Page 1

SPORTSMEN

Prsrt StdU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDNewark, NJ

Permit No. 973Organized May 24, 1935. Serving All the Sportsmen & Women of NJ

News For The Garden StateOutdoors Enthusiast

Vol. 48, No. 3 March 2015 One Dollar

NJNEWS

FEDERATEDCounties: Atlantic - Bergen - Burlington - Camden - Cape May - Cumberland - Essex - Gloucester - Hudson - Hunterdon - Mercer - Middlesex - Monmouth - Morris - Ocean - Passaic - Salem - Somerset - Sussex - Union - Warren

Assoc. of Field Trial Clubs of NJ - NJ Bass Federation - Jersey Coast Anglers Assoc. - NJ Beach Buggy Assoc. - NJ Chap. of Nat. Wild Turkey Fed. - NJ Ducks Unlimited - NJ State Council Trout Unlimited - NJ Trappers Assoc. - NJ Waterfowlers Assoc. - United Bow Hunters of NJ

Please inform the membership office (see page 2) of any change of address.

Pots off the ReefsAn Update

by John Toth

Many of us anglers have signed peti-tions at club meetings and various fishingshows, and have sent letters and emailsand all sorts of communications to our leg-islators to get the traps off the AxelCarlson and Sandy Hook reefs. These havemade fishing for recreational anglers verydifficult, with our anchor lines and fishinglines being snagged on traps placed thereby commercial anglers.

The building of these reefs, largelypaid for by recreational anglers, proved tobe a great place for fish to find habitat pro-tecting them from predators. It did not takelong, however, for commercial anglers torecognize how productive they can be toharvest fish, and they placed their traps allover these reefs.

Trying to remove these traps hasbeen a long and difficult process, stretch-ing roughly over10 years. While groupslike the NJOA NJ Outdoors Alliance andJersey Coast Anglers Association havelobbied in Trenton on this issue (myself

testifying on behalf of the JCAA, atAssemblyman Nelson Albano'sAgricultural and Natural ResourcesCommittee on March 8, 2012), we havebeen stymied by commercial interests intrying to remove these traps though thelegislative process.

While the NJOA and the JCAA wereable to persuade a majority of Senators andAssemblypersons to support the removalof these traps, Assembly Speakers(Roberts and Nelson) would not post thebills in the Assembly for a vote. (If a bill isnot posted, it cannot be voted upon).

We were told by various legislatorsthat in order to have these traps removedwe would have to accept some type ofcompromise solution to this issue, byallowing some portion of the two reefs tobe accessible to commercial trappers, orotherwise any solution to remove the trapswould not be legislatively possible.

I have heard many anglers say to meat fishing trade shows "what, these trapsare not off the reef already?" To resolvethis ongoing issue that has continually

resisted resolution, a compromise positionhas been agreed upon.

This compromise solution wasannounced at the New Jersey MarineFisheries Council meeting on January 8,2015. This compromise calls for a portion(16% of Carson and 19% of Sandy Hook)of the reefs to be reserved for commercialtrappers and the rest of the areas of the tworeefs for recreational anglers. As part ofthis compromise, the NJ Department ofEnvironmental Protection will build a newreef site for recreational anglers only, toensure "no net loss" of reef areas for hook-and-line and spear fishing (see sidebar).

The issue of removing fixed gear onreefs located in federal waters off the ofNew Jersey's coast continues to be pursuedby the NJOA and other organizations. DEPCommissioner Martin has stated that theChristie Administration will petition thefederal government to have fixed gearremoved from these reefs in the nearfuture.

On February 2, 2015, the NJDepartment of Environmental Protectionissued the following press release.

Under Marine Fisheries: General NetRegulations, N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.5, andArtificial Reefs, N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.5A .

Take notice that the NJ Departmentof Environmental Protection is proposingamendments to the rules governing gener-al net regulations at N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.5and proposing a new rule, Artificial Reefs,at N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.5A to limit the use oflobster, fish and conch pots on the SandyHook and Axel Carlson Reefs to specific“full access zones” within each reef.Commercial and recreational anglers andsport/scuba divers will continue to havefull access to all parts of the reefs includ-ing the full access zones.

