First Time Hunting on WMA, want some help.

[smungung]

First time hunter, Did my hunter certification this summer and and excited for the start of the small game season soon. Im looking to start with trying for squirrels and any other small game on some WMAs. Im in northern NJ, dont know any private land owners so im going to be limited to public. What paperwork do i need to hunt small game? from what i understand I would  atleast need a firearms hunting license and a rifle permit to use a .22lr  Thanks!

[mazzgolf]

13 minutes ago, smungung said:

a rifle permit to use a .22lr  !

Make sure you read the NJ Hunting Digest for all the rules and laws. It is illegal to hunt squirrels with a .22lr. You can hunt them with an airgun.

You only need a hunting license to hunt small game in NJ.

[mazzgolf]

In the previous post, I was making general statements - read the digest to get details. For example, you can hunt squirrels with muzzleloaders - that requires a rifle permit, you can only do that in certain areas of the state at certain times of year, and the muzzleloader must be a certain caliber and no larger. That's an example why you should read the entire Digest

Edited September 16, 2020 by mazzgolf

[johnyanu]

I could wrong but I think you can’t use a 22 lr in nj only a 22 caliber pelt gun

[mazzgolf]

2 minutes ago, johnyanu said:

I could wrong but I think you can’t use a 22 lr in nj only a 22 caliber pelt gun

That is true for squirrels and rabbits. Not true if hunting predators during the special season with the predator permit, and not true for trappers dispatching. This is another example for why I mentioned the OP should read the digest - all kinds of things like this you need to be aware of.

[Bucksnbows]

26 minutes ago, smungung said:

First time hunter, Did my hunter certification this summer and and excited for the start of the small game season soon. Im looking to start with trying for squirrels and any other small game on some WMAs. Im in northern NJ, dont know any private land owners so im going to be limited to public. What paperwork do i need to hunt small game? from what i understand I would  atleast need a firearms hunting license and a rifle permit to use a .22lr  Thanks!

Welcome and as other said, you should start by reading the Digest back to front and front to back several times.  Keep a copy in your truck and in your bathroom and read it until it makes sense.  Once you have a general idea of the laws and remember them year to year, you can only look to the red highlighted sections which are new rules for that given year.  Public land for squirrels and even rabbits can be excellent hunting in places.  Decide if you want to pursue them with air rifles (no silencers) or with a shotgun or a small caliber muzzleloader and go from there.  But don't think for a minute that all the squirrels and rabbits are holed up on private lands.  We just have the chipmunks and bears is all. 

Best of luck this season and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions.   

[Lunatic]

16 minutes ago, johnyanu said:

I could wrong but I think you can’t use a 22 lr in nj only a 22 caliber pelt gun

Depends on what you are hunting. For example no on squirrels but yes for groundhogs 

[mazzgolf]

10 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

Depends on what you are hunting. For example no on squirrels but yes for groundhogs 

Ah, right. Forgot about that one! yes, for groundhogs, but ONLY on private land, not public  WMAs.

Gotta luv Jersey laws.

[hunterbob1]

Welcome to the site smuggung. Congratulations on the priveledge passing your safety course. I know a lot of good people in North Jersey, follow the site and you will learn a lot from them!... Bucks&bows is one of them, he said everything I would say.Have fun,Be safe, be courteous, don't litter!..👍

[Bucndoe]

2 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

That is true for squirrels and rabbits. Not true if hunting predators during the special season with the predator permit, and not true for trappers dispatching. This is another example for why I mentioned the OP should read the digest - all kinds of things like this you need to be aware of.

Incorrect. Dispatching trapped animals is only with 22 SHORTS  

Edited September 16, 2020 by Bucndoe

[Black Bear Bowhunter]

Crazy rules for sure! The digest can be very confusing so honest questions are good but asking for thing without having read the digest is illadvised as others stated above!

[smungung]

On 9/16/2020 at 1:29 PM, mazzgolf said:

Make sure you read the NJ Hunting Digest for all the rules and laws. It is illegal to hunt squirrels with a .22lr. You can hunt them with an airgun.

You only need a hunting license to hunt small game in NJ.

dang that sucks thanks for the heads up.