NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

I just talked to a friend who has some numbers from the state. Statewide there was a kill of just under 9900 the lowest in over 20 years. But I'll bet the revenues are up. To all you NJ deer killers your ruining your own sport by shooting all those deer, not the guys who shoot 3, 4 or 5 but the guys who shoot 15 or even 20 deer on UNLIMITED doe permits. That is nuts, here in ZONE 51 it is terrable what has been done to the deer. 10 years ago I could ride around in Jan. with a light and see 150 to 200 deer in a couple hours your lucky to see 20 or 30 now. I just needed to vent.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

I agree--this unlimited hunting and the either-sex season in Jan has just about ruined hunting in NJ. We have guys shooting does/buttons/bucks non-stop.

The future looks bleak unless the state changes the regs.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

So what amount of deer can the habitat support and what is it now? You wouldn't want them starving so you could see more deer, would you?

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Deer in NJ dont starve to death at least in my 27 years of hunting in Monmouth and Ocean Counties I have never seen it. For the state it is all about money!!!! A resident hunter who hunts all deer seasons spends close to $200 per year on permits and liciences. With theese liberal seasons permit sales are way up. KUDOS to the DEP.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

I have been afraid that we were headed for a train wreck about 5 yrs ago when the Jan eitehr-sex days started to take hold. As I watched hunters shoot loads of buttons and bucks that dropped their racks, I started to wonder when the SH!T would hit the fan. Well, I think that we are almost there and it is going to be ugly for the next few years.

We have watched the quality and number of bucks decrease in ZOone 2 and even the body weights are going down. Not to be a snob, but I emailed the Fish/Game and asked them to consider statewide QDM and limiting the buck kill by getting rid of the JAN season and limiting hunters on their overall buck take.

Look at ILL where hunters can only shoot 2 bucks for all seasons and the firearms season is broken in half and only lasts 7 days with a 3 day ML follow-up. Bowhunters can essentially hunt from OCt 1 to Jan 31st.

Is anyone complaining in ILL about quality?

LEt's try to bombard Fish/Game and suggest some improvements for 2002 b/c between habitat loss and societal pressure, hunting is getting harder/harder in NJ.

Looking at the world from 15 feet up.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

The problem with Fish and Game is the "Gun hunters" have the majority of the vote the gun clubs and the federation are verry strong and lobby mostly toward Gun hunting not realizing that we are all hunters and what we do as bow hunters and gun hunters needs to be on the same page. QDM is good but you watch, it won't count for 6 day gun season. Example: Earn a buck and 1 buck per season dot apply to 6 day firearm season. I hunt all deer seasons and It needs to be the same for all or it wont work. As for earn a buck half of the deer checked in are Buttons so what good is that. Just tell us we can shoot 2 bucks per year period and 1 should fit the QDM standards with the proper amount of does also that way the gun clubs and everyone can enjoy it now and for years to come.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

I have no idea about the NJ situation. What is the STATED goal of the state in terms of the deer herd? DLuke

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Our sightings have also been on the decline in zone 11..I hunted 4 days blackpowder and never saw a tail.. I finally seen a small one Saturday but did not shoot. I think we have met the objective of reducing the herd. Its time too stop this 90 day, kill all you can deer season.. Lets go back to 1 day or even the 3 day doe season.. Why would someone shoot 15-20 deer,Big? Don't they know what the h*ll they're doing? We do need changes in the seasons for 2002..We need the division to hear our voices at the their meetings..The president of our club is writing a letter expressing how we feel. I have asked 4 times now for harvest numbers in our quadrent. I have yet to receive them. Greed is destroying our herd.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Hey guys, how about you provide your input on the deer hunting at the Federation meetings? The Monmouth Federation meets every third Thursday 8pm at the Freehold
Fur Feather club house. Give your input, we run an informal meeting any any input is welcome. We have input from various clubs, ones that have been around a long time, and clubs that are newer. We also have some individual members that are not part of any hunting club. We need more independant voices. I can tell you honestly that there has been NO discussion of QDM at our meetings. Everyone is happy just to get a chance at getting some deer.

