I was driving home on Saturday afternoon from PA. I drove along Rt. 46 through Buttzville, and then down along Rt. 31 down through Clinton to Rt. 78...........guess what? I only saw 3 cars parked along the road, which I'm assuming were hunters.

Oh..by the way, I also saw about 50 deer on that same ride home. Where the heck were you guys? If I'm not mistaken, wasn't that your last day of the season (shotgun), and nobody was out?

Geez

NJ is dominated by these clubs who hunt by lining up and driving the woods. Lots of the more dedicated hunters I know stay home shotgun, and save the vacation days for bow or blackpowder, the drivers pretty much ruin the public land hunting.
Also, those clubs traditionally quit driving at noon on the last Saturrday, for various reasons. They hang out with each other at the club, butcher deer, eat, etc.
Also, those areas you mention are mostly private property, with very little access. No hunting along most of those roads. That's our problem in NJ, the areas open to htuning get hammered with a 2 month gun season, but the areas you mention have a density of 40+ per square mile, with no hunting allowed in most of it. This causes the F&G guys to even more liberalize the seasons, so the areas open to huntign get hammered even more. Wierd state we're in.
Myself, I haven't even hunted my home state yet this year, been heading to head to my club in MD every weekend, a lot safer, and a lot less aggravating. NJ shotgun is a hectic time with buckshot flying everywhere. I'll go buy a NJ license now for the peace and quiet of the blackpowder and winter bow seasons.

"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"

I'm sure they were out there. Most access is off those highways. It was the last day for buck season. Now all the other seasons kick in. Some last till the end of Feb.!

Im with 6pt. I grew up in NJ and still hunt there with my dad, but I wouldnt step foot in the SJ woods during Shotgun buck with all the pressure being applied by the clubs on Public land. I hunt Fall and Winter Bow every now and then, but stick mostly to DE. Although this year, DNREC has decided to make the last 2 weeks in January gun seasons so if I hunt public land, I have to get in Line for a Stand. No way I'm doing that this late in the season.

My father went out a couple times and saw a Spike and a Doe on the 2nd day in zone 29. Zone 29 is QDM so no shot, not that he'd shoot a Spike anyhow.

When it's all said and done, I believe the deer taken this year will be down drastically from last year even though the weather was so much better than the past couple years. Hopefully NJ Fish & Game will realize this and do something about it. We'll have to wait and see.

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

I'm guessing that the weather kept guys home as well as the general frustration levels of the various rules/regs. Did I mention that I saw a slammer 10 pt in my backyard last Sat--the only problem is that I live in Bergen Cty and it was 10pm at night!

My guess is that the overall deer take is down 10%.

Hunting the wilds of Jersey

It seems like there are less hunters in the woods because there are less, quite a few less. The number of resident hunting liscenses sold this year plumetted in NJ. Ten years ago the state sold nearly 120,000 firearm liscenses. This year, it is estimated that less than 75,000 firearm liscenses will be sold. Huge drop in hunter numbers I'd say.

unfortunately, i've been working most of the time driving a truck for a moving company, and i too have been seeing lots of deer. BUT,,, i will be back ! lol.

I was out at Greenwood Forest WMA for the last day of the 6 day modern firearm season (Saturday). I had planned on avoiding this event because of all the stories they tell us newbies about overcrowding and crazy shooting etc. However, the weather was wet and I wanted to see if this would hold down the crowds. It did, I saw only two other hunters & only heard three shots that day.
I did see quite a few tree stands left chained up in the woods so I guess if the weather was better they would have been occupied. I let them be.
Although I did not get anywhere close enough to a deer to see anything more than a distant flicker of white tail hair, I saw plenty of fresh deer droppings and fresh looking tracks. To my inexperienced eye some did look like large buck tracks. Some VERY large! They are out there for sure, but much too educated for this new guy. Overall though, a good time hiking about the woods and learning the basics of the hunt.
-BB-

bob that is what it is all about and soon enough you will get your reward .it is more than just the kill .if you really want to have some fun hunt with the bow .it is quite in the woods ,it is alot warmer and the RUT.you will learn more about deer in a season with the bow than a lifetime with the gun .