Ethics Question

[ranwin33]

Here is a site to get maps for Wildlife Management Areas in New Jersey. 
 
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wmaland.htm
 
If you are a native of the state you can probably figure out where they are, then match them up to Google Earth.  Figure anything not in the WMA boundaries would be private property and just take some general GPS coordinates to get a decent outline of where you would be on public land and where you would be on private land.
 
But easier would be to talk with the local county assessors office and find out where you can get property maps for the area you want to hunt.

[chucksniper]

Not so much WMA.... more so land in general. The county assesors office is better than the township tax parcel? I was told the F&G maps for WMA are not so good.... the WMA posts are not so good either. Water ways would be the safest bet. But that limits me to scout.

[JPH]

chucksniper, I'm starting to smell something fishy here. Mind if I ask how old you are? You really have to go to these lengths to identify where you are in the woods? How the heck do you find your way to and from your stand? Are you telling us you just wander in the woods with absolutely no idea how far you have gone or what direction you are moving in? Come on! If this is true, I really suggest you stay on your clearly posted 45 ac.
 
Knowing how to navigate in the woods is as much an element of hunter safety as knowing your firearm. My last words on this: If you don't know who owns it, you should not be there.

[ranwin33]

I really can't say - every place is different.  All you can do is check.

[chucksniper]

Are you serious?

I know where I hunt now... but i would like to venture out elsewhere and would like to be courteous ans respectful. You guys got me thinking about this and I would like to do the right thing. I just got off the phone with a gal from the DNR around my area for cordination. She couldn't help but shared with me about hunters on her spread, and her husband had to run them off. So I told her what I was doing to prevent ant disrespect, and she agreed what I was doing was a good thing. 
 
I was told by a buddy that the tax office is really good and the warden is dead wrong about the maps being not accurate. My buddy told the maps are the ticket from the tax office from the townships.

[JPH]

Okay chuck, I was misreading you. It seemed like you were going out of your way to make indentifying the property lines appear harder than it actually is.

If you are trying to do the right thing, I wish you the best. As i said, I really have nothing more to offer here.

[hookset6969]

Hey CHUCK it's good ol IL MR.OBAMA, Atleast we both think this guy is a joke, However even though I rank IL in one of the top ten piss bucket capital's of the world this state still protect's it's landowner's better than your's. CHUCK I believe your doing the right thing NOW, Before now I would have to say no. Listen if you make a good effort to find property line's and take a look around and do just some simple investigating you've then done what I would consider reasonable research and more than likely enough to keep you off private property. If for some reason you were off a little and someone caught you, You would atleast be able to say what you've done as far as research, And the landowner might appreciate the fact that you tried. I feel that this would be enough on your part seeing that your state law read's as it does. I also see your point that landowner's need to post their land because of the way the law read's in your state. People who own land there I'm sure know of the law, And a landowner that had a piece of property in the middle of state owned land and did not POST it I would have to say he/she was nut's [:)] Just keep in mind that most normal state's don't have this POST IT LAW and there for you really need to know where you are, And if it mean's walking from door to door to get someone to show you property line's than that's what it take's. Just as a side note S. IL is far different than N. IL the people in the southern part of IL have a whole different state to live in than we do here in the northern part, And believe me the first job that come's up that make's it possible for me to get out of here I'M GONE.......[:D]

[Chasin Tail]

Hookset,

Good luck with you on finding a job first of all and I wish you all the best on moving to your property.

We sold most everything we owned, our home in Denver, very small mountain cabin on 3 acres, anything of value, and most of our furniture. This was after saving every penny for 10 years and taking absolutely no trips outside of the cabin to make our dream come true. We moved out here without jobs, a place to live or any idea of what we were going to do next. Six years later we are living in our home that I built, hunting in our backyard and driving 25 miles each way to work. We have made a lot of sacrifices but wouldn't trade anything for it. My income almost covers paying the mortgage, taxes, and insurance, good thing I have a very supportive working wife. Then you have countless hours just to maintain the property, and this is before anything gets done to improve the deer habitat. So, yes, I get PO'ed when trespassers, poachers, and people dumping their trash along our roads, disrespecting what we have worked so hard for and sacrificed to accomplish. 

[hookset6969]

CHASIN TAIL, Thank you for the thought's, We are going to be trying real hard to get moved out of here and up north in the next couple of year's, If not sooner god and job willing, I'm just wanting a better way of life for me and my family, The keeping up with the jone's attitude around here is getting real old. Along with all the other goofy thing's these people are now trying to do. Thank's again Kurt.