We have representatives from the following clubs, so if your club is not represented,
PLEASE PLEASE attend, even for a little while!

Freehold Fur Fin and Feather
Turkey Swamp Rod and Gun
South Orange Rod & Gun
Sunrise Rod & Gun
Trout Unlimited
All Around Sportsmen
Shore Wildlife
Monmouth County Rifle & Pistol
NJ Trappers Association,
Haystack Rod & Gun
Seneca Rod & Gun

We DON'T have members from
Cross Pile
Asbury Park Fishing Club
Any fishing club other than Trout Unlimited.

I'm the Secretary of the Monmouth Federation, and the executive members are looking for more people to attend our meetings, not to shake you down for money, but to provide input and to help spread the word about issues affecting us in the Monmouth County area.

You can contact me at work 732 949 8906 or at home at
732 866 9496, or [email protected]

Meeting is at Freehold Fur, Fin and Feather, 8pm every third Thursday, on Burke Road, Freehold. Burke Road is off of Count 524, about a half mile from the intersection of County 524 and County 537. Contact me for more detailed directions.

We really need your input.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
The problem with Fish and Game is the &quot;Gun hunters&quot; have the majority of the vote the gun clubs and the federation are verry strong and lobby mostly toward Gun hunting not realizing that we are all hunters and what we do as bow hunters and gun hunters needs to be on the same page. QDM is good but you watch, it won't count for 6 day gun season. Example: Earn a buck and 1 buck per season dot apply to 6 day firearm season. I hunt all deer seasons and It needs to be the same for all or it wont work. As for earn a buck half of the deer checked in are Buttons so what good is that. Just tell us we can shoot 2 bucks per year period and 1 should fit the QDM standards with the proper amount of does also that way the gun clubs and everyone can enjoy it now and for years to come.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Welcome to the boards Freehold....Our club is a member of the Mercer County Federation and our president is currently drafting a letter. Has the federation addressed this issue with Fish and Game? What are some of your members comments?

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Here ya go everyone...Hot off the nj site..
Buy as many as you want...

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

Sale of Over-the-Counter Firearm Deer Permits

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shotgun and Muzzleloader Deer Permits are available for the following zones:
2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ,12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 35, 47, 48, 36, 41, 42, 49, 50, 51 & 63.

Permits are available Monday through Friday from 9 to noon and 1 until 4 at the Trenton office (609-292-2965) and Pequest Trout Hatchery ONLY. A 2002 firearm license is required. Permits will be available until the season ends.

Permits are NOT available at other offices or license agents. There are no weekend permit sales.

Please call the Permit Hotline at 609-292-9192 for more and updated information.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Thanks! Been reading the board since November but finally decided to post. Excellent discussions here on topics that I find interetsting.
We have not talked about deer harvest numbers, QDM, or anything like that. We should do so, but we've been working on other projects.
We've worked on a number of projects that include:
1. Participation in the Turkey Swamp Outdoor Expo.
2. Our effort to get public access to the Swimming River and Glendola Reservoirs for fishing (not happening).
3. Get public access to Monmouth County owned land, land that was formerly owned/leased by hunting clubs and is now closed to hunting.
4. Trying to get more clubs to participate.
5. We got one dirt road opened at Turkey Swamp WMA for hunter access on behalf of Turkey Swamp Rod & Gun club.
6. Plenty of calls & letters to our legislators to get Sunday bow hunting (S.2463/A.3899), State funding for basic maintenance of WMA's and other state land (S.2143/A.3246).
7. Plenty of complaining about how badly the bear hunt proposal turned out.
8. Formed an alliance with Monmouth County Agriculture Board. We have one of our member clubs now invited to hunt on the farm owned & run by the President Monmouth County Ag. Board.
9. Supporting the rules to change some of the trout fishing areas to allow more public access.
10. Working to support the West Long Branch gun shop having trouble with the West Long Branch township politicians.

Hey, come on over and bring your ideas!