The proposed amendments and newrule require that commercial and recre-

ational lobster potters setting and tendinggear within the full access zones do soonly between the hours of sunrise and sun-set and that they call the Marine LawEnforcement Headquarters two hoursprior to doing so. Individual pots set inthese zones must be marked with a buoyand a string of pots must have a buoyattached to both ends. Buoys or flags shallmeet the requirements of NOAA’s takereduction plans for Atlantic Large Whale,Harbor Porpoise and Bottlenose Dolphin.All strings shall be limited to 20 pots.Penalty structures for violating theserequirements are included in the proposedamendments and new rule and are basedon a 1st, 2nd and in some cases a 3rdoffense. Fines and penalties range from$100.00 to $200.00 and suspension oflicense or permanent revocation. The pro-posed amendments and new rule providefor forgiveness of a violation following a

period of compliance. The proposal is scheduled to be pub-

lished in the New Jersey Register datedFebruary 2, 2015.

A copy of the proposal is availableat: www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/-20150202a.pdf; and the LexisNexis freepublic access to the New Jersey Register,www.lexisnexis.com/njoal).

Written comments may be submittedelectronically by April 2, 2015 athttp://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments;or in hard copy to:

Gary J. Brower, Esq.ATTN: DEP Docket No. 14-14-12NJ Department of EnvironmentalProtectionOffice of Legal AffairsMail Code 401-04L; PO Box 402401 East State Street, 7th FloorTrenton, NJ 08625-0402

Hunters’ TreeStands Recalled

by Primal VantageDue to Fall Hazard

Although deer hunting is now histo-

ry for the 2014-2015 season, any hunters

who have purchased the Ameristep Hyde

Cliff Hanger or Sky Walker Tree Stand

are advised to take note of this product

recall.

According to the manufacturing

company, Primal Vantage Co., of

Bernardsville, NJ, the cast aluminum

platform can break, causing the user to

fall to the ground and suffer serious

injuries.

Approximately 1000 of these units

were sold through Bass Pro Shops and

other sporting goods stores nationwide

from July 2014 through November 2014

for between $220 and $250.

This recall involves two 2014 mod-

els of hang-on tree stands used by

hunters. They include the Ameristep

Hyde Cliff Hanger with model number

2RX1H008C and date code JH-2014-3-6

and the Ameristep Hyde Sky Walker with

model number 2RX1H009C and date

code JH-2014-3-6. The date code is

stamped on the back of the tree stand’s

aluminum seat frame. The model number

is printed on the packaging and in the

instruction manual. “Hyde” is printed in

red on the vertical aluminum bar between

the seat and the foot platform.

Primal Vantage has received six

reports of the tree stand’s aluminum plat-

form breaking. No injuries have been

reported.

Consumers should immediately

stop using the recalled product and con-

tact Primal Vantage for a full refund. To

do so, contact Primal Vantage toll-free at

866-972-6168 between 10:30 am and

5:30 pm Monday through Friday, or at

www.primalvantage.com and click on

“For Hyde Recall Click Here” on the

homepage or go to the Customer Service

tab for more information.

One of the affectedtreestands.

Rainbows Ready for SpringSome 570,000 healthy and robust

rainbow trout will be stocked in watersacross New Jersey for the spring trout sea-son. As many as 180,000 of these feistyfish will be stocked by the time the seasonkicks off on April 4.

"In New Jersey, the spring trout sea-son is a tradition shared by generations ofanglers who take this opportunity to enjoythe outdoors and some of the finest fishingon the East Coast," said Department ofEnvironmental Protection CommissionerBob Martin. "The numbers of troutreleased this spring will rival past produc-tion numbers. Now is a great time to getyour fishing license and trout stamp andtake part once again in this wonderful tra-dition."

In the coming months, the Divisionof Fish and Wildlife will be stocking onlyrainbow trout, a hearty species that isresistant to furunculosis, a disease that has

impacted brown and brook trout reared atthe Division's Pequest Trout Hatchery inWarren County.

