State to stock 10K fewer birds!

[Greenspace]

I gave up on the NJ chicken hunt long ago.  Deer, ducks, turkeys, there's lots of better quality hunting options than the shootouts for pen birds, IMHO of course!.

[BothBarrels]

There was a problem at the Rockport farm this year. High mortality rate of pheasant chicks from two vendors. This is written in the latest Federation of Sportsmens Clubs newsletter !

 

I didn't know they bought chicks, either. What's the story with that?

 

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That photo should be on the cover of next year's digest, LPJR!

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[GhostBear]

Back about 15 year ago they used to breed their own birds, the quantity and quality was way better and the stamp was $20, now there are far fewer birds, chick loss rates are ridiculous, the quality of bids is less, the are removing birds and stocking them else where then the last few year they tried to sell off so call extra birds, the quality of the hunt is down, and to top it off the stamp is now $40!

 

So now, they get hosed on feed, and quail, but now on pheasant chicks, no wonder it sucks anymore.

[LPJR]

Back about 15 year ago they used to breed their own birds, the quantity and quality was way better and the stamp was $20, now there are far fewer birds, chick loss rates are ridiculous, the quality of bids is less, the are removing birds and stocking them else where then the last few year they tried to sell off so call extra birds, the quality of the hunt is down, and to top it off the stamp is now $40!

 

So now, they get hosed on feed, and quail, but now on pheasant chicks, no wonder it sucks anymore.

 

Paul, with all due respect I am going to disagree. Not to start a state controversy, or a debate on W/W for that matter, but for guys with young families like me and numerous hunters on here with new dogs, and a daughter who just started in college this Fall, the state stocking program works. The birds were among the biggest I have seen last season, and they were spread out nicely. Lots of memories with family and friends were created on state grounds since I was a kid....Now the thousand of acres for that matter along the Delaware River above Flatbrook WMA's are being stocked........A private preserve is of course a dream hunt, but is money I choose to spend elsewhere on necessities, especially with the family. So to bash the state's stocking program constantly and to say it "sucks" non stop is not everyone's opinion. You have made your point, which is your opinion, and then some. How bout we all move on...Thanks in advance.......

Edited September 29, 2017 by LPJR

[GhostBear]

No worries, but you should've seen it back then, one year they put out just over 60k, this about three years before I got Attila so 2000 or so, after the morning shoot, about 10am birds where walking around everywhere! Then it went down from there, 56k,55k,50k,now 45k and the stamp went from $20 to $40 in that time, so what's going to happen in 2018? 35k birds? All I'm saying is this, it was way better as little as 15-16 years ago than it is today, even if I still had Attila and he was in his prime, I'd still not buy a stamp this season, not worth the money to me anymore, I only had Monday's to hunt, Attila and I did the same hunts from 2005-2015 with incredible success, in 2016, same hunts, same amount of days and only finding two, when in previous years it was and average of 6-10, big difference. Just doesn't make sence to me to keep reducing the numbers and reallocating them on top, so that none hold over anymore, that's what I'm hearing from other guys so it's not just me! Lol these are just my observations, and I put every Monday, and a ton of days after my jobs winter shutdown around thanks giving.

[smoking gun]

Shred those birds

[BothBarrels]

But, when did they start buying chicks? And, why? That building they did was for eggs.

 

Anyway ... I've still had success at Black River these past years. I'm able to go some weekday afternoons with the dog .... we have fun.

[GhostBear]

But, when did they start buying chicks? And, why? That building they did was for eggs.

 

Anyway ... I've still had success at Black River these past years. I'm able to go some weekday afternoons with the dog .... we have fun.

yeah I was wondering that myself? That's a lot of chicks to by and you gotta think the prices are high because the check say fish and game on it. I do know they used to breed them. I'm also curious as to when they stopped.

[toze777]

This going to be the first year hutninig back in NJ in the last 16 years moved away and moving  back ,   but im seeing that this is going to be a bad season with few birds i guess,    7

 

i have a question does the Nj Games wild live have there own breeding program or do they buy from local  breeders  ? 

[Mallard1100]

A little off topic but I will say this until I'm blue in the face. The state needs to stop announcing the stocking days! That's the only way the experience and safety factor will improve. Stock the same amount of birds per week, but pick a random day and time out of the 7 days in a week and the first light firing squads will end.

