Torrington Fish & Game

Torrington Fish & Game Assoc. Est. 1925

Celebrating 80 years of Connecticut Sportsmen.

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NEWSLETTER

THE TORRINGTON FISH & GAME ASSOCIATION, INC.

NEWS AND NOTES

Post Office Box 43 October 2009

Torrington, CT 06790 Issue # 65

www.torringtonfishandgame.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hi everyone!

So far, we have had a great year at the Fish & Game. We have completed several projects, most notably the road from the skeet field to the hay lot, and the acquisition of the new tractor and bush hog, which has been put to good use already. Some projects are still in progress, and new ones are in the works, all of which have and will help to make our club a better place.

The archery 3-D shoots were very well attended, and fishing has been great, especially with this year’s increased stocking. The Sunday morning turkey shoots will start on October 4th, and our grounds rentals were up this year, also. I’d like to offer a special thanks to all of the members who have put in hundreds of work hours this year. All of your hard work has really paid off. For those of you who haven’t gotten in your hours yet, there is still plenty of time to do so. The pheasant stocking committee always needs help, as does the turkey shoot committee. Our new picnic tables under the pavilion need to be stained, and trails still need to be cleared for stocking. We will be selling raffle tickets in front of the Stop & Shop in Torrington on October 18th, and November 1st from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Check with any officer or committee chairman to find out where you can help. Remember, any member who puts in five or more hours beyond his annual work hour obligation will get a free book of raffle tickets made out in his name for the drawing. So hard work can really pay off.

In spite of last Sunday’s rainy weather, the Junior Hunting Day was a huge success, with the added benefit of a large number of leftover birds for club members who want to get an early start on the hunting season. On another note, we are looking at bringing back the family outing for next summer, which will be discussed at the October officers’ meeting. Any member who would like to serve on the outing committee or who has any input concerning the outing should contact me or come to the meeting. Also, any budget requests for next year need to be submitted no later than the November officers’ meeting.

Well, the crisp, clear, colorful time of year is finally upon us. We all know what that means – pheasants flying, deer rutting, our bird dogs are excited and we are itching for opening day. So let’s finish off this year with a bang, literally. The archery deer season is already open, so please be mindful of archers in the woods. We are planning on having coffee and egg sandwiches available on the opening morning of bird season, so watch your e-mail for more details. Let’s finish off the year on a high note. And remember, be safe! If you aren’t absolutely sure, don’t take the shot! It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tom

IN THIS ISSUE OF NEWS AND NOTES

Trout Pond Reminder

The fall stocking of the trout pond occurred a couple of weeks ago. The pond will remain open for fishing until it freezes up for the winter. Members are reminded that once the small game season opens, a few restrictions apply to fishing at the pond. On pheasant stocking days (Wednesdays and Saturdays) the pond is closed to fishing until 1 p.m. During the hunting season, blaze orange must be worn while fishing at the pond. And finally, children are only allowed to accompany a member on Sunday mornings, and may only fish until noon.

Turkey Shoots

The turkey shoot committee will hold its first shoot of the season on Sunday morning, October 4th, from 9 a.m. until noon. The last scheduled shoot will be on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. If you’ve never attended a turkey shoot, it’s a lot of fun. Give it a try and support your club.

Skeet Shooting

Skeet shooting will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until the hunting season starts. Then, beginning on Sunday, October 18th, skeet shooting will be open on Sunday mornings only, starting at 8:30 and ending at noon.

Pheasant Stocking

The pheasant liberation schedule and stocking area map will be sent by regular mail to all members within the next week. The stocking committee still needs help for both Saturday and Wednesday stocking events as well as bird pick ups at the Sharon Pheasant Farm. To sign up, contact chairman Tom Accuosti at (860) 274-9475.

Work Hours

Committee chairmen are reminded to submit their work hour sheets to the secretary by the November meeting to help facilitate the distribution of extra books of tickets to those members who put in extra volunteer time during the past year.

THE TORRINGTON FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION, INC.

HUNTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. CT DEP regulations for hunting shall apply except as superceded by Club policy.

2. Members, their children and grandchildren aged 12-15 may hunt on Torrington Fish and Game properties. Non-member guests are allowed to hunt with a guest hunting permit when accompanied by a member.

3. Children and grandchildren of members, aged 12-15, who hold a CT Junior Hunting License, may hunt with any adult member. The combined bag limit of the junior hunter(s) and the member may not exceed the limit of the member, only.

4. Hunters must have a valid CT Hunting License as well as all appropriate tags, stamps and permits as required by the CT DEP.

