Connecticut Legislature Repeals Sunday Hunting Ban—But Only on Private Land

Connecticut legislators recently moved to expand hunting opportunities in the state but limited their action to private lands and certain types of game.

On June 16, the Connecticut General Assembly passedPublic Act 25-138, which repealed parts of a “blue law” from the state’s Protestant history that forbade Sunday hunting. In 2015, the state had carved out some exceptions for bow hunters targeting deer.

The new bill, which Governor Ned Lamont said he plans to sign into law, would allow Sunday hunting on private properties of 10 or more acres. Hunters would need to possess written landowner permission in the field and maintain a distance of at least 40 yards from any public trails. The bill maintained a ban on Sunday hunting for migratory waterfowl in the state. It will almost certainly go into effect this fall.

Local sportsmen groups, such asthe New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, pushed to repeal the Sunday hunting ban. They were met with opposition, though not because anyone argued for the religious motivation that historically initiated the ban. Rather, someanti-hunters in Connecticut arguedthat repealing Sunday hunting would disturb—or even endanger—non-hunters, despite ample evidence to the contrary.

While they were unsuccessful in their efforts to kill the bill, this concern appears to be the reason the ban repeal was limited to private land,according to reporting by the Connecticut Mirror.

Regardless, hunters and anglers are cheering the incremental change.

“The passage of Sunday hunting legislation in Connecticut is a big win for hunters, conservation and the future of our outdoor traditions,” said National Wild Turkey Foundation district biologist Kaylee Szymanskiin a press release. “By expanding access and opportunity, this law helps ensure that more people, especially youth and working families, can participate in wildlife conservation through regulated hunting.”

“Blue laws,” which restricted recreational activities on Sundays, have been scrapped in most states. However, Sunday hunting banspersisted primarily in the Northeast. In recent years, conservationists have been making concerted—and largely successful—efforts to repeal the hunting bans. For instance, after passingthe state house, a Pennsylvania bill isnow before the state senatethat would repeal the Keystone State’s Sunday hunting ban.

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