To me, the worst thing about this department is the way the hunting seasons are structured. Let me first state that I moved here from Michigan and things seemed much easier their. But this is NJ and almost nothing is easy here.

It seems to me that the way the hunting seasons are set up is way too complicated, and primarily set up to raise money for the state with the derivative side effect of creating a financial dis-incentive for people to hunt. While the seasons are liberal and allow for a lot of deer to be taken, it is expensive. Whenever you have to keep the copy of the NJ Wildlife Guide as a daily reference tool to know when you can hunt, in my opinion the rules are a mess.

What is the difference between Fall Bow that ends one day and Bow Permit which starts the next. More money for the state. Why would Shotgun Permit stop for 3 days following the 6 day Firearm Season, but Muzzleloading is allowed on those three days. If you already have a Shotgun Permit, then why do you have to also purchase a Firearm License for the 6 Day Firearm Season? Why does all hunting stop for 3 days right in the middle of everything? Maybe all of this confusion creates a good opportunity for the law enforcement to right tickets, kind of like a speed trap where a 100 yd stretch of road suddenly changes from 55 mph to 25mph so speeding tickets can be written.

Bottom line, while the season is liberal for taking deer, this department would do better to simplify the hunting seasons/permits/fee structures and they would increase revenue by getting more hunters in the field. Although maybe fewer hunters the better, but that is not my gut feeling.

So...does the NJ Fish Game and Wildlife department suck? Did they write the laws and regulations, including "no Sunday hunting" that suck? I could see a few people saying they do suck.

Happy Hunting to all!!

Edited by - Gold Hunter on 12/15/2002 22:03:23