In consultation with other states thathave had to deal with similar issues result-ing from this common cold water fish dis-ease, the DFW has taken aggressive stepsto eliminate the disease from the hatchery.Raceways used to raise the fish have beenfully disinfected and increased measureshave been taken to deter birds, which aresuspected of having transmitted the dis-ease from the wild to the hatchery.Furunculosis cannot be transmitted to peo-ple.

All designated trout waters will bestocked this spring. Rainbow trout will bethe only species raised at the hatchery forthe next several years, until the futureintroduction of disease-resistant strains ofbrook and brown trout can be established.Anglers also should note that adult, 2-year-

old rainbows, averaging 15-16 inches, willbe ready for stocking once again this fall.Rainbow trout released in the comingmonths will average 10.5 inches long.

"The trout going out from thePequest Hatchery this spring will be com-pletely healthy - and big," said DFWDirector David Chanda "The only differ-ence is that we will be stocking solely rain-bow trout, a much heartier, disease-resist-ant species which has not been exposed tothe bacteria that causes furunculosis."

"I want to thank all anglers who pur-chase fishing licenses and trout stamps,"added Chanda. "By purchasing a license,anglers provide funding for much morethan simply raising and releasing trout.These purchases provide funding for criti-cal research and conservation efforts."

A fishing license and a trout stampare required to fish for trout for anyonebetween the ages of 16 and 70. Childrenunder 16 and New Jersey residents 70years and older can fish for free.

County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs Information Directory

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWS March 2015Page 2

County Meeting Date & Time Location Contact Phone Number

Atlantic2nd Thursday of month, 8:00 PM

except July and August

Germania Gun Club

Moss Mill Rd., Egg Harbor, NJEric Gaupp 609-513-8542

Bergen3rd Thursday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and AugustRamsey Outdoor, 240 Rt. 17 North, Paramus, NJ Frank Dara 973-523-2640

Burlington2nd Thursday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and August

The American Legion

39 Pemberton-Julistown Rd., Pemberton, NJBill Schultz 856-235-3344

Camden3rd Wednesday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and August

Square Circle Sportsmen Club

97 Clementon Rd., Gibbsboro, NJBill Schemel 856-931-5009

Cape May (please call for up-to-date information) Ken McDermott III 609-412-3811

Cumberland2nd Thursday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and August

Menantico Gun Club

Union Rd., Maurice River Twp., NJBob Russell 856-327-2197

Essex2nd Thursday of month, 8:15 PM

except July and August

Bloomfield Civic Center

84 Broad St., Bloomfield, NJCarmine Minichini 908-964-5713

Gloucester2nd Tuesday of month, 7:45 PM

except July and August

George Ruch Building

14 St. and Highland Ave., Williamstown, NJThomas Weeast 609-313-7727

Hunterdon 2nd Thursday of month, 8:00 PMNorthern Region Office of Fish & Wildlife,

Clinton WMA, 26 RT 173 W, Hampton, NJLoren Robinson 908-782-1076

Mercer3rd Monday of month, 7:00 PM

except July and August

Sportsmen’s Center

US Highway 130 N., Bordentown, NJRick Moore 609-882-2202

Middlesex1st Wednesday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and August

Polish American Citizen’s Club

66 Adirondack Ave., Spotswood, NJJohn Messeroll 732-828-8543

Monmouth4th Wednesday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and August

4 F’s Gun Club

Burke Rd, Freehold, NJKen Ganson 732-566-0841

Morris 1st Tuesday of month, 8:00 PMDover Fire Department

37 North Sussex Street, Dover, NJJohn Rogalo 973-570-2359

Ocean Larry Cella 908-839-0193

PassaicLast Monday of month, 7:30 PM

except June and July

The Wayne Civic Center, Room 3

1006 Hamburg Tpk., Wayne, NJRichard Weber 973-697-1814

SalemTuesday after 3rd Friday of month,

7:30 PM except Jul., Aug., and Dec.

