NTING U IS H S 0 U 0 E 0 2 WORKING SINCE 1892 FOR WILDLIFE, PEOPLE & HABITAT FREE Bowhunters note change in openingBow day season of the to earlyMonday Fall September 11, 2000 NNEWEW JJERSEYERSEY FFishish && WWildlifeildlife DDigestigest A SUMMARY OF RULES AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - DIVISION OF FISH & WILDLIFE VOL. 14 NO. 1 AUGUST 2000 Conserve Wildlife Visit our website at: License Plates Support Endangered and www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw Nongame Species See page 34 NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife Telephone Directory Facing Wildlife-Human Internet Address www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw New Jersey Commercial Preserves & Semi-Wild Preserves 609-984-6211 Conflicts in New Jersey Deer & Turkey Permit Hotline 609-292-9192 DEP ACTION LINE - 24 HOURS 609-292-7172 New Jersey 877-WARNDEP Fish & Wildlife Digest Exotic & Nongame Captivity Permits 609-292-9591 Falconry Permit Information 908-735-8793 Published by the NJ Fish and Wildlife General Information 609-292-2965 P.O. Box 400, Trenton, NJ 08625-0400 www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw Hunter Education 877-2HUNTNJ Hunting, Fishing, & Duplicate Licenses 609-292-2965 State of New Jersey Operation Game Thief 800-222-0456 Christine Todd Whitman, Governor Outstanding Deer Program 609-292-9450 Pheasant & Quail Stocking Information 609-292-1599 Department of Environmental Protection Rifle Permit Information 609-984-1400 Robert C. Shinn, Jr., Commissioner Trout Stocking Hotline 609-633-6765 Wildlife Conservation Corps Information 609-633-3616 Division of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Damage Control 908-735-8793 Robert McDowell, Director Wildlife Management Area Information 609-292-1599 David Chanda, Assistant Director Martin McHugh, Assistant Director Trenton Office Rob Winkel, Chief, Law Enforcement 501 E. State St., Station Plaza 5, 3rd Floor, PO Box 400, Jim Sciascia, Chief, Wildlife Education Trenton, NJ 08625-0400 Cindy Kuenstner, Editor Endangered and Nongame Species 609-292-9400 Freshwater Fisheries 609-292-1599 The Division of Fish and Wildlife is a professional, Land Management 609-292-1599 environmental organization dedicated to the protection, Law Enforcement 609-292-9430 management and wise use of the state’s fish and wildlife resources. Marine Fisheries 609-292-2083 Director’s Message Wildlife Education 609-292-9450 By Bob McDowell The Digest is available at license agents and Division Wildlife Management 609-292-6685 offices. Articles and information may be reprinted with Northern Region Office permission. 26 Route 173 W., Hampton, NJ 08827 As sportsmen and women living in New Subscriptions are not available. Law Enforcement (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Jersey, you are keenly aware of both our Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Partial Funding for the Digest is provided by the Warren Counties) 908-735-8240 expanding human population and our increasing Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. Endangered and Nongame Species 908-735-8975 wildlife populations. New Jersey is attractive to New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Councils Hunter Education 877-2HUNTNJ humans and wildlife for some of the same rea- Fish and Game Council Wildlife Damage Control 908-735-8793 sons: the state’s location and geography gives us John W. Bradway, Sr., Chair, Salem Wildlife Management 908-735-7040 Richard Culp, Oak Ridge Land Management 973-383-0918 a temperate climate and a diversity of lands like W. Scott Ellis, Trenton Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center mountains, beaches and forested plains provid- Fred Hough, Augusta 605 Pequest Rd., Oxford, NJ 07863 908-637-4125 ing a wide range of habitats. Yet, despite our George Howard, Pittstown Jane Morton Galetto, Millville Freshwater Fisheries Lab dense human population, wildlife also thrives Elwood Knight, Mount Laurel PO Box 394, Lebanon, NJ 08833 908-236-2118 here. The combination of New Jersey’s tremen- Bill Martin, Flemington Central Region Office dous environmental variety, moderate climate Madelyn Picone, Cedar Knolls 386 Clarksburg-Robbinsville Rd., Robbinsville, NJ 08691 Jack Shrier, Mendham Law Enforcement (Burlington, Mercer, Middlesex, and man’s manipulation of the land creates one Robert Von Suskil, Vineland Monmouth, and Ocean Counties) 609-259-2120 of the most diverse and productive habitats any- Endangered and Nongame Species Council Hunter Education 877-2HUNTNJ where in the country. Advisory Committee Land Management 609-259-2132 Unfortunately, the simultaneous increase of Jane Mortin Galletto, Chair, Millville Wildlife Damage Control 609-259-7955 Dr. James Applegate, Cranbury Southern Region Office both man and beast has placed numerous species Dr. Joanna Burger, Somerset 220 Blue Anchor Rd., Sicklerville, NJ 08081 on a collision course with the people of Mike Catania, Chester Information 856-629-0090 New Jersey. For some wildlife populations, Sally Dudley, Mendham Law Enforcement (Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Rich Kane, Bernardsville Janet Larson, Toms River Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties) 