Keep Our Children Safe : Abolish Private hunting in Connecticut's backyards

Connecticut has the most liberal private hunting statutes in the country, yet it's the third most populous state. Fairfield County Connecticut (35 miles from New York City), where the majority of deer are killed on private land by bowhunters, is densely populated, three times the state average population and 70 times the country average. Baiting, generous bag limits and an extended hunting season attract hunters nationwide, with approximately 4 hunters per square mile with population densities of 1100 residents per square mile, one fifth of them under 19 years of age.

Convicted felons can be licensed to hunt in residential neighborhoods. No acerage limit or setbacks from neighboring property, schools, highways and playgrounds pose risk to children who are unaware that hunters sit in tress in woods. Private landowners are not required to notify neighbors that hunting is occurring despite close proximity of residents. With high wound rates , hunters often trespass without penalty or any oversight of local law enforcement. The state does not monitor that hunters obey the law( licenses, clothing, trespassing) while thousands of deer are killed annually in backyards in densely populated neighborhoods by non indigenous hunters.

We demand that the statutes be abolished and that new regulations include no hunting zones where population density of children is no greater than 15 percent as well as near schools, playgrounds, churches, beaches and major highways, like 95 and the Merritt Parkway.

We propose acreage limits of 6 acres for private hunting and setbacks of 500 yards from neighboring property.

We also want a shortened hunting season of 45 days. Fines for trespassing need to be included in all hunting statutes.

Finally we want public notice of all private landowners using hunters on their property.Thousand of deer are killed annually in residential neighborhoods by undisclosed hunters sitting in trees. Without notice and in close proximity, we are endangering children and pets who play in the woods and backyards.