Salem County Sportsmen Clubs

RT 40, Carneys Pt., NJDave Cesarano 856-223-0409

Somerset2nd Wednesday of month, 8:00 PM

except July and August

Somerset Fish & Game Protective Assoc.

445 Milltown Rd., Bridgewater, NJ 08807Dave MacCready 732-221-9611

Sussex 2nd Wednesday of month, 8:00 PMSparta Ambulance Building

14 Sparta Ave., Sparta, NJDick Strobel 973-697-3989

Union1st Monday of month, 8:00 PM

except July and August

Union County Engineering Building, 1st Floor

2335 South Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJRay Szpond 908-403-5798

Warren4th Wednesday of month, 7:30 PM

except July and August

Pequest Trout Hatchery

RT 46, Liberty Twp, NJTony Wonsala 908-879-6321

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION& INQUIRIES, Write To:

P.O. Box 10173Trenton, N.J. 08650-0173

609-859-2648

OLIVER SHAPIROEDITOR & ADVERTISING MANAGER

28 Hemlock Road, Livingston, NJ 07039973-533-1260 olshapiroinnj@gmail.com

Typography - Vanguard Media, LLC

President - Pola Galie(609) 321-0093

Corresponding Secretary - Jerry Natale(lttlzke@comcast.net)

Federation OfficeP.O. Box 10173

Trenton, NJ 08650-0173609-859-2648

Sharon Irick, Assistant Manager

WEB Page Address - www.njsfsc.orgE-mail Address - njfed@njsfsc.org

Articles and Advertising must be submitted no later than the fourth Friday of eachmonth for publication the second month thereafter.

FOR MEMBERSHIP INSURANCECALL 609-321-0093

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

may be sent by U.S. Mail (to 28 Hemlock Road, Livingston, NJ

07039), or email (olshapiroinnj@gmail.com). Please include your

town of residence, and club or organization affiliation (if any).

1st Tuesday of month, 7:00 PM

except July and AugustVFW Post 4703

54 Magnolia Drive, Jackson, NJ 08527

Published monthly by the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc., a statewide organi-zation of clubs and associate members serving all the sportsmen and women of New Jersey. The organiza-tion is incorporated under the laws of New Jersey as a non-profit organization.

The newspaper is a membership publication. The opinions expressed in the newspaper are those of thecontributors and not necessarily of the Federation, unless stated otherwise.

Direct any changes of address to the Sportsmen News, PO Box 10173, Trenton, NJ 08650-0173. Innotifying us of a change of address, give both your old and new address. Be sure to give your zip code.Send label from your last copy if possible.

Reprint permission is granted provided use is made of the following credit:Reprinted from: New Jersey Federated Sportsmen News: Author’s By-Line (if any)

OFFICERSState President - Pola Galie, PO Box 56, Waretown, NJ 08758N. Vice President - John Rogalo, 4003 Waterloo Road, Stanhope, NJ 07874C. Vice President - Ray Szpond, 2079 Lyde Place, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076S. Vice President - Tom Weeast, 81 Kake Avenue, Williamstown, NJ 08904Membership Director - Ron Diehl, 582 Berkeley Avenue, Beachwood, NJ 08872Treasurer - Gary Wolff, 47 Meadow Rd., Edison, NJ 08817, fax 732-777-1458Asst. Treasurer - Stacey Rubsam, 1044 River Road, Green Bank, NJ 08215Corresponding Secretary - Gerard Natale, 83 Victor Avenue, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764Recording Secretary - Patricia H. Blazer, 149 Route 45, Salem, NJ 08079NRA Rep. South - Paul Rivas, PO Box 251, Browns Mills, NJ 08015NRA Rep. North - Irv Luizza, 43 West St., Box 111, Annandale, NJ 08801

