Hamden Fish & Game Protective Association

Hamden Fish & Game Protective Association started in 1940 with eight shooters steeped in Connecticut's firearms manufacturing culture: Jim Kennedy, Frank Tirone, Don Maturo, Byron Catlin, Earl Brunsmade, Jim Clement, Anthony Masselli, and Al Arrigoni. They bought the property from CT Light and Power in 1945 and never looked back.

The club sits on over 80 acres of woodlands near Sleeping Giant Mountain in the Mount Carmel section of Hamden. The grounds include:

• •4 Skeet and Trap fields - one includes a 5-stand sporting clays setup
• •100-yard rifle and pistol range - multipoint layout
• •Pistol pit range
• •5-stand sporting clays course
• •Archery range
• •Ryan's Pond - regularly stocked with pan-size trout
• •Clubhouse, picnic grove, and pavilion

All ranges except the 5-stand course operate 7 days a week, normally year-round: - 10 AM to sunset Monday-Saturday - 10 AM to 2:30 PM Sunday (no exceptions) - 5-stand opens 9 AM on event days

5-Stand Sporting Clays - Runs May 3 through November 8 (weather permitting). Sign-ups start at 9:30 AM, shooting at 10:00 AM. Cost: $4 members, $5 non-members per 25-target round. Typical session runs until noon.

IDPA Handgun Matches - Thursdays, 5:15 PM to dusk (March 14 - October 17)

Seasonal Events: - Ham Shoot - Turkey Shoot - Club Championship - Annual Outing - Family Picnic and Rodeo - Easter Egg Hunt

Membership is open to anyone interested in shooting, fishing, and the outdoors. The club actively encourages families to join and use the facilities together. Youth groups have access to the ranges. The club is managed by elected officers and directors, with appointed chairs overseeing various shooting events and activities.

By 1950, the club had built a skeet field, rifle range, and pheasant pens. Throughout the 1960s-70s, the clubhouse was built and ranges improved. Dom Piscitelli became the first Connecticut shooter to break 100 straight with a .410 and later was inducted into the CT Skeet Shooters Hall of Fame.

The 1990s brought explosive growth in shooting quality. Hall of Fame inductees include Mary Alice and Bob DeFrancesco and Jerry Mastranno. Bob DeFrancesco set a registered 12-gauge record with 2,402 consecutive targets. The club expanded facilities dramatically during the 1980s and has continued improvements ever since.

• •Range Closures: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Club Championship dates, Ham Shoot, Turkey Shoot, Annual Outing, and other announced events.

📞 203-248-9735 📧 [email protected] 🌐 www.hamdenfishandgame.com

Mailing Address: Hamden Fish and Game Protective Association P.O. Box 185619 Hamden, CT 06518