WMA access

trailhead

trailhead

JORBA: Wildcat/Splitrock
JORBA.ORG
Another reminder that mtb access in WMA'S is limited during hunting season. Familiarize yourself with the rules, access points and note when there appears to be hunters present. It just takes a little consideration and sacrifice to keep the peace.

Realize that your not the only one in the woods. Just because you don't see anyone doesn't mean nobody is there. The comments in this thread are evidence.

 
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extremedave

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Damn, that was horrible to read. I do plan to look into some sort of hunting or fishing license just to support the system. Just have to see what you can purchase without taking a class.
 
Mahnken

Mahnken

Well-Known Member
extremedave said:
Damn, that was horrible to read. I do plan to look into some sort of hunting or fishing license just to support the system. Just have to see what you can purchase without taking a class.
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I used to get a fishing license from Walmart just so I could kayak at round valley. No class needed.
 
jklett

jklett

Well-Known Member
extremedave said:
Damn, that was horrible to read. I do plan to look into some sort of hunting or fishing license just to support the system. Just have to see what you can purchase without taking a class.
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All hunting licenses require safety classes, fishing is the only one you can just buy.
 
extremedave

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I spent a few minutes on the fish and game site. As it turns out the class is offered for free and it’s online, so why not? There’s a live fire range class sometime in November and its only thirty bucks for a bow license.
 
JonF

JonF

Well-Known Member
One of the most difficult things to determine is when it is "Safe" to be in the WMA for anything other than hunting. All the dates for the various hunting seasons are listed in the digest as text but there's no easy to use calendar view that shows what can be hunted and when on any particular day.
 
trailhead

trailhead

JORBA: Wildcat/Splitrock
JORBA.ORG
the referenced FB post had several comments from hunters complaining about cyclists and the rogue trails specifically in the Weldon WMA.
They said it was "interfering with hunting", which if you know, is a citable offense and could wind you up in court.
I would expect increased enforcement there, and suggest avoiding for now.
 
choop

choop

Well-Known Member
JonF said:
One of the most difficult things to determine is when it is "Safe" to be in the WMA for anything other than hunting. All the dates for the various hunting seasons are listed in the digest as text but there's no easy to use calendar view that shows what can be hunted and when on any particular day.
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Hiking is legal in the WMA at anytime. Horseback riding is legal with permit. Fishing is legal anytime. The DEP website is pretty clear about the rules and restrictions.

MTB is illegal Monday through Saturday. It doesn't matter what hunting season it is, or if that season has specific hours. MTB is legal on Sundays, with the exception of the WMA being open to MTB 7 days a week March 1 to April 15 and June 1 to September 15. I really don't get why there is confusion and why so many people ride our local WMA (Manasquan) whenever they want, and then wonder why there are confrontations with hunters and other users of the WMA.
 
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extremedave

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
choop said:
MTB is legal Monday through Saturday. It doesn't matter what hunting season it is, or if that season has specific hours. MTB is legal on Sundays,
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I think you misspoke there.

Mountain Biking

Mountain bicycles (non-motorized) are allowed on all roads open to motor vehicle use year-round. Bikes are allowed on existing trails and secondary (woods) roads on Wildlife Management Areas from March 1 to April 15 and June 1 to September 15, as well as on Sundays throughout the year (see Assunpink exception in policy linked below). Use of mountain bikes is permitted year round if engaged in legal hunting and fishing activities.

Bikes are not permitted on the Highlands Trail which passes through Berkshire Valley and Wildcat Ridge WMAs. Riding over any dam, wildlife food area, cultivated fields, lawns, gardens and fire break plow-lines is prohibited. Bikers are also prohibited from establishing any new trails through the destruction of existing vegetation. For more information, see the Mountain Bike Policy linked below.

 
JonF

JonF

Well-Known Member
choop said:
Hiking is legal in the WMA at anytime. Horseback riding is legal with permit. Fishing is legal anytime. The DEP website is pretty clear about the rules and restrictions.

MTB is legal Monday through Saturday. It doesn't matter what hunting season it is, or if that season has specific hours. MTB is legal on Sundays, with the exception of the WMA being open to MTB 7 days a week March 1 to April 15 and June 1 to September 15. I really don't get why there is confusion and why so many people ride our local WMA (Manasquan) whenever they want, and then wonder why there are confrontations with hunters and other users of the WMA.
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My comment wasn't in reference to the legalities of non-hunting activities in the WMA. As you say, its easy enough to find out where and when you can legally ride bikes and play hacky sack out on the field. But that is just to CYA with The Man so you're not out where you shouldnt be at the time.