REGIONAL DIRECTORSN. Region - Jim Cosmano, 61 Payne Road, Andover, NJ 07860N. Region - Bob Armstrong, 290 Prospect Street, Nutley, NJ 07110C. Region - Susan Rothermel, 16 Nicholas Blvd., Jackson, NJ 08527C. Region - Charles Hendrickson, 621 Burke Road, Jackson, NJ 08527S. Region - Perry Doyle, 323 Birmingham Road, Pemberton, NJ 08068S. Region - Ron Jones, 232 Clayton Avenue, Monroeville, NJ 08343

Conservation Director Emeritus - George Howard, 219 Sidney Road, Pittstown, NJ 08867Natural Resource Director - Rob Winkel, 111 12th Avenue, Seaside Park, NJ 08732Chairman, Operation Game Thief - Past President, Board of Directors - Frank Virgilio, 21 Tallowood Drive, Glassboro, NJ 08028

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWSMarch 2015 Page 3

AT THE OUTSET:

Tim

C.

Sm

ith p

hotoTry Something New

As we begin to wind down the winterand look towards spring, we’re sayinggoodbye to a number of things besides thesnow, ice, shoveling, and the like. We’realso saying good-bye to the outdoorsshows season.

As I mentioned in a recent column,I’ve been attending these outdoors showfor some decades now, sometimes bymyself, sometimes with a friend or two,sometimes with one or more family mem-bers, and I am willing to admit somethingto you.

I do not attend all of them with nearthe same frequency as I used to, andthere’s a simple reason for that. There’s alot of similarity in the shows from one yearto the next, and although it’s great toindulge my ongoing yen for all (or at leastmost) things outdoors, and see some famil-iar faces on a regular basis, the repetitive-ness sometimes seems a bit, well, repeti-tive.

This year, however, I decided toexpand my horizons a bit. The missus andI spent a day in Harrisburg, Pennsylvaniaat the Great American Outdoor Show.Lured by promises of scope (it’s touted asbeing unusually big), events (there are anumber of events occurring there that donot happen at those shows happening inand closer to New Jersey), and the hope ofseeing some old friends in the industry(who do not display at Suffern or Raritan),we decided to invest in the about-fivehours of driving to and from thePennsylvania Farm Show Complex.Having never been to the old EasternSports and Outdoors Show, we decided itwas high time we gave the event, at least inits new NRA iteration, a try.

We were relieved that the nastyweather forecast for the day did not mate-

rialize, and nothing happened to jeopardizethe two-and-a-half hour drive from EssexCounty to the Harrisburg area. After arriv-ing, finding parking (not so simple at anevent of this size), and finally making ourway into the Pennsylvania Farm ShowComplex, we were confronted by an out-doors show that our experience withSuffern, Philly, Raritan, and others could-n’t really prepare us for.

Do not mistake what I am saying. Welove those local shows. But the simpletruth of the matter is that the NRA GAOSis much, much larger than any of the oth-ers. I was particularly impressed with theShooting Sports Hall, which had signifi-cant presence from many of the majorfirearms manufacturers; something onesimply doesn’t see at the afore-mentionedshows in and near New Jersey. I was disap-pointed not to find any of my old industrycronies at those manufacturers’ booths, butthat did nothing to mitigate the fun andexcitement of seeing and being able tohandle plenty of new firearms.

As an aside, though, there was onelarge disappointment. We specificallyplanned things so that we could attend theOwl and Turkey Calling competitions.Turkey hunting is near and dear to myheart, plus an old friend of mine has beensuccessful at this competition in past yearsand I was hoping to see him in action. Thecompetition was scheduled to begin atnoon the day we were there, and Debbyand I found good seats at the contest’sarena a few minutes before 12:00. We set-tled in to wait for the competition to begin,with keen anticipation. And we could feel

comparable anticipation from most of thespectators that were gathering, as wewatched a number of the contestants get-ting themselves ready.

By 12:15, no activity yet; there wassome grumbling going on in the observers’seats. By 12:25, a significant number ofthose seats had emptied. And by 12:35,with yet no activity transpiring, our seatshad become empty as well. I still don’tknow if that competition ever actually pro-ceeded or not.

Well, the one glitch aside, the show

was truly memorable, and delivered ratherwell on (almost) everything it had prom-ised.

