CE/FS Trapping Courses
Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) courses are administered by the Department of Energy and 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 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 and 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.
Pre-registration Is Mandatory
Basic Trapping Course is 6 hours or longer. Coyote Land Trapping Course is 4 hours or longer. You must attend all scheduled class times.
Register for Available Trapping Courses
Description of the Basic Trapping Course
To meet the license requirements to trap, applicants must successfully pass a basic trapping course. This 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, which teaches specific practical techniques that must be used for land trapping coyotes.
The basic trapping course and Coyote Land Trapping Course may be taken in any order, with the result that when both courses have been completed successfully, the graduate is able to purchase a trapping license for all furbearing species, including coyotes for land trapping on private property of at least 10 contiguous acres in size.
The Connecticut CE/FS Program receives 75% of its funds from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. The remaining 25% state match is derived by using the value of the services provided by the volunteer instructors. The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program is funded by the excise tax paid by sportsmen on rifles, shotgun, ammunition, handguns, and archery equipment.
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Content last updated on October 4, 2019.