Because of the property's layout, hunters should expect to do some walking if they want to find pheasants. Parking is ample, but the stocked fields lie deep within the property. For access, take Exit 91 off I-95 in Stonington. Follow the signs to Route 1. Turn west onto Route 1 for about one-quarter mile.

Turn south on Green Haven Road. Take the first right onto Palmer Neck Road. Follow the signs to the state boat-launching area and WMA parking lots. Or continue on Green Haven Road and take the next right onto Stewart Road for another entrance and parking lot.

Cromwell Meadows WMA
Along the Connecticut River flood plain in Cromwell and Middletown, this 496-acre tract receives a good helping of stocked pheasants. The property is mainly marshland, especially after a heavy rain. But some creative ditching has produced plenty of open, semi-dry areas for pheasants. Even so, waterproof boots are a must when hunting this area.

Access is off Exit 18 from Route 9 north of Middletown. From the exit, take Route 99 north for about half a mile to South Street. Turn left on South Street. About one mile down South Street, the parking area is well marked.

Thomaston Dam Recreation Area
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a flood-control project across the Naugatuck River in Thomaston. Hunters will find two distinct hunting areas at the dam. On the east side of the Naugatuck River is a large flood plain of grass and scrub brush. The pheasant fields lie close to the parking areas.

The west side of the river offers better hunting opportunities, since the DEP stocks this side of the river heavily. Hunters may drive across the dam to the parking area, and then walk about one-half mile down a paved road to the stocked fields.

This part of the property has a mixture of flood plains, managed food plots, shrubby wetlands and forest.

From the north, take Exit 40 off Route 8. Hunters coming from the south should take Exit 39 off Route 8. Follow the signs to Route 222 and Thomaston Dam. To access the west side of the Naugatuck River, cross the dam. Hunters planning to hunt the east side of the river should continue on Route 222 past the dam to the Lead Mine Brook entrance.

Babcock Pond WMA
This 1,208-acre hunting area in Colchester and East Haddam offers excellent pheasant hunting habitat. Part of the property's appeal is the DEP's vigilant maintenance program. Each spring, department personnel mow the fields to prevent trees and shrubs from reclaiming the land. In fall, strips are cut into the grass to provide edge habitat for the birds and walking paths for hunters.

This WMA is a permit-required area. B&G Sports in Colchester issues the free permits on a first-come, first-served basis.

To get there, take Exit 18 off Route 2 in Colchester to Route 16. Travel west on Route 16 for about six miles. The main access is off Route 16 at the state boat ramp.

License fees for Connecticut residents are $14 for the season. Non-resident licenses cost $67. Hunters must possess a special $14 pheasant-hunting permit. The pheasant season opens on Oct. 21 and runs through Jan. 15. The daily limit is two birds, with a season limit of 10. Sunday hunting is prohibited.

For more hunting and licensing information, contact the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Wildlife Division at (860) 424-3011, or go to www.dep.state.ct.us.

For tourism information, call the Connecticut Tourism Division at 1-800-282-6863.