We were glad we’d made the effort toattend. It was something new for us, andwell worth it. Are there any new basswaters you’ve been meaning to get to, anew turkey calling technique you’ve beenwanting to try? Try something new toenhance your outdoors experience thisspring.

Oliver Shapiro, Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Hunterdon Land TrustInvites Applications

Dear Oliver,

I am writing to inform you of a pro-gram for outdoorsmen and outdoor-swomen who enjoy hunting the entire sea-son, who are willing to help address theimpact of white tailed deer on our declin-ing forests.

Hunters with no previous huntingviolations are encouraged to apply to theHunterdon Land Trust’s Natural ResourceManagement Team. The Land Trust,whose mission is to preserve the ruralcharacter and natural resources ofHunterdon County, owns preserves thatwill be available for deer hunting on anannual basis. There will be several addi-tional members for five preserves over 276(and growing) total acres in Kingwood,Franklin, and Delaware Townships. Thisprogram is only recruiting hunters who are

willing to hunt antlerless deer on a regularbasis in an effort to help rehabilitate ourdeclining forests. In return, HLT providesexclusive hunting at a low hunter densityin lands with high deer density.Participants must attend one initial meet-ing, provide proof of insurance, and reportregularly on hunting activities. The 2015-16 membership fee for approved membersis $125/person. In addition to the fee,hunters are required to attend two steward-ship events on HLT preserves.

For more information, emailtom@hunterdonlandtrust.org with“Natural Resource Management Team” asa subject. Please send the following infor-mation: Name, email, phone number, NJConservation ID number, seasons you par-ticipate in (for example: fall bow, muzzle-loader, etc.), and number of days huntedlast season. I will send some respondents alink with more information including mapsof available preserves. Accepted hunterswill be assigned a preserve. Please respondby March 29.

Tom ThorsenLand Steward,

Hunterdon Land Trust

See Letters, p. 8

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWS March 2015Page 4

A New Beautyfrom Benelli

by Bob Brunisholz

At this year’s annual SHOT(Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade)Show, produced and promoted by theNational Shooting Sports Foundation andheld January 20-23 at the Sands Expo andConvention Center in Las Vegas, the ever-popular Italian sporting arms companyBenelli did something no one anticipated,with its tradition of single-barrel, auto-loading lines of sporting arms. It went ver-tical.

Benelli introduced its first stack bar-rel, or for those who are not clay targetbusters or uplanders, an over-and-undershotgun. But that’s not where the surprisesended.

No O/U on the market today could becalled inexpensive or economical. Mostrange well in excess of $5,000. Benelli’sstack barrel, however, could (at least on acomparative basis) be listed as reasonablyinexpensive. (The operative word in theprevious sentence is “reasonably.”Remember, no O/U is inexpensive.)

But Benelli wasn’t finished with itssurprises, and this surprise was near anddear to my heart. A little notation is need-ed here to define exactly why this particu-lar feature endeared me to this latest addi-tion in O/U lines.

Many of you already know that thesight of a so-called “composite” stock, par-ticularly on long guns, gives me the vaporsand makes me break out in hives. I havenothing against composite stocks, but love‘em or hate ‘em, they do serve several pur-poses, primary of which is maintainingaccuracy during all weather conditions,and they are nearly indestructible. That’sjust for starters. Ergo, nearly all contempo-rary entrants into the sporting arms marketare equipped with those tough, well-designed, albeit extremely ugly, compositestocks.

Nonetheless, it has been said thatbeauty is in the eye of the beholder, and tomy eyes, composite stocks rate somewherebetween repulsive and unsightly, with allthe attractive attributes of a three-day oldcan of worms left out in the sun.Conversely, well-figured walnut, or, say,bird’s-eye maple, is – to me at least – awork of art; a thing of nature’s beauty to beadmired and valued.

Benelli presents this lat-est foray into the high-end gunmarket with a walnut stock.That’s not to say Benelli’sstocks are exhibition-gradewalnut, but it is still a good,solid, and handsome walnutstock that Benelli rates as AAfigure, and God bless theirmarketing and design person-nel, those stocks are check-ered. Traditionalists like megotta love ‘em.

