Devil’s Den In Weston To Close Weekdays During Limited Deer Hunt

WESTON, CT — The Nature Conservancy has announced that it will hold its annual controlled deer hunt at Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston during the state-designated firearms hunting season for private lands.

The hunt will take place on the following weekdays only: Nov. 16-17, Nov. 21-23, Nov. 28-Dec. 1, and Dec. 5-6. Devil’s Den will be closed to visitors on these days, and signs will be posted at all public entrances to the preserve.

"TNC is working with experienced hunters with knowledge of the preserve and local area who will work only in select areas of the preserve’s interior away from any neighboring properties," TNC officials said in a news release. "Signs will be posted at all public entrances to the preserve."

The purpose of the controlled hunt, which has been held each fall since 2001, is to improve and maintain forest health by reducing the deer population. In recent decades, the high density of deer in southwestern Connecticut and associated overbrowsing have caused ecological damage in the region’s forests, harming the understory, limiting tree regeneration and contributing to the gradual loss of native flowering plant diversity, according to TNC.

The annual hunt, in combination with additional restoration efforts conducted by The Nature Conservancy and other conservation organizations contribute to improving and maintaining the resilience of forests in this region.