5. During pheasant hunting season at the Torrington Fish and Game under Preserve Status, ALL CLUB MEMBERS MUST SIGN IN BEFORE BIRD HUNTING & SIGN OUT AFTER BIRD HUNTING. The sign-in books will be in the clubhouse. The combination for the clubhouse door is C then 1982. The books are in alphabetical order. Find your name in the appropriate book and sign in before hunting. After hunting, return to the clubhouse and sign out. You MUST use the pheasant tags provided and record the numbers next to your name. You must tag your birds before leaving and only take the appropriate number of tags. This rule applies to bird hunting on all properties (Klug’s, Zordan’s, etc.) EVERYONE MUST SIGN IN AND OUT NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE HUNTING. SUNDAY HUNTING IS ALLOWED ON FISH & GAME OWNED PROPERTY ONLY. Sunday hunting is allowed for pheasants only. Sunday hunting begins at noon and ends at ½ hour after sunset.

6. A Club identification tag must be worn on the hunter’s back whenever hunting on any Club or participating landowner’s property. Tags are issued by the secretary to all members who are in good standing.

7. NO HUNTING IS ALLOWED ON STOCKING DAYS BEFORE 8:00 AM, with the exception of raccoon, deer, turkey, waterfowl and coyote hunting, for which CT regulations apply. Hunting begins at 7:00 AM on all other days except Sunday, when hunting begins at 12 noon. On Saturdays, the Club is closed to all small game hunting from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM to allow re-stocking for the afternoon.

8. Vehicles must be parked in accordance with Torrington Fish and Game Parking Regulations.

9. Small game hunters must remain in parking areas or at the roadside until starting time. Do not enter hunting areas or walk to interior hunting areas prior to starting time.

10. Dogs must be kept in vehicles or held on a leash until starting time.

11. Shotguns may be used to hunt any game species. Firearms with ammunition not exceeding .22 long rifle are permitted for night raccoon hunting. Muzzleloading rifles may be used to hunt deer during the muzzleloader season. Squirrel hunting with .22s is allowed during September, only. No other firearms are allowed.

12. Small game hunting is allowed on Club property and on lands permitted to the Club by area landowners. Game other than small game, including raccoon, deer, turkey, and coyote may be hunted on Club-owned property, only. NO HUNTING IS ALLOWED ON FRANK HURREY’S PROPERTY.

13. The Klug farmland on both sides of Klug Hill Road, and the Zordan farmland, including Hurry’s Dip, closes to all hunting by club members at the end of legal hunting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

14. Small game hunting is closed from Monday after Thanksgiving through the following Saturday (six days). Only deer hunting is allowed on Club owned property during this week.

TORRINGTON FISH & GAME ASSOCIATION, INC.

GUEST HUNTING PERMIT REGULATIONS

1. Any guest hunting on Club lands must only hunt while in the company of the sponsoring member.

2. Any guest who hunts on Club lands must have a valid CT hunting license and appropriate tags, stamps and/or permits, as necessary.

3. The sponsoring member must register his guest in the hunting logbooks under his name.

4. A guest may take up to two pheasants per day, which must be tagged with Club-supplied tags and registered in the hunting logbooks in accordance with item #3, above.

5. Any violation committed by a member’s guest will be treated as if it was committed by the member himself.

6. Guest hunting privileges are not allowed for deer or turkey hunting.

7. A guest is allowed to hunt only twice on Club lands from the first pheasant stocking date until Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, this limitation does not apply.

8. Guest hunting permits must be purchased in advance from the Club secretary or his designated agent, and will be issued on a first come, first served basis upon receipt of payment of the permit fee, which for the 2009 season is $25.00 per day.

9. Monies collected for guest hunting permits will be used to purchase replacement pheasants for stocking during the current season.

10. On pheasant stocking dates, permit issuance shall not exceed 5 per morning sessions and 5 per afternoon sessions on Saturdays, 5 per day on Wednesdays, and 5 on Thanksgiving. On non-stocking days, no issuance limits apply.

11. A guest’s name, address, and valid CT hunting license number are required to be submitted as a condition of issuance of the guest hunting permit.

12. During the 2009 hunting season, the designated agent for the issuance of guest hunting permits is: Tom Costa

Work (203) 755-4841 Cell (203) 768-0183

e-mail Lrgncharge@aol.com

mail 6 Central Avenue Wolcott, CT 06716

THE TORRINGTON FISH & GAME ASSOCIATION INC.

PARKING REGULATIONS

1. Vehicles must display a current year’s colored Club membership sticker on the rear bumper or on/in the rear window.

2. Club members must park their vehicles in the designated areas as described herein. Please do not block any barway, driveway or roadway. Club members may not drive onto property provided by landowners for Club use.

