on. Then put as many shotgun shells  as you can in the magazine. Write the number down.  Then take the  shotgun shells out by pushing the release that holds them in the  magazine (usually a small screw driver will do the trick to hold the  shell release down so they can all get pushed out by the magazine sping.  If you have some dummy shells that would be the best way to do it, but  usually the average shooter does not have those.You can run the shells  through the chamber to empty the magazine but I do not recommend it. Too  dangerous.

  Then take the number of shotgun shells that are over 2 and lay them end  to end on a bench or table. Measure them and cut a wooden dowel  about 3/4" less than that measurement. The reason for cutting the plug  3/4" less is to keep the spring  from being under a dead pressure and to  give the shells a little room to move under recoil. I know that water  fowl rules say that you must have your shotgun plugged to hold only 3  shells but that also includes the shell in the chamber. So you actually  have to have the capacity of only 2 shells in the magazine.The wooden  dowel does not have to be as big around as a shotgun shell, a 1/2" dia. dowel is fine.  Make sure you sand all the slivers and burrs off the dowel. Then take  off the magazine cap (the cap is at the end of the magazine closest to  the muzzle of the shotgun). When you do that be prepared for the long coil spring  to sprong out and  hit you in the face if you are looking down into the  magazine. The best way to avoid this is put a plastic grocery bag over  the end of the muzzle and magazine and then you can unscrew the magazine  cap through the plastic  bag. The spring will be captured by the bag instead of your open  mouth.

  While you have the spring out, clean the magazine with a shotgun  cleaning rod and large cotton patches from an old T-shirt. Then put a  very light coat of gun oil on the inside of the magazine and drop the  spring back down into the magazine tube. Then put the plug you made in  on top of the spring and push the spring down and put the cap back on.  If you are lucky and it threads the first time you have it made. Most  magazine springs have the top of the spring closed in so the plug will  not drop down into the spring. If yours doesn't then take a pair of  pliers and bend the end of the spring closed enough that the plug will  not go into the spring

[BizCT]

I dont duck hunt...sounds like a lot of work....My shotgun holds 4 in the mag and 1 in the chamber....so thats 5 and if Im allowed 3, then I can just do this right?

1 in the chamber, 2 in the mag, and 2 dummy shells in the mag? i dont see why you cant just walk around with only 3 in the gun..? if an officer came over and checked my gun and asked me to unload, he would see im only carrying 3 "live" shells.

[HectorBuckBuster]

Biz, it does not work that way. The law states that the magazine my not hold more then 3 shells period . I am sure a out of state hunter in CT would be hit hard with fines for going over the 3 shot rule. 

[BizCT]

I understand....is there a way to just buy a shotgun plug made for my shotgun (browning BPS Pump) ? as opposed to making something with wood or a pencil? not looking to make something that could possibly ruin my mag in the gun....worst case scenario I'll just go to CT with a 12ga. over/under since it can only hold 2 shells.

[HectorBuckBuster]

Believe it or not, most plugs I have seen come in guns are nothing more then a wooden dowl you buy at a hardware store .Sometimes they have a o-ring on them, which makes them alittle harder to get out.

[Dinsdale]

Yes every manufacturer has a plastic plug that takes just a few minutes to install....

According to Browning you should have one in your kit when purchased;(every shotty I have always has had one in the box, my Beretta had it installed)

All have been plastic IME, click on "description"; magazine capacity

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=011b

[BizCT]

Thanks for the info...I'll look in my gun safe....shotgun is about 20 years old...but if it came with one, id still have it.

[Dinsdale]

Heres one for $7 that has notches to snap to length, this company sells all the parts for Browning and you could get OEM if you what.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1232/Product/_FITS_ALL__SHOTGUN_MAGAZINE_PLUG

[BizCT]

Thanks for the help....I see in CT you have to buy the license first, then apply for the lottery (free) to hunt state land...guess if you dont get picked in the lottery, then the license you buy was pointless.

[DTG3k]

Heres one i pulled out of my Mossberg

[BizCT]

Anybody ever hunt any of the No-Lottery State Lands in Western CT?????

[BizCT]

Anybody ever hunt any of the No-Lottery State Lands in Western CT ? ? ?      OR      Pootatuck State Forest (Lottery Area). ? ? ?