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Welcome to the boards Freehold....Our club is a member of the Mercer County Federation and our president is currently drafting a letter. Has the federation addressed this issue with Fish and Game? What are some of your members comments?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Hunted 3 days last week with black powder in zone 11. Didn't see a deer the first day. Seen 4 the 2nd and got one of those. A nice mature doe. My buddy got one in the afternoon on a drive. Drove for my Dad on Sat. and he was skunked. He seen 6 deer all day. I know it's late in the season now but deer sightings were way down even during 6 day firearm back in Dec. I've been hunting the same ground for 27 years. I can remember days that I would count over 100 deer. Not any more. This unlimited doe slaughter is rediculous. Another problem is there are way too many button bucks being shot. Guys gotta be more selective. I've been a non-resident for 4 years now and the only reason why I spend $135.50 on a freaking license now is to hunt with my Mom & Dad. I don't even bowhunt there anymore because it would cost me $271.00!!! Jeeezzzz

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

i hunt zone 31 and i dont see why they would need to cut the deer herd down so much. saturday one club shot 23 does and another shot 14! of the 23, 10 were shot on one drive. i say, make it 1 buck and 1 doe per season, and statewide trophy management. three points or better on one side. everybody ive talked to seems to support that 100 percent. maybe if they eliminated deer drives that would help too. that way some club members that know nothing about scouting could be tought by the ones in the club who do and maybe they will get more back from there hunts.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

I wonder what you guys would call me if I told you that I have already killed 2 bucks this year and I am out for number 3 for winter bow. I am lucky to be able hunt 2 private areas one is 68 acres and the other is 4 acres and the neighbors 4 acres. Both the land owners say that they want the deer reduced and that is what I am doing. I would of shot a doe on the second property but a spike was all that I kept seeing. But now I am going to go out and try for another deer this winter bow. I have been seeing a bunch of bucks around at least more than does this year which is weird. But I am doing what the land owner wants get the deer out of there.

Brian

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Supermag--what you're doing is fine and keep it up. This discussion has been ongoing about the mismanagement of the herd in terms of reductions and season length not about the guy that shoots 2 bucks and is trying for a third.

Just look around at soem of your neighbors and you will see the mentality of guys that are shooting anything that moves and as much as they can. Also, button bucks are the deer that seem to get hammered at this time of year for some reason so of course that will impact next years hunting.

I personaly only shot 1 buck in NJ and 1 buck in ILL and passed on quite a few small bucks during bow and even a spike during ML. I should have shot a doe during bow or ML but I really can't use the meat as my wife does not eat it. So should I just blast deer for the hell of it? I do know a guy that hunt sin an earn a buck and just shoots deer and then donates them to Hunters Helping the Hungry.

All we are saying is that the State should look at other succesful states (IL) and learn from them. This way hunters will enjoy a quality hunt/see deer/see good bucks/and be able to take enough deer to fed any family without damaging the future.

Looking at the world from 15 feet up.

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

445-- I'd call you a lucky son of a gun!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Thats not the problem at all..The long seasons with unlimted tags is hurting us..
Need a partner????<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
Chainsaw...Welcome aboard..
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>saturday one club shot 23 does and another shot 14! <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Now thats 37 deer. If these does were &quot;carrying&quot; so too speak, its possible the number harvested is 111.<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>
The season is too liberal and NEEDS to stop. Ask that club next year how many they've seen. I'm sure the answer will be &quot;not as many as last year&quot;. Well now how could that happen??
We will ALL be sorry in a few more years if nothing changes...

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

I agree with ya jerseyjoe. This &quot;shoot all the does you can&quot; has got to stop. This was all because the farmers were complaining about crop damage. Too many deer per square mile. The state claimed that in zone 11 there where over 100 deer per square mile back in 2000! I think the objective HAS been met.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Dan Ferrigno at 609-259-8692

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

This has been great I thought I was alone I emailed the state and asked for there long term plan. It would make this more tollerable if I knew what the long range plan is and I hope it is good. I just sent this link to the NJ DEP I want them to read this and hopefully clear all this up. NJBOWMAN I am friends with the old Ocean County Rep. &quot;D.S.&quot;

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

i talked to a couple of guys who are in the club who killed the 23 does. none of them seem to care because they kill them all on state land and save their private pieces for trophy management. i said thats real nice, screw it up for everybody else and they didnt seem to care. they are already crying about the 6 day shotgun week harvest, and i said wait till next year. of course it looks like more deer in some places, their cutting down all their habitat!

