What can be done about barren wasteland farm fields on WMAs??

[Bonefreak]

This budget info was from a previous "show me the money" post about the surplus money in the Division. 

I see that the "lease program" generated $2 million + dollars.

This is at the expense of sportsmen and women who are crammed up huntin the same old  WMA areas while giant fields are left devoid of any food and cover after they been harvested.

I think it's time for the Division to give back to all the dedicated licesne buyers and maximize the potential of each WMAs acreage for wildlife and not for profit for their surplus budget. 

Their surplus of $3 million shouldbe less, their lease program of $2 million should be less, and there should be more huntable acreage for license buyers. 

 

 

[tcook8296]

Part of their lease agreement as I said before is they should be required to leave part of the crop standing or plant a cover crop such as wheat or rye. Cereal grain is inexpensive to plant

[Bones]

They should have to cut it with 2 to 3 feet left standing for cover for animals or plant winter rye or something. Not only would it help the wildlife but it would help with water runoff.

I know it’s a way to bring money in but they need to have a better program for the wildlife benefiting from it as well.

[DDS]

I hunt public farmed land I think it’s state land, and my back yard which I just barely have enough room to bow hunt. Also my extended pfamily farms (I help occasionally but don’t do it regularly). Your asking a lot of a farmer(s) that already barely makes by on minimal profits. To plant and then not harvest or to plant and then to leave half standing is a large profit loss on not much profits. Not including labor and equipment repairs  it costs approximatly $400/acre to plant and harvest corn this is materials alone. By the time corn and even soy beans are harvested it doesn’t leave enough time to get another crop started. Yes a lot of farmers plant a cover crop or wheat but this even only has enough time to germinate before the cold sets in and it stops growing for the winter, in not sure about the farmers that farm WMA but my family that farms state and county public land plants a cover crop on it along with all the other fields that are on privacy rented land. I know there is  grants that completely pay farmers to plant fields that will not be harvested but they get paid, not much but enough to make it worth it.

I love hunting field edges, but when crops are still standing I have more success in the woods away from the fields because you only get a small window to hit the deer before they disappear into the fields. Also deer around fields are less likely to come to bait of any kind because they have a whole field to eat from. It isn’t until the fields are harvested that I move to the field edges because the deer come out and are visible, they are also more likely to come to bait put out because their large food source is now gone. 

On the other side many farmers can’t afford to own land in this state and in many other states, they rely on renting from private owners, rent from state or county. The land available to farm is diminishing all across the country due to developments. Personally if they have to farm public land we hunt I would rather work around them because they are helping to feed the country not just themselves. But they also need us to help hunt the deer. My family looses approximatly the first 5-10 rows of corn in each field due to deer eating it. So without hunters the loose would be much higher. 

[bucky]

Quote

What can be done about barren wasteland farm fields on WMAs??

Here's an idea and it would probably make 90% of NJ hunters happy

[Bonefreak]

1 hour ago, DDS said:

I hunt public farmed land I think it’s state land, and my back yard which I just barely have enough room to bow hunt. Also my extended pfamily farms (I help occasionally but don’t do it regularly). Your asking a lot of a farmer(s) that already barely makes by on minimal profits. To plant and then not harvest or to plant and then to leave half standing is a large profit loss on not much profits. Not including labor and equipment repairs  it costs approximatly $400/acre to plant and harvest corn this is materials alone. By the time corn and even soy beans are harvested it doesn’t leave enough time to get another crop started. Yes a lot of farmers plant a cover crop or wheat but this even only has enough time to germinate before the cold sets in and it stops growing for the winter, in not sure about the farmers that farm WMA but my family that farms state and county public land plants a cover crop on it along with all the other fields that are on privacy rented land. I know there is  grants that completely pay farmers to plant fields that will not be harvested but they get paid, not much but enough to make it worth it.

I love hunting field edges, but when crops are still standing I have more success in the woods away from the fields because you only get a small window to hit the deer before they disappear into the fields. Also deer around fields are less likely to come to bait of any kind because they have a whole field to eat from. It isn’t until the fields are harvested that I move to the field edges because the deer come out and are visible, they are also more likely to come to bait put out because their large food source is now gone. 

