Anyone getting sick of the slaughter regs we have here in many DMZ's in the garden state? I've really had it with being forced to shoot a doe before every one of our seasons. Fall Bow/Permit Bow/Permit Shotgun/ Muzzleloader/Winter Bow. Basically if you want to hunt bucks throughout the season we need to kill 5 does.

Although some may argue it, these regs simply aren't good deer management. The most ridiculous thing about these regs are that they apply in both public and private land. Let's say you hunt in zone 7, like I do. How can the division justify having such liberal limits on state owned land such as the Clinton WMA which gets HEAVY hunting pressure every day of the week. Meanwhile the same regs apply to the 200 acre farm down the road hunted by only 2 guys.

It's crazy, the deer heard in many of the best WMA's is simply getting wiped out. What we need are different, more stringent regs for our WMA's simply because of the hunting pressure they get. I can see forcing the guy on the 200 private acres to shoot a doe, but to force every hunter hunting state land within these "slaughter" zones is a recipie to erradicate deer herds within such areas. I for one have stopped hunting WMA's for this reason completely. Fortunately, I have many other options, but not everyone does. So, does anyone other NJ hunter feel this way, or I am I the only person bothered by this gross mismanagement of our deer herds on public lands?

Get in line my freind...I don't like it anymore than you. I have seen my herd in zone 11 get so thinned out that it makes me sick! The days of 40 to 50 in a bunch are gone. I refuse to shoot all these does, however we must(to be legal)in order to get our bucks. One good change this year is the relaxing of earn a buck after Dec. 15th.

Its a terrible thing theese unlimited doe days.(It's for SLOB HUNTERS) people shoot 15 or 20 deer then have a hard time getting rid of them. There ignorant answer is &quot;THE STATE WANTS YOU TO KILL THEM ALL&quot; I hunt some in 51 and both public and private land are just tore apart thank god they made Allaire bow only. <img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>

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I hunt zones 10 and 11. The only reason I take 5 does is because I want to be legal when a nice buck comes my way. I may get one or two bucks per year but look at what i've just done, killed 5 other deer (doe's) that I don't want. And I have to pay to have them butcherd or donate to the hungry. Donating is not a bad thing but at $20.00 a pop and all the money for the licenses and permits for all the seasons for two zones...I don't get it except. All I get is ripped off...

While i live and hunt in NJ Zones 19 22 23 I don't have the earn a buck so I don't have that problem but I do feel for ya. Here we have an unlimited doe allocation for zone 19 and I know people can't wait till late season and they kill everyone they see. Good thing is that they don't know how to hunt and don't get too many. thank God.


Brian

Stealthy_Bowman
I agree you on the doe issue. But I coon hunt (only) on Clinton, blackriver and all the other wma's around here. Let me tell you it's nothing to see 50 deer a night on any WMA. It's about 50/50 bucks to does. If you want to hunt up here on schooley's mtn drop me an email, i'll put you on 625 acres.

I would like to invite you guys coon hunting one night.
We can hunt on any WMA from clinton to the gap. I'll show you plenty on deer laying out or feeding as we walk around (mostly in the deeper woods). NJBowman Whittingham & bear swamp is loaded with deer.

Stealthy bowman, take comfort in the fact that you are in the majority on this one. We don't have earn-a-buck, but we do have a gun season that extends several months, and NO LIMIT on antlerless deer. The big difference is that down here (DMZ 35) our deer density is approximately 20 deer per square mile. This area is heavily hunted and used to have 40 to 50 Deer per square mile. The herd has been devastated by these regs, yet F & W keep them in place. It's not only uncalled for, but it is not responsible management of wildlife. As long as we keep paying them the high dollars in license fees and permits, they will not care. I have two places to hunt, and one of them is split into two zones (27 & 28). The other is in a different zone all together, so I have to buy 3 permits, for each season. I cringe at doing the math for 9 permits at $28.00 each, plus $75 for a resident license.

But what do you expect, look at that piece of work we have for a Governor, and now the illegal and desperate antics of the Dems in the Senate race. The NJ Supreme Court has made a joke of themselves by showing they don't know how to apply the law. I'm ashamed to say in live in NJ. I think it's time to change the screen name.

I agree that hunting NJ is getting to be a real expensive joke! My out of state friends think that we are nuts when I tell them hunting starts in early Sept and ends in March! For the amount of $$ we pay in licenses and permits, we should have more quality. How can the state encourage the deer slaughter every year? Will it ever stop--probably not as long as the Insurance industry and farmers keep complaining about too many deer and more/more land gets developed or put out of limits to hunters. Also, I am one guy and my wife and daughter do not eat venison so how can I shoot all of these does?

I have written many emails to F&G but they politely respond that they are &quot;working&quot; on improving the deer herd. All I can say is join hunting organizations and keep pounding away. The most drastic measure would be for a 1 year boycott on hunting licenses--would that ever work?

Oh well---just more venting on the NJ deer regs. Do you think that the council reads these posts?

See ya and hang in there guys.

Bob

Looking at the world from 15 feet up.