Jersey Fresh Kill
12-17-2009, 07:57 PM
Here is the article printed in the Gloucester County Times on the 17th.
Now all of the whiny bow hunters, who can't manage to even see a deer while having a gun in their hands, have even more to complain about.
No shortage of deer this season
Thursday, December 17, 2009
By Jim Bolton
Special to the Times
I always love to write this column after firearms deer week because no one can predict what is going to happen with the weather, clubs, pothunters, etc. Some clubs say they saw plenty of deer, while others claim the herd is shrinking.
But the fact remains, we usually harvest over 50,000 deer a year and that's not bad for a populated state like New Jersey.
Now, how do you figure some clubs have record years, some are way down in their count and many are in the same areas?
Well, here are some of the details of this year's firearms deer week, and let's not forget that the big stripers and as of lately, a school of big blues are all over the bay, giving the stripers a run for their money.
So we kind of have the best of two worlds take your pick big bucks or big stripers and blues.
Unofficially, I heard the following fish count: Good Sports had 16; Hickory 10; Menantico 8; Five Points 10; Harmony 12; NewField Bearcats 13; Dorothy 18; Buck Rest 15; Garrisons 5; "Young Bucks" 5; 1/2 Dirty Dozen 4; Never Rest 8.
Now the "Cooper Swamp" Gun Club usually comes in first in the total buck category. They have some of the best hunting territory in South Jersey, and besides being very good hunters, they plan all of their drives the night before, so there is not much waiting around and wasting time. And they always get a couple of monster bucks. Their 35 bucks were the most I have heard of so far.
The top club on this side of the river is usually the "Venatores" and they did it again when they put 25 in the freezer. Their big buck award went to "Huck Slimmer" with a big 8 pointer. Huck said it took him 44 years to finally shoot a big one.
They racked up quite a few doubles.
Dave Sharpless, Jr. shot 9 and an 8; Jim Rhubart, Jr. had a 5 and a 7; Dave Hulitt, a spike and an 8; Rich Mccafferty, a seven and a spike; 11-year-old Garrett O'Donnell, a 4 and a 5; 13-year-old Zach Sockwel, a 3 and a 5; 12-year-old Jeremy Williams, a spike; Buddy Slimmer had a spike and a 6, plus two coyotes.
I don't know how long Jim "Hawk" Corson has been the head of the Venatores, but I just found out that John "Puddle" Shelton said this is his last year as "Head Woodsman," of the Mauricetown Gunning Club.
That man will be hard to replace after all these years.
I don't know who started this trend, but quite a few clubs are driving deer until one or two o'clock and then going out and sitting in their tree stands. This method seems to be catching on more every year. "Crooked Horn," in Belleplain, has used it for the past few years and have been very successful. This year they hung up 31 bucks.
Over in our neck of the woods, "Double Oaks," had a decent year with 17. Mario Belucci won the big buck contest with his big 6 pointer. Bret Gandy got the big one a 9 pointer, but he was not in the contest. Two youngsters had good years. Mick Kemmer, a 12-year-old, had a big 8 point and Mario B., Jr., shot a nice spike.
"Mauricetown" also came in with 17. Glen Robbins won the big buck contest with a 119 pounder. Taskar "Thunderbolt" Robbins got his first deer, a spike.
"Cedarbuck" had a good year when they ended up with 10. Brian Day led the way with a 148-pound 10 pointer. His son, Matt, had a nice 8 pointer, as did Jim Dondero.
"South Millville Club" also had a total of 10. Fred Smith killed a pair Êa 7 and a 6. Anthony Loteck won the big buck contest with an 8 pointer.
Still haven't heard anything from the "East Point" boys, Cape May or Ruetters.
13-year-old Johnna Robinson, of Roadstown, bagged a 6-point buck on her first deer hunt ever. I think she deserves some credit shot at 75 yards with a 20-gauge slug. It was taken on Youth Day.
We need more kids in the hunting sports, not on the street corner, or in front of a TV or computer playing mindless games.
One last note, I just heard that 16-year-old Tim Hickman, killed a big 11 pointer while hunting with the "Ricci Bros" in Port Norris.
Jim Bolton is outdoor writer for South Jersey Newspapers. His column runs on Thursday. He can be reached at (856) 313-9347.
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/sports-8/1261038314241460.xml&coll=8
According to this article an unofficial combined number of 184 bucks were killed by this group of clubs. 184 out of 50,000 deer killed annually in New Jersey, and they were probably all scrubs and skippers that the whiners passed up during bow season over the bait.
