Deer Hunt
The Controlled Hunt Ordinance, passed on May 31, 2006, (Section 4-75, Controlled Hunting) states that the “Board of Selectmen…may from time to time authorize the Deer Management Committee to initiate and supervise a controlled hunt of deer on open space lands.” Ridgefield had its first controlled hunt in the 2006-2007 season. However, the ordinance does not require that the hunt be conducted annually.
As the Ridgefield hunt involves the use of town open space, the RCC has worked with the Deer Management Implementation Committee to identify properties that could be used for hunting activities. To assist in assessing factors affecting the hunt, the RCC prepared a series of fact sheets (see below). The RCC and DMIC agreed on a list of 15 properties that could be hunted in turn, over a 3-year period. Hunt activities, rules, applications and details can be found on the Deer Management Implementation Committee web page.The approved hunt properties and when they will be hunted are shown in this table.
Property | Weapons | Acres | Hunted (22-23) | Current (23-24) | Future (24-25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Lake | archery, shotgun, and muzzleloader | 40 | X | ||
Laurel Lane | archery, shotgun, and muzzleloader | 50 | X | ||
Keeler Court | archery | 26 | X | ||
Ledges | archery and firearm | 26 | X | ||
Silvermine Ridge | archery | 14 | X | ||
Bobby's Court | archery | 34 | X | ||
Remington Woods | archery | 26 | X | ||
Stonecrest | archery and shotgun | 34 | X | ||
Ridgebury Farms | archery, shotgun, and muzzleloader | 94 | X | ||
Linden Lane | archery | 26 | X | ||
Liebowitz Knapp | archery | 31 | X | ||
Blacksmith Ridge | archery | 34 | X | ||
Old Sib | archery | 21 | X | ||
Between Old Trolley and Shadow Lake | archery | 20 | X | ||
Colonial Heights | archery | 19 | X | ||
Sarah Bishop | archery | 39 | X | ||
Peaceable Refuge | archery | 16 | X | ||
Turtle Ridge Court | archery | 10 | X | ||
West Mountain Refuge | archery | 27 | X | ||
Barrack Hill Refuge | archery | 9 | X |
The properties were approved with several conditions:
-
Accurate signage at the hunt locations is critical and should be reviewed by the commission.
-
Adequate and timely notification of abutting and nearby neighbors before the hunting season opens is necessary.
-
Hunting stands and related structures need to be removed immediately after the hunt is concluded.
The hunting season is as follows:
-
Archery: October 12 - January 31, 2023
-
Firearms: November 16 - December 06
-
Muzzleloader: December 07 - December 31
-
Excludes November 23 - 25, 2022 and December 22, 2022 - January 02, 2023
-
Weekdays Only
Note: Archery with limited muzzleloader is also permitted at the Municipal Golf Course.
In addition, to the full report linked above, individual Fact Sheets can be viewed by clicking below:
Fact Sheet 1.1 - What is the history of the deer hunt in Ridgefield?
Fact Sheet 1.2 - What are other towns doing with respect to deer hunts?
Fact Sheet 2.1 - How many deer are there in Ridgefield?
Fact Sheet 2.2 - How many deer are harvested in Ridgefield?
Fact Sheet 2.3 - How is town open space affected by the hunt?
Fact Sheet 3.1 - Are there conflicting population theories?
Fact Sheet 3.2 - What other methods of deer control are there?
Fact Sheet 3.3 - Do deer have natural predators?
Fact Sheet 3.4 - What have we learned from Yale University?
Fact Sheet 4 - What is the history of deer/automobile collisions?
Fact Sheet 5 - How have deer affected the open space forest understory?
Fact Sheet 6 - What is the relationship between deer and Lyme disease?
Fact Sheet 7 - How have deer affected horticulture?
Fact Sheet 8 - What is the way forward?
Related Conservation Commission Reports
In developing background material for hunt decisions, the commission undertook a study of the impacts to open space understory due to deer activities.