New to Zone 3

[ImNewToThis]

Hey folks,

This will be my first bow season in zone 3 and I'm planning on heading into Abram S. Hewitt SF. This is my first attempt at hunting public land so I'm fairly hesitant about the whole process. If anyone  here has any experience in hunting public land, or Hewitt SF specifically, I would greatly appreciate any helpful advice. My biggest concern is stepping on other hunter's toes. Anyone here familiar with Hewitt and willing to chat?

Thanks!
Jake

[Rusty]

Welcome to the site New Guy.  I'm more familiar with the Watershed in zone 3 but I'm sure that there are guys here that can help you out.

 

[Live to Hunt]

Welcome and good luck.   I remember my first days of hunting like it was yesterday.  Some of the best times.   

[BHC]

doesn't get hit as hard as other public lands, also not loaded with deer, very good for bears

[LPJR]

Welcome to the site Newbie. I am sure you find lots of good info on here. 

[ImNewToThis]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. 

BHC: Isn't bear hunting closed on state lands this season? 

Would you recommend Ringwood, Norvin Green, or Wawayanda more over Abram Hewitt for deer?

[Pqreturn62]

Be prepared to spend long hours in the stand and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see anything back there. Zone 3 is funny in that you can sit somewhere 8 times and not see a doe, then on day #9 see 3 shooters. I live in west milford and have hunted her for almost 20 years now. It’s a fickle b*tch, but if you can kill deer here you can kill deer anywhere in the state. It’s rugged, it’s thick, the deer numbers are low, and the competition is high, but every year someone knocks down a bruiser. 

 

If you ever ever need help or advice, or even just wanna bounce ideas off me, shoot me a PM and I’ll send you my number. Always a good idea to have someone who can help you drag when you’re hunting in WM. You learn quickly just how heavy a 140lb buck can be when you’re a mile off the road in mountain laurel.

 

Ken

Edited September 17, 2018 by Pqreturn62

[Rusty]

7 hours ago, Pqreturn62 said:

Be prepared to spend long hours in the stand and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see anything back there. Zone 3 is funny in that you can sit somewhere 8 times and not see a doe, then on day #9 see 3 shooters. I live in west milford and have hunted her for almost 20 years now. It’s a fickle b*tch, but if you can kill deer here you can kill deer anywhere in the state. It’s rugged, it’s thick, the deer numbers are low, and the competition is high, but every year someone knocks down a bruiser. 

If you ever ever need help or advice, or even just wanna bounce ideas off me, shoot me a PM and I’ll send you my number. Always a good idea to have someone who can help you drag when you’re hunting in WM. You learn quickly just how heavy a 140lb buck can be when you’re a mile off the road in mountain laurel.

Good advice right there.  

[Rusty]

7 hours ago, ImNewToThis said:

Would you recommend Ringwood, Norvin Green, or Wawayanda more over Abram Hewitt for deer?

Don't overlook the Newark Watershed in zone 3.  

[Deerslayer21]

scout, scout, scout,  get way back off the road and when you think you are far off go further....  Very tough hunting but, can be rewarding. DO YOUR HOMEWORK  !!!! 

[Bucksnbows]

Having grown up in West Milford and learning to hunt deer in zone 3, I can only say to find small swamps and thick patches as far from roads and trails as possible and set up on trails leading to and from while paying attention to the wind direction.


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[Live to Hunt]

6 hours ago, Rusty said:

Good advice right there.  

[230jhp]

Deer movement in Z3 is constantly changing over the long haul. It is surprising where you find deer activity. I have one spot on Ringwood State park (formally Wanaque WMA) where I have taken several nice bucks in previous years..  That spot is close enough to a main road I can hear cars going by.  However. when it became a state park vs a WMA  the area became inundated with non hunting hikers.  I haven't seen a deer or sign there since.  Although that spot is no longer productive it is an example of why you don't need to go deep into the woods. I have another spot on the same tract over a mile deep into the woods where I also have taken decent bucks most recently three years ago. That day the buck I shot was the third deer I saw that morning.The last two years I have  hunted that exact spot dark to dark several times without seeing anything. Since this spot is .25 miles south of the state line I think hunting activity an Sterling Forest NY pushed them south into NJ. However, the last few years hardly anyone hunts Sterling, at least not near the state line.

Deer are edge animals.They like to hang out where there is a transition between types of habitat. That is open fields to woods, open woods to thick cover. By open fields I am not only referring to agricultural fields, McMansions with large lawns also suffice as open fields. The problem with Z3 there is not an abundance of either. That being the case you need to look for places where thick vegetation gives way to open woods.

  Two places I can suggest in Waywayanda are Cedar Swamp and the Hemlock ravine. 

Cedar Swamp should rightfully be called rhododendron swamp because it is a jungle of that stuff.  In places where it is adjacent to open hardwoods the deer move in and out of and along the heavy cover. When I hunted there many years ago we used to park on the West Milford side of the park on County Road. That area has had a lot of  new houses built. The last I checked there was no where to park. From there it was a significant walk to the honey hole along the swamp. Now you must park inside the park, depending on what gates are open it is now an even longer walk.

The hemlock ravine runs somewhat parallel to the west of Iron Mountain road. IMR is a dirt road, but you can legally drive on it because it is part of the parks road system.  Again I have taken several deer there over the years.The ravine goes from less than 100 yds from the road to about a .75 mile at the state line.  Similar to the above the deer move in and out of the thick hemlocks to the open woods. If there had been a lot of rain the creek at the bottom of the ravine becomes roaring white water affecting the deer movement. Except during the recent bear seasons hardly anyone hunts there.

East of Iron Mountain road, between it and old Wawwayana road is Moe mountain. I have taken turkeys in Moe mountain,but never a deer  A long defunct archery club Moe Mountain Archers once had a range there. There used to be an open field with apple trees, but those trees haven't been pruned in many years and the open area is shoulder high weeds. There was a large pond called Kasmir Pond near the field. Last spring the park management removed the dam draining the pond.  I haven't checked lately if the deer are hitting whatever new vegetation is growing there and possibly attracting deer. 

One of the problems with the Moe Mountain/Hemlock ravine area is lots of noisy mountain bikers and horse riders.  These people feel compelled to yell to each other when they are separated by 50 yards and or talk at the top of their lungs when together.

Edited September 17, 2018 by 230jhp

[230jhp]

15 hours ago, ImNewToThis said:

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. 

BHC: Isn't bear hunting closed on state lands this season? 

Would you recommend Ringwood, Norvin Green, or Wawayanda more over Abram Hewitt for deer?

I live 10 minutes away from Norvin Green and never hunt it. During the week it might not be too bad, but on the weekend it is loaded with hippy dippy hikers.

[Bucksnbows]

11 minutes ago, 230jhp said:

I live 10 minutes away from Norvin Green and never hunt it. During the week it might not be too bad, but on the weekend it is loaded with hippy dippy hikers.

It gets driven hard during gun seasons, you can count on that.  I hunted it often when I was younger and know the families that do much of the driving because they were doing it back then as well.  You earn your bucks in Z3, that's for certain.