On the other side many farmers can’t afford to own land in this state and in many other states, they rely on renting from private owners, rent from state or county. The land available to farm is diminishing all across the country due to developments. Personally if they have to farm public land we hunt I would rather work around them because they are helping to feed the country not just themselves. But they also need us to help hunt the deer. My family looses approximatly the first 5-10 rows of corn in each field due to deer eating it. So without hunters the loose would be much higher. 

Appreciate your input DD as you come from a farming family......and of course I appreciate the farming industry in this country.......but my license dollars should not be going towards subsidizing WMA farmers.....who, in some instances....plant corn, harvest it, and sell it back to hunters....pretty moronic if you ask a reasonable person.

What I would prefer is let the vast fields go fallow, or maybe even have the Division plant food plots or wildlife preferred fruit and nut trees. 

[Bonefreak]

2 hours ago, tcook8296 said:

Part of their lease agreement as I said before is they should be required to leave part of the crop standing or plant a cover crop such as wheat or rye. Cereal grain is inexpensive to plant

TC, the new rules are they are not required to leave any of the crop standing, but they are supposed to provide "in kind services" to offset their full harvest. "In kind services" can be mowing or planting food plots or cover crops......and from what I've seen, the "in kind services" are poorly managed with mowing of cover at the wrong time of year,  and sorghum food plots planted in sand that didn't develop seeds and could barely provide cover for a field mouse!!!

[Batsto]

Lazy mangement and not enough employees......cheap attitudes in a high tax state. 

[Bonefreak]

No doubt Bat!!  

We should take matters into our own hands, start a WMA Committee w the NJSFSC, and with some volunteers.....make our WMAs great again.....get rid of the farm leases and manage the acreage for wildlife, which is more in line with the Division's mission statement and goals!

[Live to Hunt]

WMA-Waste MAnagement 

[Buck154]

11 hours ago, bucky said:

Here's an idea and it would probably make 90% of NJ hunters happy

Hey i know the guy that has a pile a pinch smaller

[Batsto]

I don't understand why the state could not use inmates to raise pheasants and assist in cultivating WMA lands. Crops would be good for all kinds of critters. Harvest some crops for inmate food and let others remain for food source for Deer, upland and waterdowl. 

[Bonefreak]

20 minutes ago, Batsto said:

I don't understand why the state could not use inmates to raise pheasants and assist in cultivating WMA lands. Crops would be good for all kinds of critters. Harvest some crops for inmate food and let others remain for food source for Deer, upland and waterdowl. 

I like your way of thinking and jail work programs need to be exponentially expanded.....but......all it would take is one inmate to cut his finger on something and he would be a millionaire aftet he sued the state. 

If the Division wants to make money off their agricultural WMA fields.......a reasonable business minded approach  would be to hire a retired farmer who knows how to farm......or train their personnel how to farm and make profits for the agency.......the way it is now it's the farmers who are profiting from the rich soils on WMAs, the Division gets a slice of their profits, and us license buyers get the drippings and skulk around WMA that have so much more potential.

I still think there is some wisdom to keeping things simple.....out with the lease program and let the fields go fallow

[Livesintrees]

No reason they can’t harvest the corn. Or the beans. Etc etc and then get winter wheat in the ground. It’s green. Deer love it. Helps with soil compaction. Will suppress weeds until it’s time for the next crop. And it’s cheap, especially in bulk 

[Bucksnbows]

Appreciate your input DD as you come from a farming family......and of course I appreciate the farming industry in this country.......but my license dollars should not be going towards subsidizing WMA farmers.....who, in some instances....plant corn, harvest it, and sell it back to hunters....pretty moronic if you ask a reasonable person.
What I would prefer is let the vast fields go fallow, or maybe even have the Division plant food plots or wildlife preferred fruit and nut trees. 

If you leave the fields to go fallow, they will quickly become upland forests and not fields any longer. The Division does not have crews or equipment to plant and weed and harvest.


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