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Great Changes for Zone 6

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Rusty

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Managing deer in a state like NJ is a nightmare, public land gets hammered while a mile down the road residential areas are overrun with deer.

F&W has yet again improved upon the seasons in zone 6. They have been increasing the the opportunities for bow hunters, who can hunt the problem deer in residential areas, while keeping the gun seasons more conservative. This coming season they have lengthened the extended bow season to run through December 31. [up][up]
 
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#7 ·
Makes total sense to me. One of the lowest deer densities per square mile in the state. One of the highest zones for hunters whining about the old days and how bad it sucks on zone 6 public land........ The solution...... Add more days to kill more deer! Yep now that I think about it, it makes even more sense. Welcome to NJ hunting and deer management at it's finest.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
GlassWater Outdoors said:
Makes total sense to me. One of the lowest deer densities per square mile in the state. One of the highest zones for hunters whining about the old days and how bad it sucks on zone 6 public land........ The solution...... Add more days to kill more deer! Yep now that I think about it, it makes even more sense. Welcome to NJ hunting and deer management at it's finest.
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Do you read before you type? Oh wait, I forgot this is NJH. :ko:
 
#10 · (Edited)
About 4 or 5 years ago, surveys showed that zone 6 deer populations were increasing and current regs weren't keeping their numbers in check. This is mostly a mature forest zone when it comes to public lands hunting, and the deer were overbrowsing the forest. I fully concur with that assessment and I spend time as a WCC volunteer doing native plant inventories that includes measuring deer browse as well as managing a 124 acre property in this zone. However, I feel that adding early fall bow and unlimited antlerless is having the desired affect and has turned the deer population back to a healthy one on public lands. As Rusty points out, that doesn't mean it has done enough on private lands, especially housing communities where archery is the only way to manage the herds.

Unfortunately, what will happen is that hunters will continue to take the easy way and focus nearly all of the hunting pressure on public lands and not work with landowners to cull deer where most needed, and the public lands hunters will quickly deplete the herds on those public lands while the deer nearby in the communities will continue to grow in numbers. We need a better system of marrying hunters (mainly archery hunters) with willing private landowners and community associations. Actually, we need a system period, because we have none currently. I do know that Rusty works closely with a significant private owner to perform cull hunts and that property is now much healthier for his efforts.
 
#12 ·
Rusty said:
Do you read before you type? Oh wait, I forgot this is NJH. :ko:
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Yes I read it. I suppose my sarcasm was lost in text. It makes absolutely 0 sense to me. in all actuality it is one of the most ridiculous game code changes in recent memory. I have hunted zone 6 fr years. Adding more killing time is not the answer to helping an already decimated deer herd.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
GlassWater Outdoors said:
Adding more killing time is not the answer to helping an already decimated deer herd.
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No, but it is the answer to helping reduce the deer herd in areas that are overrun with them, and there are many of those in zone 6. If the deer herd is decimated where you are hunting then go to one of the areas with a more "target rich" environment.
 
#14 ·
Rusty said:
No, but it is the answer to helping reduce the deer herd in areas that are overrun with them, and there are many of those in zone 6. If the deer herd is decimated where you are hunting then go to one of the areas with a more "target rich" environment.
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This is the crux of the issue I was talking about and I'm sure partly what you meant when you correctly pointed out that deer management in NJ is close to impossible. I think about this often and fail to come up with solid ideas. But I do think the Division could better reach out to the general non-hunting public to marry up hunters to private landowners looking to manage deer populations where deer numbers are far too high. We've already beaten the public lands deer numbers issue to death a million times over here on NJH, but how do we move beyond that serious issue of too few deer on our public lands and get to the deer that truly need managing? That would allow lesser pressure on public lands since hunter numbers are relatively flat and not growing significantly right now (nor declining here in NJ significantly) and allow public lands herds to strengthen. It would also help solve the out of control populations living in certain communities, golf course, parks, and corporate business parks.
 
#17 ·
In all seriousness, how can we get the non-hunting but hunting supportive public better involved with deer management? Perhaps we need a new thread. Most people when asked don't hunt but support hunting. Especially here in NJ for deer.
 
#18 ·
I think if f&g cared about the deer heard why not open zone 6 longer on private only , its only a word change and not on public land.
 
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#19 ·
Bucksnbows said:
In all seriousness, how can we get the non-hunting but hunting supportive public better involved with deer management? Perhaps we need a new thread. Most people when asked don't hunt but support hunting. Especially here in NJ for deer.
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People in new jersey need to learn how to drive and slow the hell down to avoid deer collisions they drive too fast
 
#20 ·
some of these developements that have a ton of deer. in my opinion can't even be hunted with a bow. small strips of woods next to houses and lots. its almost a given in this type of situation you shoot a deer and before you know it . its running and dyeing in someones backyard. look luck with that scenario.
 
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