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Who's happy with the regs?

Before I start let me qualify this as a non frustrated hunter post. I personally do fine. I'd been talking to Dan the deer biologist in the northern region for years before he left us. The deer population in some parts of north jersey is shot. Still there was unlimited does. Now parts are only 5 does plus a buck each season. Warren county still has 9 plus a buck. This equals over 30-40 plus deer a year. Too much and the herd is suffering. What are you guys seeing?

I am definitely seeing a difference in Zones 2 and 5. Deer population is down quite substantially but I am thinking it has much more to do with the coyote problems within the areas I hunt. I can understand the high doe/antlerless quarry in the areas/zones where more farming is done in order to crops from getting decimated. Have you seen a difference in the areas you are hunting?

I live right on one the 2-3 roads. Numbers have plummeted. Been watching deer since early 80 and this is by far the worst I've seen. It's not the coyotes. It's the coyotes, bears, winters, springs, crossbows bringing more hunters in, bait and cameras making things easier. I think it's a combination. Plus the land has/is changed. When I was a kid grouse were everywhere, now try and find some in some newly built condo parking lot. It all is contributing imo, Who woke up one day and stated let's kill all the does? It's nuts and not sound management when there is no management. They set quotas based on harvest numbers. Earn a buck and getting rid of check stations contributed to that. I haven't seen a bachelor herd of bucks in years and late Aug farm fields are devoid of deer. It's a shame.

I agree with everything you said. Just a damn shame that animals numbers diminishing so badly. I 100% agree about your statement on Checking Stations. Since the state stopped requiring mandatory checking, many people don't even check their deer by calling it in. What Zone are you primarily hunting Bowguy?

I'm actually driving an hour to hunt zone 9. There's still some deer there. Got farms right across the street I can hunt. On my side of road not one neighbor for a mile one way, longer the other. I can hunt legally without starting my truck but I kinda want to see deer. There's pockets by houses but I don't like watching guys eat breakfast. Some guys do, I'm just not one of em.

Sounds like you have a sweet spot to hunt in zone 9. The ride is a bummer but I hope you get to reap the rewards from your efforts. Let us know how you make out.

Thanks, the ride does stink but it's worth it. Saw 10 bucks the first 2 mornings. One was real nice but I hadn't shot a doe yet. Pretty big too with loads of acorns. Great place, just not the woods in sussex

It all depends on where you hunt. Some places are covered up in deer others are void of life. Weapon choice and bait piles have little to do with the numbers as much as an all weapons inclusive month long January killing spree. The zone I hunt went to a one doe and one buck limit per season and I am fine with that. I wish the whole state had that rule.

Yes but I live in that zone, right across the street is unlimited so the deer are just getting beat up. Years ago we had a hand out the state handed out with the compendium. It was an after hunt flyover thermal imaging that showed pretty close to realistic numbers of where the herd was at. They broke up the map into our deer zones. That was a time when things were actually managed. Right now they use data from the harvest to determine how many deer are in an area to set seasons. This is very flawed as a buddy of mine works somewhere everyone there who hunts calls in a doe opening morning to get buck tags. You think this is isolated? Course it isn't. How can you rely on data from "ghost" deer? Terrible management imo

Ive noticed a big decline in deer numbers in central Jersey as well. I hunt Freehold and see less and less each year.

jersey is not much more to me anymore than I place I pass hunting in between trips to Illinois. Tired of the BS and drama that go along with chasing 130 inch deer.

I agree with you all. Down here in 23 i get one deer per season. The deer numbers are way down out here. Everyone hunts the unlimited zones and sunday wmas which is fine by me but those areas will soon be void of life as well. I do miss check stations and xbows should be for elderly and handicapped

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