IMO, the real danger of being out on the WMA during a particular hunting season, regardless of whether its legally shared access on that day, is the dangers of getting caught up (inadvertently) with people actively hunting, particularly with shotguns in NJ. You mention Squan WMA and it's a good example--its a hotbed for shotgun bird hunting and the trails there tightly circle the pheasant fields to the point that i've found dead birds out on the singletrack, far from the grassy fields they rustled it up from. In a previous life, i was a shooting range owner, federally licenced dealer, range safety officer, shooting sports match director in addition to belonging to gun clubs and i have seen all the different types of gun owners and sport shooters and i would not want to be on the wrong end of a 1 way range while some fudd keeps pumping round after round from his Benelli at some pheasant too fast for him to swing through. Birdshot loses a lot of energy at range, but still potent enough to wound and cause damage. The eroded leaf canopy around the perimeter of any hunting field or skeet range is an indication of how far it can go. This is exactly why shotgun deer is so short and centerfire rifle is prohibited in our overcrowded state. The recent tragic event over at Nockamixon shows that it can happen, albeit rare in a worse case scenario.

So while one can be in a WMA legally during shared access hours, IMO, you have to look past that and determine who else is in the park and why. Small park with bird hunting? Nah, i'll wait till sunday after the hunterss pack up and leave. I'd like to see them block out all the season dates on an interactive calendar so you can see all the start, end and overlap times for each on a per land basis.
 
M

MikeyBikey2000

Well-Known Member
JonF said:
Nah, i'll wait till sunday after the hunterss pack up and leave. I'd like to see them block out all the season dates on an interactive calendar so you can see all the start, end and overlap times for each on a per land basis.
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I ran into a hunter a few weeks ago on a Sunday in the squan and he said hunting is allowed on Sundays in the WMA, for some reason I thought I read that there was no hunting on Sundays in the WMA but he said that is only state parks, not WMA. He was totally friendly towards me.
 
68nova200

68nova200

Well-Known Member
Be aware that the Warn DEP app can be used to report any illegal activity... Including the very public group rides posted about on here. Also keep in mind ALL access to WMAs is illegal after dark unless actively hunting.
I love riding as much as all of you here... but it really sucks having someone on a bike ruin a hunt.
 
bergsnj

bergsnj

Well-Known Member
can hunters hunt after sundown? is dusk a time when they hunt? this seems like a dumb question but I've run into a couple of them in the dark with my lights on. I think they may have been doing stuff with the bait/food dispensers
 
extremedave

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
bergsnj said:
can hunters hunt after sundown? is dusk a time when they hunt? this seems like a dumb question but I've run into a couple of them in the dark with my lights on. I think they may have been doing stuff with the bait/food dispensers
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I found one example, so yes actually.

Coyote and Fox, General and Special Permit Seasons See chart on page 48 for the bow only, general and special permit season regulations for coyote and fox. The Special Permit Season Allows Hunters to:
1. Hunt at night with 10-12 gauge shotgun and shot size #4 fine to "T".
2. Use 10-20 gauge shotgun using shot size "BB" to #3 Buckshot during daylight.
3. Use a muzzleloading or small caliber rifle during daylight.
4. Hunt without the hunter orange requirement.
5. Use of dogs is prohibited when hunting under Special Permit provisions.

Purchasing a Special Coyote/Fox Permit: • A $2 permit is required. • Permits are available at any license agent, or via www.NJ.WildlifeLicense.com • A license must be purchased prior to, or in conjunction with, the purchase of a special season coyote/fox permit. Harvest Reporting: • All coyote and GRAY fox harvests must be reported by 8 p.m. on the day of harvest. RED fox harvests do NOT need to be reported. • Use deer management zone (DMZ) boundaries to report harvest location. Two Options for Reporting: 1. Call 1-855-I HUNT NJ (1-855-448-6865); OR 2. Report at www.NJ.WildlifeLicense.com via mobile device or computer
 
68nova200

68nova200

Well-Known Member
ge
bergsnj said:
can hunters hunt after sundown? is dusk a time when they hunt? this seems like a dumb question but I've run into a couple of them in the dark with my lights on. I think they may have been doing stuff with the bait/food dispensers
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Generally right at sundown is the best time of the day to be hunting, deer move the most during the first and last few hours of daylight.
 
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