Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) courses are administered by the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection's Wildlife Division and are taught throughout the year by a dedicated corps of certified volunteer instructors.

It is recommended that you enroll early in the year and not wait until a month before the hunting seasons begin. Courses fill up quickly and you may have to wait or travel a longer distance to attend a course if none are available in your town. Where courses are taught varies from town to town and includes such locations as sportsmen's clubs, community centers, schools and offices of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. There are no fees for any of the courses and all materials are provided free of charge by the Conservation Education/Firearms Safety Program.

Description of the Basic Trapping Course

To meet the license requirements to trap, applicants must successfully pass a basic trapping course. The basic trapping course is approximately six hours long and consists of both classroom study and field work. Anyone wishing to land trap for coyotes must also take the Coyote Land Trapping Course. This is a separate course from the basic trapping course. Anyone wishing to enroll in the Coyote Land Trapping Course, must have completed the basic trapping course or an equivalent course from another state or province. The Coyote Land Trapping Course teaches specific practical techniques that must be used for land trapping coyotes. Persons who pass this course and purchase a trapping license are authorized during a specific season to land trap coyotes on private property of at least 10 contiguous acres in size.

The Connecticut CE/FS Program receives 75% of its funds from the Pittman-Robertson Program. The remaining 25% state match is derived by using the value of the services provided by the volunteer instructors. The Pittman-Robertson Program is funded by the excise tax paid by sportsmen on rifles, shotgun, ammunition, handguns and archery equipment.