ORIGINAL: greenbunch
I wonder what the total numbers will bring. I believe a lot of hunters feel they can get their buck during the 2 1/2 months of gunning rather than the 1 week buck season.
You know the shocking part of that article is that Fish and Game thinks they need more money. Let's not forget that less that 15 years ago special permit deer seasons such as extended bow and doe day where a very small part of the divisions revenue. Fast forward to today and they are collecting almost 30 bucks a permit. Plus many hunters buy several permits and its easy to see they should have all the money they need. If and this is a big IF it was managed correctly. If you add up the average NJ deer hunters license and permits I bet most spend $150 and many over $200. Compared to 1987 when most hunters spent less that $30. Give me a break NJ F&G !!!!!!
greenbunch, the Division is broke, but not because of lack of income. There are serious money mis-management issues at the Division. It's very complicated, but the short version goes something like this. Bradley Campbell, who has been pretty much outted as an anti-hunter, is in charge of the Department of Environmental Protection. The Division of Fish and Wildlife is under that Department, therefore, Bradley Campbell is responsible for how the money within the Division is allocated. Millions of dollars of sportsmens monies have been diverted to fund other projects, some have been brought to the public's eye, other have not. Some people believe that Campbell is intentionally running the Division into the ground to further reduce hunting opportunities in NJ. He is coming at us from every other angle, so I see no reason to doubt those who believe this. Now, since there is a budget problem, he is considering selling off WMA's to make up for budget shortfalls, therefore further restricting hunting by giving hunters less places to hunt. All the while still trying to tell us he is not an anti-hunter. But that only works for those who have their eyes closed, which unfortunately may be most of the hunters and fishermen (that's right, the whole debacle with the striped bass bonus tag is his making as well) in this state.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife is not in charge of the monies we pay, an anti-hunter is.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife needs our support because I fully believe they are just as disgusted with Campbell as are the sportsmen who see what is going on.
Look at it like this: you work for a large company that manufactures many things, your specific Division makes widgets. Your new boss doesn't like widgets, in fact he hates them and thinks they are evil. The widgets can only be used in certain places at certain times, however, he is not in charge of establishing when and where widgets can be used. So his plan to eliminate widgets consists of short-changing your Division on issues such as money and personnel, challenging the authority of those who are legally responsible for deciding when and where widgets can be used, all the way to the Supreme Court (so that he can be the one to decide when and where), and if all that fails, closing off lands he controls (and now maybe selling some of those lands) in an effort to eliminate widget use. No matter how many widgets you sell, he determines how the money is used, and it aint comin' back to your Division. Even monies from widget sales specifically designated to be used for widget production are being illegally diverted.
Eventually, either your Division will go belly up, therefore, no more widgets, or the Courts will give him what he wants, or he will continue to elimintate the places widgets can be used. His three-pronged attack will succeed, unless you get a new boss.
Bradley Campbell is that boss and those widgets are hunting and proper wildlife management in this case. The Division is doing the best they can under such conditions, they need our help and support to throw out the anti-hunter who currently dictates the course of the Division.
You want to help, write a letter to the Governor, and your State Senators and Representatives and tell them to get rid of Campbell. Then call those same people and make sure they get the message.