Sterling Forest- Stewart Forest
 

Hey all. I was wondering if anyone here had a few area's they would be willing to share with me in sterling or stewart forest or any forest in that area. I live in NYC and it is real tough to make it up there to scout around and pricey too with gas prices going up and up.

I was looking to do some spring turkey and maybe even line up a spot for coyote and predator in the fall.

Any open fields or open area's flat spots , anything you would like to share.
I wouldnt expect anyone to give up they're own hunting spots but if they knew of any other spots it would be great.

I hunt rifle shotgun and bow and have my Sterling Forest hunting pass and a DEP land pass as well. i got them all covered now just need to fig out where to go.. lol

GPS co-ordinance's are even better.

I live right next to sterling. Ridge along 17a from renissance festival fair ground & ski lifts to greenwood lake has alot of birds, not too much hunter activity there this year either. just make sure you stay on the westbound side, other side is doris duke sancuarty (no hunting) ,refer to your map. ironwood rd, off long meadow rd is good too. there is alot of yotes in the area right before you get into greenwood lake. I see them cross the road to the archery only area alot & I hear them howl over there by the powerline.

thanx for the info.
i was thinking of going to the end of ironwood rd.
there seems to be the powerline gate at the end and a parking lot , i think.

i will park and post up over there on the edge of the tree line .
hopefully i will spot something under the power lines..
i want to hunt coyote over there too once the season starts.

not really a gate just a circle w/ trailhead. If I remember correctly, cross the creek and stay to the right to get on the powerline, stay to the left to keep on the trail, jumped a couple big birds on that trail a few years ago. Good luck.

DeerandbearhoG

Do you know if Sterling Forest will be effected by the state closing some state parks because of the budget?
Also, do you know if they are changing the antler restriction rules any in the park?

hey warren
im not sure about the budget cuts and closing of the park. The park currently does have antler restrictions in place now butto find out more info you can go here.

Sterling Forest State Park
116 Old Forge Road
Tuxedo, NY 10987
845-351-5907

Good question , I really dont know , but I doubt it. They actually added a bunch of new acreage to hunt last year. Dont know what they plan to do w/ ARs this year, but last year you could still take any buck north of 17a.

About 15 or 20 years ago I was hunting that tract from the NJ side. The Sterling Forest signs were still up but that section has been been aquired by the public Green Acres Program and it connects with the NJDF&W Wanaque WMA, Nj State Forest properties, and the NY border. All together it's a pretty big piece of land to hunt with not too much hunting pressure from my experience , but I had to deal with a few JW's that did not look to friendly. I think the JW's poach all year and keep the herd numbers a little lower than the rest of North NJ. It seems like nobody wants to deal with the JW's and they kind of have the whole place for themselves to do whatever they want. I wouldnt go in there without at least one or 2 hunting buddies in close contact and a good back up piece. I know people hike through there without trouble, but when hunting I felt unwelcome. Hope that helps a little.

Who or what are the JW's???

Im gonna take a stab at it and say he means " Jackson whites" its a derogatry term for people of mixed lenne lenope indian, dutch, and black, ancestry that settled that land in the 1600s. I grew up with many of them, and the ones I knew, hunt an area called "stag hill" which i believe is tribal land that belong to them. but Im no expert on the subject. Its not too easy to get away with poaching in sterling these day though, they made the hunting program pretty strict now. Rockland county is really bad though, many good buck dont make it to bow season!