WMA Food plots & Fields

[bigolebuck]

When I started hunting back in 1981 I can remember many different WMA's here in South Jersey that used to grow soy beans and corn, my question is why did the state actually discontinued these planting programs for the deer, considering the large amount of money the state gets now for a general hunting license and extra permit tags etc? What does the state concider Wildlife Management? :thdown:

Just curious

[R & R]

, considering the large amount of money the state gets now for a general hunting license and extra permit tags etc?
Are you kidding?

It does suck we don't see the corn like the 80's but the land management dept. is a skeliton of what it once was.

[onthehunt]

I hunted tuckahoe WMA for most of my early years and all they planted back then was rye and sorgum.

[Blood Trail]

AHH The great state of New Jersey give us your money and nothing in return

[bigolebuck]

AHH The great state of New Jersey give us your money and nothing in return

You got that right Blood Trail.... The only good thing I have seen in the past few years is the state is buying up a lot of land, which is good if you have to resort to state property to hunt. I have property, but I also like to hunt certain state pieces.

[Darrin Greene]

It doesn't work that way in most places. There is usually a farmer with an agreement to farm the land that in return leaves 5% of his harvest behind for the critters. Sorgum is just cheap to plan and the farmers use it for the 5% to control cost.

using Raccoon Creek WMA as an example...

It used to be a hay field and quite huntable for geese and training ground for our retrievers, but the farmer stopped farming it and now it is rag weed head high and totally unusable.

I don't think the state is planting much if any of the crops you guys are seeing. I think you'll find that the farmer is just done for the season before you get there and the sorgum and cover crop is in place at that time of year.

[shooter61]

The state did very little planting it was the farmer who leased the ground that did the planting of fall crops .i've seen fields that haven't been planted in years.

[onthehunt]

Well maybe instead of the state taking a cash payment for the lease, they should have the farmer just replant the fields. Every bodys happy, including the wildlife for once:nuts:

[Barrell]

nj fish and wildlife is broke, broke. There are very few hunters in NJ. If they get a saltwater licensce you will see an end to all the layoffs and maybe thay can get something done.

[onthehunt]

Barrel, you seem up to speed with F/G. I saw a small article in Field and Stream a few months back that said in '09 all striped bass fisherman will need a permit. It will be free in the beginning, then they will start to charge. Just think of all the fines to people who won't go get the free permit:nuts:. That should put some money back into F/G's pockets. Thought I would see something on the other barn, unless I missed it. Didn't mean to hijack:p

[Bullseye]

Hate to get Political. But we need to get a sportsman friendly government. That may be the place to start. I think the last Governer that was sportsman friendly was ( I hate to admit it) Christine Whitman. Yes she is a hunter & has a NJ Hunting license.

[shooter61]

First of all the state did nothing ...lazy the rented the fields out to farmers they had to get 1 million dollar insurance policy so they could plant the fields in corn rye or whatever they wanted for crops ...then they had to leave 10% for the birds or animals(deer) ..so when we did not get a lot of rain the farmer took the blunt of it ...but when somebody drove thru the field it was a loss of revenue!!!!!!!

[Setterman]

If you are lamenting back to 1981 then I'll lament back to the 60's. There used to be a lot of crops back then on the WMA's then. Lots of soybeans and corn always left over. Today, all the WMA's seem to be growing is that damn multiflora as hedgerow bunkers. And that takes nothing to grow, it's classified as an "invasive species" and serves no value other than impenetrable cover!

[ECRETzone27]

i no of a lot of stateland that has corn n soybeans planted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:fight:

[Elwellzone27]

every stateland near me the is corn , beans

[Setterman]

In the southern zones, yes; there are still crops. There is some corn in the northern sections as well; like Clinton, Flatbrook and Water Gap areas. But, there is not as much in my opinion as there used to be forty years ago. Most crops will be cut before the hunting seasons expire. WHY not leave them there?

[freedom]

It doesn't work that way in most places. There is usually a farmer with an agreement to farm the land that in return leaves 5% of his harvest behind for the critters. Sorgum is just cheap to plan and the farmers use it for the 5% to control cost.

using Raccoon Creek WMA as an example...

It used to be a hay field and quite huntable for geese and training ground for our retrievers, but the farmer stopped farming it and now it is rag weed head high and totally unusable.

I don't think the state is planting much if any of the crops you guys are seeing. I think you'll find that the farmer is just done for the season before you get there and the sorgum and cover crop is in place at that time of year.

and there you go.. thanks darrin, one thing would help is to mow the over grown fields once in a while, labor would be cheap volantrees good do it,

[BowtechKilla]

In the southern zones, yes; there are still crops. There is some corn in the northern sections as well; like Clinton, Flatbrook and Water Gap areas. But, there is not as much in my opinion as there used to be forty years ago. Most crops will be cut before the hunting seasons expire. WHY not leave them there?

Setterman- I was told by one farmer who farms WMA land that his crops had to be gone by the start of small game season. Don't know if that is a condition of F&G or what. Good part is I scored 65 acres of private land from the same farmer!!!

[tuny]

To many people have been listening to Miss Information. Let's get the truth out there. There are many reasons that you don't see the fields planted in the southern WMAs and here are some of them. years ago Fish and Wildlife used to get mushroom soil from farmers in Pa and only had to pay to get it delivered (some $200-300/ tractor trailer load). Then the farmers realized there was a market for the soil and it became cost prohibitive. The seed was usually gotten through various wildlife programs at no cost to the Division. Now as to the farmers planting fields, they are required to leave 15% of the crop for wildlife.
The Division had many more employees but, during the last several administrations the numbers of employees have dropped by one third. The lands management crews are barely able to keep up with the stocking of birds and fish. Let alone keep up on the field/road maintenance.
You will not find a more dedicated group of workers than those working for the division of Fish and Wildlife. They almost all hunt or fish, so doing there best, is in their interest as well.:thup:

[BowtechKilla]

Now as to the farmers planting fields, they are required to leave 15% of the crop for wildlife.


All fields by me are picked clean?!?!?

[tuny]

It's up to the lands management folks to make sure the lease is upheld. Sometimes it slips through the cracks or maybe the farmer has other ground that he leases and leaves more in that field, who knows.