[buckfever1974]

Towards the middle of the season last year when it was clear that they were putting out fewer birds, a cackle in one area of the field would send guys on a sprint to be the first ones there.  Any cluster of shots was like opening the doors at Walmart on black Friday.  By the time you picked up your bird, what was an empty field turned into orange polk-a-dots.  

[GhostBear]

Well, that's sorta always been that way, even when they where stocking close to 60K birds, but it's gotten worse since the bird numbers started to decline, the last few seasons I've seen people fighting over a shot bird, hell one thanksgiving I had no less than 4 guys shoot birds off Attila, that weren't hunting with me, I never even got the chance to even raise my gun! Then another time I shot and folded a bird only to have a guy run up, grab it and run away!! Lol that's when I started hunting either later in the day or on non stocking days, but last season was the worst I ever saw it, now this year they're down more than 10K birds?! What's it going to be next year? Or the year after, guys who buy stamps for the most part are not complaining about how far they have to drive like the state thinks, for years as I hunted and ran into folks the main gripe was there's no frigging BIRDS! Lol, all I ever hear. And with the low numbers this year you are gonna hear it more and more, shame it was great as little as 6 years ago, not so much now.

 

Adding new WMA's and stocking places like Along the Delaware, and adding birds to pequest is a great idea, but would've been better had the raised more birds to cover it rather than take them away from the other WMA's, I live within 40min of THREE WMA's that got shorted some 3-4K birds total, that's going to piss a lot of guys off, and cause more fighting over the few remaining birds, with gas prices as they are, no one is driving over an hour to hunt birds that will be wiped out the first 5 minutes of shooting.

Edited October 12, 2017 by GhostBear

[MS22]

This is just hearsay...but supposedly they had a failure of their own chicks(a really stupid error)...and then 2 failures of chicks bought from outside pheasant farms. After hearing that, I was surprised they have pheasants at all this year....Because as each failure happened, the amount of available birds from outside farms reduced and probably became more expensive. also, there is supposedly a new manager at rock port. Not sure how much that would play into it, but hopefully they get their shit together for next year.

[Mink]

Not sure if those reports are true but I can say the birds they released for training were SUPER wary and acted much like wild birds! Looking forward to the season!

[1957Buck]

Nothing new on complaints and bashing NJDFAG One would think with the countless years of Producing Game Birds and Fish they would have it down pat. From years of Snow collapsing wire roofs at game farms to escaping birds. Diseases Failures they created with bad decisions. Natural and Man-Made.    

I remember one Thanksgiving at Round Valley that not ONE SHOT was fired that day leaving many pissed off that they announced a stocking but obviously they did not. Same at Collingswood one day I did not hunt but went to watch the action stood with a Warden when the time came and the hunters advanced again Not ONE SHOT was heard as I left I passed other parking areas and the same stories were told Where The F*$@ are the Birds. 

On the Trout, front been there and saw and heard complaints on few to no fish or the sizes stocked from 6-7 in fish.  

The fact there are Honey Holes that are taken care of by the Stockers. I learned that many years ago on the Flat Brook. 

As far as Deer and Bear they are managed by Farmers that feed them year round. 

Seems Costs go up quality goes down.  The goal of NJDFAG is raising Cash with Licencing with means of hunting and from types of Firearms to ways of hunting.  

Hunters were fewer seasons were fewer Bag limits less  Game was Bountiful as there was more open land to hunt.

Now with The generous seasons 100 days for Deer. Turkey- Bear- Geese added and almost a free-for-all on the Means and ways of hunting now Higher Licences The quality is down and the Complaining is up. Who should be held accountable???

I was blessed with many years of Hunting -Fishing when Game was plentiful Grouse- Woodcock Rabbits- Pheasants- were the norm Deer was 6 days, success was scattered one had to Actually Hunt them, with Shotgun buckshot and Bow.     

Why was there less Complaining during those years. When I hear Hunter numbers are down.  Some say less Land - fewer Birds - Less Deer. fewer breeds of Trout.  Bad decisions.  

Many may not get or understand this but keep in mind it is not Opinion but Facts.    Good Luck to all.