WMA access

JonF

Well-Known Member
ge

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.
The endless line of rotting deer carcasses along any NJ highway is proof positive of that.
 

Over the Bars

Well-Known Member
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.
Hunting on WMAs is allowed on Sundays but only with a bow or crossbow. There is no firearm hunting on Sundays. All hunting is closed on Sundays in state parks and recreation areas. Hunting with a bow on private property is also allowed on Sundays.
 

krink

Eddie Munster
What about destruction of trail features/bridges? in Allaire, a few well made bridges in the Manasquan WMA have been destroyed beyond easy repair with a chainsaw by an angry hunter. Heard secondand about a biker talking with the hunter carrying a chainsaw. Im all for respecting the correct times and dates to ride these areas, but i would never consider removing a hunting blind, tree stand or feed location, even if it screwed with a trail. What is the general consensus here? bridge shouldnt have been put in at all or hunters overreaction to it or something in between?
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
What about destruction of trail features/bridges? in Allaire, a few well made bridges in the Manasquan WMA have been destroyed beyond easy repair with a chainsaw by an angry hunter. Heard secondand about a biker talking with the hunter carrying a chainsaw. Im all for respecting the correct times and dates to ride these areas, but i would never consider removing a hunting blind, tree stand or feed location, even if it screwed with a trail. What is the general consensus here? bridge shouldnt have been put in at all or hunters overreaction to it or something in between?

There are tons of questions to go along with your story.
Most end up creating hypothetical situations (guesses at best)

Someone got upset and took out a couple bridges.
Was it was really anti-MTB, or just anti-people coming into an area where they never were?
who knows?

Sure they could have just reached out, or posted some signs - but it was probably building up to something like this.
Unfortunate.

We'll live with it - try to be the best co-users we can be, and hopefully show that by our actions,
specifically like you mentioned, being aware of when hunters are expected there.

strangely enough, mtb is an acceptable method of transportation for hunters.
I'd even like to put forward that ebikes would be a great alternative, and should be allowed.

And i'm still not thinking it is hunter specific - so i don't want to seem that way.

Really hard to get upset at someone that got so angry that they felt they had no other recourse.

What I was really upset about was the apparent booby-trapping of one of the bridges - possibility of collapse
while being used. It is so random, that it might have been any kid just having fun, not more than 50' away from
a fire station with a banquet room. :(
 

krink

Eddie Munster
Yup I hear you Patrick. I'm just relaying the story (a agree plenty of questions about the events) and wanted to hear perspective from others. I'm up for rebuilding the features as well as spreading the word to be in there Sundays only. Seems as if tension is ratcheting up recently. I had punctures from a booby trap on the trails between Ramshorn and the river this summer, and have seen fresh broken glass on trails in Alliare (top of Alien Abduction and beginning of Glass) and WMA (Ms Blueberry beginning). Now with the bridge destruction, would rather de-escalate than make things more dangerous.
 

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
What is the general consensus here? bridge shouldnt have been put in at all or hunters overreaction to it

Both.

As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid pissing off men with guns. I think that would probably apply to men with chainsaws as well, though I could hopefully out run/ride a man with a chainsaw at least. I also try to be extra courteous when I'm doing something I'm not supposed to be.
 

shrpshtr325

Infinite Source of Sarcasm
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yup I hear you Patrick. I'm just relaying the story (a agree plenty of questions about the events) and wanted to hear perspective from others. I'm up for rebuilding the features as well as spreading the word to be in there Sundays only. Seems as if tension is ratcheting up recently. I had punctures from a booby trap on the trails between Ramshorn and the river this summer, and have seen fresh broken glass on trails in Alliare (top of Alien Abduction and beginning of Glass) and WMA (Ms Blueberry beginning). Now with the bridge destruction, would rather de-escalate than make things more dangerous.


Not familiar with alien abduction trail, but glass has had glass shards at the top for as long as iv been riding there, I believe there is a story behind it but idr it.
 

krink

Eddie Munster
Not familiar with alien abduction trail, but glass has had glass shards at the top for as long as iv been riding there, I believe there is a story behind it but idr it.
Agree on Glass, always had some at the start. Just seems like more places lately. Who knows, maybe nothing more than drunk teens and my overactive imagination. No doubt with COVID there are more riders in Allaire proper and WMAs and a great many of them are not familiar with the way we fit into the multi-use culture there. Gonna be some pushback.
 