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

9,895 bucks were taken during the 6 day season and this is being sold as not to bad sinc ethe 5 yr avg is only &quot;slightly&quot; higher and also the big bad weather patterns/etc/etc. Well, this is the beginning of the future as the bucks are being slaughtered on all huntable lands from OCt to Feb. Get used to numbers like this and lower.

Bob

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

NJBOWMAN My wife was supposed to mail it. Send me an app and I'll get it out thanks

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

Hey Bob, where did you get the numbers and the official excuses given for the low harvest. Not doubting you, I just want to know the source.

Doug

RE: NJs lowest 6 shotgun season kill since 1979
 

NJ,,,visit the fish and game site and sign up for the alert emails... Here is the link and e-mail I received.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/news/2001/listannc.htm

2001 SIX-DAY FIREARM BUCK SEASON

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife, preliminary harvest estimates were developed for the 2001 Six-Day Firearm or &quot;Buck&quot; Season. Deer harvested during the balance of the six-day season brought the statewide season total to 9,895 deer. This year's harvest was considerably lower than the exceptional harvest of 13,016 bucks registered during the 2001 season and is more in line with totals seen in previous years.
For example, the 1999 total was 10,848; the 1998 total was 10,921; the 1997 total was 11,518 and the 1996 total was 10,035. The average Six-Day Firearm Season total for the past five years was 11,139 deer. This year's total was 11 percent below the five-year average.
The results of this year's season are thought to be attributable to several factors including warm weather, reductions in deer populations in agricultural and suburban areas and antler point restrictions in Quality Deer Management (QDM) zones.
The traditional Six-Day Firearm &quot;Buck&quot; Season is primarily a recreational season, however it also represents about 15 percent of the annual reduction in New Jersey's deer population. The recreational, economic and traditional values of the season are of great importance to New Jersey sportsmen and women who generally enjoy approximately 320,000 hunter-days of recreation during the entire six-day season. During all six deer seasons hunters spend more than $100 million as they enjoy in excess of 1.4 million recreation days hunting deer.
The tradition of buck hunting dates back to the first &quot;bucks-only&quot; season in the year 1909. In 1909 an estimated 62,000 deer hunters harvested a total of 86 antlered bucks. The tradition of this season includes taking only antlered bucks. The other five deer seasons in New Jersey provide for the taking of female deer and play a bigger role in controlling or reducing deer populations. This year's regulations provide for taking antlerless deer during all 138 days of deer hunting in areas with high deer populations and where deer populations are targeted for rapid reductions. For example, permit muzzleloader and permit shotgun hunters were authorized for a second year to take antlerless deer throughout the Six-Day Firearm Season in over half of the state.

2001 Six-day Firearm Season
Preliminary Harvest Estimate for the Entire Season
by Deer Management Zone

Deer Preliminary Previous
Mgt. 2001 5 year
Zone harvest average
1 187 270
2 483 576
3 113 209
4 211 256
5 919 1,076
6 159 296
7 387 435
8 870 959
9 91 188
10 538 529
11 244 312
12 564 598
13 118 238
14 294 317
15 201 223
16 250 241
17 177 189
18 165 163
19 261 261
21 294 274
22 79 94
23 342 308
24 194 172
25 184 191
26 385 350
27 127 183
28 173 162
29 107 159
30 65 84
31 57 63
34 192 226
35 157 228
36 17 40
37 0 10
38 no season no season
39 44 37
40 no season no season
41 205 199
42 78 32
43 74 92
45 113 111
46 194 143
47 82 54
48 158 180
49 5 23
50 154 159
51 41 66
52 15 11
53 4 7
54 21 15
55 31 20
56 no season no season
57 no season no season
58 no season no season
59 no season no season
60 no season no season
61 7 3
63 18 50
64 no season no season
65 46 58
66 no season no season
67 no season no season

Total 9,895 11,139