856-629-0555 those impacts are facing us now. Burgeoning Rick Lathrop, Bound Brook Hunter Education 877-2HUNTNJ populations of deer, geese and black bear have Dr. Dale Schweitzer, Port Norris Land Management 856-629-5006 created an unprecedented series of wildlife James Shissias, Titusville Freshwater Fisheries 856-629-4950 management challenges. However, the coopera- Wildlife Damage Control 856-629-7224 Marine Fisheries Council Wildlife Education 856-629-7214 tion of the sporting public is evident once Gilbert Ewing, Jr., Chair, Cape May Nacote Creek Research Station Dr. Robert B. Abel, Shrewsbury PO Box 418, Port Republic, NJ 08241 continued on page 3 William Barnish, Brigantine Erling Berg, Cape May Marine Law Enforcement 609-748-2050 Charles Bergmann, Cape May Marine Fisheries 609-748-2020 Mission David Botwinick, Pennington Shellfisheries 609-748-2040 To protect and manage the state’s fish and wildlife to John Cole, Pt. Pleasant Beach Marine Education 609-748-2031 Gary Dickerson, Brick Wildlife Management 609-748-2063 maximize their long-term biological, recreational and Dr. Patrick Donnelly, Brielle Bivalve Shellfish Office economic values for all New Jerseyans. Edward Goldman, Absecon PO Box 432, Port Norris, NJ 08349 856-785-0730 Richard Malinowski, Salem Goals Frances Puskas, Barnegat Light 1. To maintain New Jersey’s rich variety of fish and Atlantic Coast Shellfish Council wildlife species at stable, healthy levels and to pro- William Barnish, Chair, Brigantine Where to Everett Giberson, Manahawkin tect and enhance the many habitats on which they Walter Hughes, Atlantic Highlands depend. Daniel L. Loper, Erma Write Us Stephen Potter, New Gretna 2. To educate New Jerseyans on the values and needs of New Jersey Division of Fish Delaware Bay Shellfish Council our fish and wildlife and to foster a positive Richard Malinowski, Chair, Salem and Wildlife human/wildlife co-existence. Scott Bailey, Millville William Bradway, Port Norris P.O. Box 400 3. To maximize the recreational and commercial use of Stephen Fleetwood, Port Norris Trenton, NJ 08625-0400 New Jersey’s fish and wildlife for both present and Nancy Sittineri, Cape May Court House Internet: www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw future generations. 2 NEW JERSEY Fish & Wildlife DIGEST Facing Wildlife-Human Conflicts continued from page 2 License Information 2000-2001 License Fees Disabled Veteran’s again: with your support, we are successfully Firearm Licenses balancing many of these management situations Licenses & Permits Resident Firearm Hunting $ 27.50 while developing sound wildlife management Recent legislation signed by Governor Senior Resident Firearm Hunting strategies when new challenges emerge. I would like to personally express my thanks Whitman provides for the issuance of free (65 yrs & older) 15.50 to all of you for helping us to face the manage- hunting licenses and permits for resident dis- Non-Resident Firearm Hunting 135.50 ment of our increasing deer population by abled veterans. Non-Resident Two-Day Small Game 36.50 embracing the antlerless deer harvest objectives. For the purposes of this program, the legis- Firearm Hunting Thanks to your cooperation, the antlerless har- Special One-Day Hunting 12.50 vest exceeded 70% of the total 1999-00 harvest lation defines Disabled Veterans as: “. any (On Commercial Preserves Only) of 75,000 deer. With your continued resident of New Jersey who has been honor- support of new antlerless harvest objectives, ably discharged or released under honorable Bow and Arrow Licenses New Jersey can lower both agricultural and resi- circumstances from active service in any Resident Bow & Arrow Hunting 31.50 dential deer damage concerns in areas that branch of the Armed Forces of the United Senior Resident Bow & Arrow Hunting 16.50 remain open to sport hunting. States and who has been declared by the (65 yrs & older) Another challenge facing the Division is the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Non-Resident Bow & Arrow Hunting 135.50 management of our state’s growing black bear or its successor, to have a service-connected population. Division staff has devoted consider- disability of any degree. .” able effort to educating the public on reducing Trapping Licenses Disabled Veteran hunting licenses are bear-human conflicts. Our bear response team Resident Trapping 32.50 available at the Division’s Trenton office, as Non-Resident Trapping 200.50 captures and conditions bears which have caused problems, discouraging their return. Yet well as all Division field offices. Permits during the last three years when our efforts were most intense, bear damage complaints escalated Permit Bow Season Deer Permit 28.00 Disabled Veteran Applicants: by more than 368%. Although education and Permit Shotgun Season Deer Permit 28.00 aversive conditioning are valuable tools for 1. Must first have a disabled veteran license Permit Muzzleloader Season Deer Permit 28.00 addressing many bear problems, it is clear that to obtain a free disabled veteran deer per- Turkey Season Permit 21.00 New Jersey’s bear population has grown too mit. Rifle Permit (2-year Permit) 17.00 large to coexist peacefully with humans. The bear hunting season adopted this year by 2.