The Devil’s Den Preserve will be closed on 11 days in November and December as The Nature Conservancy holds it annual controlled deer hunt.

The Conservancy announced that the closure takes place during the state-designated firearms hunting season for private lands. Devil’s Den will be closed to visitors on these dates:

Wednesday and Thursday, November 15–16.
Monday–Wednesday, November 20–22.
Monday–Thursday, November 27–30.
Monday and Tuesday, December 4–5.

Signs will be posted at all public entrances to the preserve.

The announcement said, “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.”

The Conservancy said controlled hunts have been held each fall since 2001, meant 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.”

“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.”