At the risk of belaboringmy preference for naturalwood stocks, allow me to addthat two bloggers, while writ-ing the praises Benelli’s O/U,said if the gun doesn’t have acomposite stock “it’s hard tobelieve that it’s modern.”Another wrote, “When yousee an over/under with a wal-nut stock, you’re not thinkingof a ‘modern’ shotgun.”Emphasis is mine.

(The composite stockhas become such an integralpart of contemporary shootingsports that the wood stock isnow relegated to antiquity?Mule muffins! I’ll bet my lastbox of 20-gauge woodcockloads that the folks at Perazzi,Browning, Kolar, Krieghoff,Guerini and a few other makersof high-end, high-techover/unders will be glad to knowthat their wares are now obsoletebecause they come with first-ratefiguring, highly finished woodstocks and fine checkering.Nonsense… and ‘nuff said aboutwood stocks.)

So, just what did Benellilabel this latest venture and, forthat matter, just what is it asidefrom a stack barrel? For starters,Benelli calls their newest entry themodel 828U, labeled after the loca-tion of Benelli’s production facilityin Urbino, Italy, although some blog-gers claim the “U” stands for Upland.Urbino or upland; it doesn’t matter, whatthis gun is not is a trap gun. Benelli’s 828Uwas designed with the upland hunter (and,

I would guess, the sporting clays enthusi-ast) in mind. It is lightweight, tilting thescale at a meager 6.5 pounds, dependingupon which barrel length is chosen, whilecombining a remarkable blend of mod-ernistic style, quality, and technology.

For instance, clay target shootersgenerally gravitate towards the O/U, butwith rather rare exceptions, working on theinnards of an O/U can be a chore. ThePerazzi trap gun comes to mind, with a rel-atively “easy-to-get-at” trigger assembly.Aside from that exception, most othersrequire a graduate certificate from theColorado Gunsmithing School of Tradesjust to open ‘em up.

The 828U, however, has an easilyaccessed drop-out trigger assembly andits trigger guard is also simple toremove, thus making it easier to do any-thing, from cleaning to parts replace-ment.

Additionally, the barrels are manu-factured by a system Benelli labels “crio-barrels,” better known to us as cryogen-ics that uses freezing cold temperaturesrather than the standard heat and forgesystem. The crio system, Benelli claims,results in a much smoother bore.Consequently, the barrels do not foul as

quickly and are easier to clean.The barrels also sport a weight-

reducing carbon fiber rib and join to ahigh-grade alloy receiver which sportsa selector switch allowing the shooterto choose with barrel fires first. All

barrels accept Benelli’s line ofadjustable chokes from cylinderto full, and the chokes are alsomade under the crio system. Ifthat’s not enough, the barrels areinterchangeable.

Additionally, the 828Ubuttstock features a patentedrecoil reducer which Benellicalls its ProgressiveComfort System, and thestock comes with a seriesof five drop shims andfour cast shims that allowthe shooter to make fine

fit adjustments in 40 differentpositions.

Far from your typical box-lockaction, the 828U sports an auto-safety,easy-operating opening lever and steel

lock-plate opening system paired withimpulse-driven ejectors. And speaking ofactions and ejectors, if you have any expe-rience with a new O/U, you know that oneof its bugaboos is fully opening a brand-spanking-new action because the gun hasyet to be “broken in,” and is so stiff thatyou have to work at opening it. Failing toopen all the way prevents the action fromcocking and returning the safety mecha-nism to its safe position.

Not to worry with the 828U. The ten-sion with which the gun breaks isadjustable, thus allowing the shooter todecide his or her preference. Once the ten-sion is set, Benelli says it will not loosenup (break in) over time. If you like yourgun to open with merely the flip of theopening lever and let gravity take overfrom there, you can get that right from theget-go. Conversely, if you prefer a bit ofstiffness but don’t want to wait until thenext ice age before your gun is “brokenin,” the 828U can be adjusted to that pref-erence also, and according to Benelli, onceyou adjust it to your liking, it will stay thatway, “forever.”