Now all of the whiny bow hunters, who can't manage to even see a deer while having a gun in their hands, have even more to complain about.
No shortage of deer this season
Thursday, December 17, 2009
By Jim Bolton
Special to the Times
I always love to write this column after firearms deer week because no one can predict what is going to happen with the weather, clubs, pothunters, etc. Some clubs say they saw plenty of deer, while others claim the herd is shrinking.
But the fact remains, we usually harvest over 50,000 deer a year and that's not bad for a populated state like New Jersey.
Now, how do you figure some clubs have record years, some are way down in their count and many are in the same areas?
Well, here are some of the details of this year's firearms deer week, and let's not forget that the big stripers and as of lately, a school of big blues are all over the bay, giving the stripers a run for their money.
So we kind of have the best of two worlds take your pick big bucks or big stripers and blues.
Unofficially, I heard the following fish count: Good Sports had 16; Hickory 10; Menantico 8; Five Points 10; Harmony 12; NewField Bearcats 13; Dorothy 18; Buck Rest 15; Garrisons 5; "Young Bucks" 5; 1/2 Dirty Dozen 4; Never Rest 8.
Now the "Cooper Swamp" Gun Club usually comes in first in the total buck category. They have some of the best hunting territory in South Jersey, and besides being very good hunters, they plan all of their drives the night before, so there is not much waiting around and wasting time. And they always get a couple of monster bucks. Their 35 bucks were the most I have heard of so far.
The top club on this side of the river is usually the "Venatores" and they did it again when they put 25 in the freezer. Their big buck award went to "Huck Slimmer" with a big 8 pointer. Huck said it took him 44 years to finally shoot a big one.
They racked up quite a few doubles.
Dave Sharpless, Jr. shot 9 and an 8; Jim Rhubart, Jr. had a 5 and a 7; Dave Hulitt, a spike and an 8; Rich Mccafferty, a seven and a spike; 11-year-old Garrett O'Donnell, a 4 and a 5; 13-year-old Zach Sockwel, a 3 and a 5; 12-year-old Jeremy Williams, a spike; Buddy Slimmer had a spike and a 6, plus two coyotes.
I don't know how long Jim "Hawk" Corson has been the head of the Venatores, but I just found out that John "Puddle" Shelton said this is his last year as "Head Woodsman," of the Mauricetown Gunning Club.
That man will be hard to replace after all these years.
I don't know who started this trend, but quite a few clubs are driving deer until one or two o'clock and then going out and sitting in their tree stands. This method seems to be catching on more every year. "Crooked Horn," in Belleplain, has used it for the past few years and have been very successful. This year they hung up 31 bucks.
Over in our neck of the woods, "Double Oaks," had a decent year with 17. Mario Belucci won the big buck contest with his big 6 pointer. Bret Gandy got the big one a 9 pointer, but he was not in the contest. Two youngsters had good years. Mick Kemmer, a 12-year-old, had a big 8 point and Mario B., Jr., shot a nice spike.
"Mauricetown" also came in with 17. Glen Robbins won the big buck contest with a 119 pounder. Taskar "Thunderbolt" Robbins got his first deer, a spike.
"Cedarbuck" had a good year when they ended up with 10. Brian Day led the way with a 148-pound 10 pointer. His son, Matt, had a nice 8 pointer, as did Jim Dondero.
"South Millville Club" also had a total of 10. Fred Smith killed a pair Êa 7 and a 6. Anthony Loteck won the big buck contest with an 8 pointer.
Still haven't heard anything from the "East Point" boys, Cape May or Ruetters.
13-year-old Johnna Robinson, of Roadstown, bagged a 6-point buck on her first deer hunt ever. I think she deserves some credit shot at 75 yards with a 20-gauge slug. It was taken on Youth Day.
We need more kids in the hunting sports, not on the street corner, or in front of a TV or computer playing mindless games.
One last note, I just heard that 16-year-old Tim Hickman, killed a big 11 pointer while hunting with the "Ricci Bros" in Port Norris.
Jim Bolton is outdoor writer for South Jersey Newspapers. His column runs on Thursday. He can be reached at (856) 313-9347.
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/sports-8/1261038314241460.xml&coll=8
According to this article an unofficial combined number of 184 bucks were killed by this group of clubs. 184 out of 50,000 deer killed annually in New Jersey, and they were probably all scrubs and skippers that the whiners passed up during bow season over the bait.