Public Hunting Land in New Jersey
November 6, 2008
Losing access to a hunting spot on private land and/or thinking there are no places to hunt are among the top reasons cited by those who stop hunting or hunt less in New Jersey. While it is true that private land hunting access is becoming more challenging, New Jersey is fortunate to have a steadily increasing amount of public land open to hunting.
More than 750,000 acres of public lands are available to the hunter in New Jersey. These acres include an exceptional diversity of habitats harboring an equally exceptional diversity of game. Whether you are pursuing deer, wild turkey, small game or waterfowl it is never hard to find spectacular hunting opportunities in the Garden State.
Public lands open to hunting are administered by various entities including Federal, State, County and Municipal governments. They include more than 323,000 acres in the state Wildlife Management Area System, 27 State Parks and Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, County Parks and Municipal Parks and holdings. These areas are distributed throughout New Jersey, so hunters should have no problem finding a prime spot of their own.
In addition to government owned lands, other properties such as those owned by non-governmental conservation organizations may also be open to hunting. It is imperative though, that interested hunters check with the appropriate organization regarding their land use policies before venturing onto these lands.
The links below provide access to a variety of information resources for finding public land in New Jersey and public land, which may be open to hunting. Since hunting is not allowed on all public land, hunters should ground check each parcel they would be interested in hunting to verify the areas open to hunting.
WHERE TO HUNT IN NEW JERSEY
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Public Deer Hunting Land |
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Wildlife Management Areas and Maps |
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State Parks and Forests |
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NJ Natural Lands Trust Preserves |
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iMapNJ - DEP’s Interactive Mapping Tool for State Owned Land |
The following allow hunting in designated areas.
COUNTY PARK SYSTEMS
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Atlantic County Parks |
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Hunterdon County Parks |
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Mercer County Parks (DMZ 41 - Baldpate Mt. and Howell Living Farm) |
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Middlesex County Parks - Phone 732-8745-5988 |
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Monmouth County Parks - Phone 732-842-4000 |
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Morris County Parks |
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Newark-Pequannock Watershed |
NEW JERSEY’S GAME SPECIES
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Deer |
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Wild Turkey |
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Waterfowl and Migratory Birds |
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Small Game |
ADDITIONAL LINKS
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Wildlife Officials to Test Hunter-Harvested Ducks for Avian Influenza
November 3, 2008
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services biologists will collect samples from hunter-harvested ducks to test for highly pathogenic avian influenza – H5N1. Sampling will occur at various times during the migratory game bird hunting season at several duck-hunting hot spots throughout Florida.
Hunters will not need to surrender their ducks, and participation is voluntary. Biologists will obtain the samples by swabbing the ducks’ respiratory and digestive tracts. Scientists at a diagnostic lab will test the samples for avian influenza and other diseases.Â
The sampling is part of a continuing international surveillance effort to determine if migratory birds carry the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza in North America. Last year, more than 65,000 samples were collected nationwide, including more than 1,200 samples from Florida. None of the samples tested positive for the virus, including the 481 collected at check stations in Florida’s wildlife management areas.
While it is extremely unlikely that hunters could contract avian influenza from wild birds in Florida, officials recommend taking common-sense precautions to reduce the risk of contracting any disease from wildlife. For instance, do not harvest or handle wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead; wear rubber gloves while cleaning game; clean game outdoors and stay upwind of game while cleaning; and do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning game.
It’s also important to wash hands with soap and water immediately after handling game or cleaning bird feeders. Wash tools and work surfaces used to clean game birds with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10-percent bleach solution.
In addition, hunters should separate raw meat, and anything it touches, from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid contamination.
The FWC recommends cooking game birds thoroughly. Meat should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill disease organisms and parasites.Â
For more information about avian influenza and the FWC’s monitoring program, including how to report observations of dead birds, visit MyFWC.com/bird/AvianInfluenza.htm.
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2008 Hunter Sight-in Day Open to the N.H. Public
October 6, 2008
Nashua Fish and Game Association (NFGA) will host a “Hunter Sight-In Day” event on our club grounds at Al Paul Lane, Merrimack, NH on Saturday, October 18, 2008, from 10 AM to 5 PM. It will be open to the public. The purpose of this sight-in day is to provide area hunters with a safe and organized place to verify and adjust the accuracy of their rifle/shotgun/handgun prior to taking to the field this hunting season.
Hunter turnout was great the last two years. We received a lot of positive feedback from participants about the available facilities and assistance provided by NFGA members.
We ask that each participant check the operation of their firearm and have any questionable equipment checked by a gunsmith prior to bringing it to the NFGA range. We will have Range Officers available to ensure safe operation of the range and to assist with sight-in as needed, however they are not authorized to perform maintenance or repair. In addition to a serviceable firearm, shooters must bring their own ammunition for that firearm. It is recommended that you bring the same ammunition for sight-in that you will use while hunting. If you have a bench rest or spotting scope that you wish to use, bring it with you.Â
Shooting positions are available at 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards. Non-members will be charged a $5 fee for each firearm that is sighted-in. An additional $5 fee may be charged for bore sighting or assistance to install/align scopes.  To ensure all interested persons get their chance, each shooter will be allowed 25 rounds (your ammo) or setup time plus 40 minutes of firing time.
NFGA membership information will be available at the range or may be obtained on our web site www.nfga.org. Sight-in fees can be deducted from the membership initiation fee if a shooter joins NFGA within one month of the sight-in day.
Interested hunters can contact Nashua Fish and Game Association range governor at 603-424-2824 or E-mail us at fowlerrange [at] nfga [dot] org to sign-up for NFGA Sight-In Day and for directions. Directions to the club grounds are also available on our web site, www.nfga.org.
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Cheyenne Archers Hosting Third Annual Accessyes Benefit
April 22, 2008
CHEYENNE– Let your arrow hit the improved hunting and fishing access target. That’s the goal of the Cheyenne Field Archers 3-D third annual shoot April 22 and 24. Last year, the group raised $1,720 for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s AccessYes Program.
“We’re a sportsman-oriented club that’s enjoyed a boom in membership,” said field archer member Neal Perkins. “We hope to raise over $1,700 for the program with this year’s shoots to help return the favor.”
In its first two years, the event has raised $2,920 for AccessYes.
Members and nonmembers alike can help expand the Walk-In Area and Hunter Management programs with their $5 entry fee. Each archer will test their skills going two times around a 12-target, multi-species course at the group’s range at 7415 Archies Road east of Cheyenne. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. and competition at 7 p.m. on both evenings and youngsters are welcome. No cash paybacks are being awarded – all money raised is being donated to the access program.
Perkins challenges other sportsman’s groups across the state to sponsor similar competitions for the benefit of hunting and fishing access. “Let’s have some friendly competition to see what sporting group can contribute the most to public access,” he said.
Matt Buhler, the Game and Fish’s statewide access coordinator, appreciates the group’s efforts. “The PLPW Access Program helps provide millions of acres of access each year but we don’t do it alone,” he said. “It is only from the generosity of individuals and groups such as the Cheyenne Field Archers that we can provide what we do.”
For more information about the benefit shoot or the field archers, visit their Web site at http://www.cheyennefieldarchers.com.
-WGFD-
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