choop

Well-Known Member
Agree on Glass, always had some at the start. Just seems like more places lately. Who knows, maybe nothing more than drunk teens and my overactive imagination. No doubt with COVID there are more riders in Allaire proper and WMAs and a great many of them are not familiar with the way we fit into the multi-use culture there. Gonna be some pushback.
The park and DEP need to do a much better job with signage on the rules and where the park ends and WMA begins. It's no surprise the hunters are pushing back when the mtb community is going into the WMA without any concern for its other legal users.
 

krink

Eddie Munster
The park and DEP need to do a much better job with signage on the rules and where the park ends and WMA begins. It's no surprise the hunters are pushing back when the mtb community is going into the WMA without any concern for its other legal users.
To play devils advocate this years’ crazy increase in riders has poured gas on the fire. It would be hard for the Park/DEP to react to what has surprised us all. I have previously thought a sign about riding culture should be put in the parking lot. Maybe including refrain from riding wet trails don’t widen muddy areas, ride open areas only, explain hunters rights, etc would be a good idea. Maybe even mollify the hunters a little.
 

krink

Eddie Munster
There are tons of questions to go along with your story.
Most end up creating hypothetical situations (guesses at best)

Someone got upset and took out a couple bridges.
Was it was really anti-MTB, or just anti-people coming into an area where they never were?
who knows?

Sure they could have just reached out, or posted some signs - but it was probably building up to something like this.
Unfortunate.

We'll live with it - try to be the best co-users we can be, and hopefully show that by our actions,
specifically like you mentioned, being aware of when hunters are expected there.

strangely enough, mtb is an acceptable method of transportation for hunters.
I'd even like to put forward that ebikes would be a great alternative, and should be allowed.

And i'm still not thinking it is hunter specific - so i don't want to seem that way.

Really hard to get upset at someone that got so angry that they felt they had no other recourse.

What I was really upset about was the apparent booby-trapping of one of the bridges - possibility of collapse
while being used. It is so random, that it might have been any kid just having fun, not more than 50' away from
a fire station with a banquet room. :(
By the way, which Allaire bridge was sabotaged for failure but not destroyed?
 

Mitch

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
but glass has had glass shards at the top for as long as iv been riding there
and have seen fresh broken glass on trails in Alliare (top of Alien Abduction and beginning of Glass)
Hence the name "Glass" trail. The start of Glass, and throughout Allaire are sections that were dumps for the land owners. One of the actual homesteads is about 100 yards from there near the Bench. There is still fencing up and junk scattered about.
 

Over the Bars

Well-Known Member
I grew up in western Pa. many carried while riding there. How many carry sidearms while riding in NJ? I bet it’s not more than an handful.
Not legal to do in NJ it is next to impossible to get any sort of carry permit in nj. But you can legally ride with a weapon that is allowed for hunting during an open hunting season that you have the proper licenses for.
 

Rogers

Well-Known Member
Yup I hear you Patrick. I'm just relaying the story (a agree plenty of questions about the events) and wanted to hear perspective from others. I'm up for rebuilding the features as well as spreading the word to be in there Sundays only. Seems as if tension is ratcheting up recently. I had punctures from a booby trap on the trails between Ramshorn and the river this summer, and have seen fresh broken glass on trails in Alliare (top of Alien Abduction and beginning of Glass) and WMA (Ms Blueberry beginning). Now with the bridge destruction, would rather de-escalate than make things more dangerous.
Building anything in Allaire is illegal without park approval. This includes bridges, trails, and features. If there isn't a trail marker then it hasn't been approved by the park. So really there are only 4 legal trails (Orange, Blue, White, and Pink). Almost everything on Strava is an illegal trail. In my opinion Strava and Social Media has destroyed Allaire. The hunters are pissed because they use to have the WMA's to themselves. Now with all the illegal trails and social media spreading the word it has become a shit show. Some people think the more trails the better and continue to find every piece of public land surrounding Allaire and build whatever they want. So the hunters have every right to be pissed because the park is doing nothing to stop the destruction or enforce rules.
 
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krink

Eddie Munster
It's legally OK but impolite to open carry up here, but why one might do it when riding is beyond me.
Agreed, even back north of Pittsburgh when I would as why friends carried while riding or hiking, I always got some sort of an answer about "protection"- not really specifying two or four legged variety. I mean hunting or trapping, sure, fishing um prob not, riding, don't see a need. And not a lot of wildlife in NJ you need to protect yourself against. I mean, it was part habit. Most around here carry a knife in our tool bags and have one while hiking, and we rarely need it. Out there carrying when out in the woods is more common in general.

But speaking about NJ wildlife that can be dangerous, has anyone had a run-in with coyote? -either one or multiples? how dangerous can they be?
 
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