10/10/2026
Visitors to all state forests, parks, and wildlife management areas are required by state law to keep their dogs on a leash, in part, for the protection of wildlife.
This wild turkey nest with an impressive 18 eggs was recently spotted in a field edge by DEEP Wildlife Division Seasonal Resource Assistant Ron Ruel. What might happen if a curious off leash dog came across this nest or the hen?
Many other bird species also nest on the ground, including woodcock, grouse, whip-poor-wills, ovenbirds, towhees, killdeer, hermit thrushes, bobolinks, and meadowlarks. Some of these birds are state-listed species. Ground nests are very vulnerable to disturbance, so please follow the rules and stay on trails when enjoying public lands! We thank you for your cooperation.
More information on how to recreate responsibly is at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Natural-Resources/Responsible-Recreation