3. During any hunting season, when parking on the grounds of the Club proper (West side of Weed Road), members must park between Weed Road and the upper gate. Three parking areas are provided. The first area is located on the left (South) side of the driveway immediately past the first (main) gate. The second area is located on the right (North) side of the driveway just before the second (upper) gate. The third area is located just past the rental house, near the Club’s northern border. The upper gate must remain closed during the hunting season, except as provided below. When parking, please do not block either gate or the driveway.

4. During the pheasant season, vehicles will be allowed to drive to and park at the clubhouse for the purpose of signing in and signing out, only.

5. When accessing Club land on the East side of Weed Road, the Trout Pond Parking Lot may be used for any permissible activity, including hunting.

6. When using Club property not otherwise described in these regulations, or when using property provided by landowners for our use, please park on the roadside. Do not drive onto any property or enter any driveways or barways. Please have respect for the landowners/farmers who must use these passageways in their daily routines. Blocking their driveways and barways will not make them happy.

7. Please note: THE TORRINGTON FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION INC. WILL NOT ACCEPT LEGAL OR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY SHOT-DAMAGED VEHICLES. CLUB MEMBERS ARE REMINDED THAT THE POND PARKING LOT AND THE TWO PARKING AREAS (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE) ALONG THE CLUB MAIN DRIVEWAY ARE HUNTING AND LIBERATION AREAS. CLUB MEMBERS WHO PARK THEIR VEHICLES IN THESE LOCATIONS DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK.

Revised 10/2003

THE TORRINGTON FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION INC.

DOG TRAINING AREA REGULATIONS

Only members of the Torrington Fish & Game Association are allowed to use the dog training area.

Any Club member who uses the area must have a valid Connecticut hunting license, even if they do not shoot the birds that are used for training.

Any birds liberated may be shot. The number of birds shot may not exceed the number of birds released. All birds released must be fully winged and in condition to maintain themselves in the wild. All birds shot must be tagged. Tags can be obtained from the Club secretary.

No shooting is permitted in the dog training area whenever the Club grounds are rented.

When the dog training area is open (shoot to kill) it may be used seven days a week. The hours for training (and shooting) are from 10 AM to sunset.

The dog training area consists of the lower open field (south of the skeet field), including some of the surrounding wooded areas, and down the hill into and including the clear cut. The area is clearly posted; all signs face inward. The rule of thumb is, if you can read the signs, then you are inside the dog training area.

Parking for the dog training area is on the roadway leading to the training area. No parking is allowed in any of the hay fields. Driving is allowed on the edges of the hay fields only.

Revised 2/1/2000

Please pick up after yourself when finished.

Safety is your first concern.

Please close all gates if you are the last person out. This applies at all times of the day.

TORRINGTON FISH & GAME ASSOCIATION

SIGHTING – IN FACILITY RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Upon arrival at the Club, stop at the second gate and place the placard to Facility “In Use” side. When leaving after shooting, return the placard to “Not In Use” side.

2. All members MUST SIGN IN before starting to shoot. A sign in sheet is located at the shooting bench. The sighting – in facility is for the use of Club members and families only!

3. All shooting must be from the bench only. No shooting is allowed from down range. All shooters must shoot through the culvert pipe to ensure hitting the backstop. Any member found violating this rule is subject to immediate dismissal from the Club.

4. The facility is CLOSED to shooting when the grounds are rented, or when 3-D Archery or Turkey / Ham shoots are scheduled.

a. Check the web site for dates when activities are scheduled.

b. During the Fall Archery Season (September through December) and Upland Bird Season (October through January), the facility is ONLY open Sundays, 9 a.m. till noon.

c. During Deer ShotgunWeek (the week after Thanksgiving) the range will be CLOSED

(including the Sunday immediately following Thanksgiving).

d. During Winter Small Game Season (January 1 – February 28/29), the facility is only OPEN on Sundays, 9 a.m. until noon.

e. During Spring Turkey Season, the facility will be open at 1:00 p.m. daily and will close at sunset*.

f. The facility is OPEN for use from 9:00 a.m. until sunset* daily, unless stated otherwise above. *(A table of sunset times will be posted at the bench.)

5. NO HANDGUNS OR 50 CALIBER CENTER FIRE RIFLES ALLOWED.

6. No shooting of metal or glass targets.

7. No continuous rapid fire (maintain a minimum of 3 seconds between shots).

8. Clean up after yourself. This includes targets, backers and casings/hulls.

9. Limit shooting to 30 minutes if someone else arrives to shoot.

10. Firearms must be “made safe” (unloaded, action open) when down range.

11. Follow all standard safety precautions when shooting, including eye and ear protection.

TF&G MEETING SCHEDULE / 2009 - 2010

Monday, October 5, 2009