Forever? Any product manufacturer,especially firearms, must have enormousfaith in its product to include that word.

But now to the meat and potatoes: theaction: Framed on an aluminum alloyreceiver, the 828U has a steel locking platethat removes any stress from the all-impor-tant hinge pins, thus eliminating thatannoying and often gun-wrecking problemwe call “wiggle.” And, the steel-on-steelhinge lock-up reduces wear.

The 828U was introduced in January,but according to the folks with whom Ispoke at Benelli, the gun won’t be on theshelf until May. And, as I warned above,no O/U is what one could call “cheap.”The 828U will be available in two models:a nickel-engraved design that retails for$2,999, or a black anodized model listed at$2,499. Shooters will also have a choice of26- or 28-inch barrels.

When Benelli introduced the 828U atthe SHOT Show, the outdoor mediajumped on it, especially those specializingin firearms. There were articles fromnational media outlets such as the NRAand Shotgun magazine, on down to indi-vidual bloggers. But what no one (at leastanyone I could find on the internet) askedwas whether Benelli was going to offer the828U in gauges other than 12.

My sources said that they haven’teven discussed the manufacture of addi-tional gauges, although according to onerep, “we haven’t ruled it out and it’s a dis-tinct possibility for sometime in thefuture.”

So much for that 28-gaugegrouse/woodcock gun I’ve always covet-ed. On a positive note, “sometime in thefuture” will, I hope, give me time to squir-rel away three large.

Poor Saltwater Recruitment:Environmental Factors

by Tom Fote

Note: this article is reprinted from theJersey Coast Anglers AssociationFebruary newsletter.

In the last few issues of the JCAANewspaper, I have discussed the impactenvironmental issues are having on thebays and estuaries. The National MarineFisheries Service and the Atlantic States

Marine Fisheries Commission have devel-oped plans that are designed to rebuildstocks. But the only factors considered inthe management measures are the recre-ational and commercial fisheries.

There are other factors that need to beconsidered in developing these plans. Thefirst is endocrine disruptors. Sewer dis-charges have a huge impact on the sexual-ity, reproduction and viability of fish inevery instance. There are also many bays,

estuaries and rivers that are the nurseryareas that have suffered long-term chemi-cal pollution that has not been sufficientlyremediated. The combination of these twofactors is having a negative impact on allspecies that occupy those bodies of water.I remember attending a scientific work-shop on fisheries in 1992. One of the pre-senters was Doctor Judy Weiss fromRutgers University. At that time she hadjust completed her first study that looked atthe effects of chemical pollution onmummy chubs or killies. She foundextreme developmental differencesbetween the killies in Newark Bay and theones in the more pristine water of LittleEgg Harbor. Since that time Judy has donestudies on four other species with the sameresults. With the exception of bluefish,more of the species studied were foragespecies for summer flounder, striped bassand bluefish. These species suffered hand-icaps in their development. The one thingJudy did not study was the effects of thispollution on their reproduction.

We know it affected their behavior innutrition and other areas. We have otherstudies from Chesapeake Bay, Raritan Bayand many other bodies of water that showendocrine disruptors are having a negativeimpact on the sexual development and theability to reproduce for many species. Welook at these studies but they are not con-sidered in developing the managementrules. In the last few years we have used

the phrase “unaccounted natural mortali-ty.” This was mentioned prominently inthe weakfish stock assessment. It was theonly way ASMFC could deal with the factthat they had put in place all the appropri-ate management measures without seeingthe expected growth in the stocks. Thisproblem is also being observed in the poorrecruitment in stocks where there is hugespawning stock biomass. The questions Iam asking are first, “Have endocrine dis-ruptors contributed negatively to thedata?” Second, “Have the pollutants keptthese fish from reaching sexual maturity?”The bottom line is that species that aretotally ocean dependent and don’t come incontact with the contaminants in the baysand estuaries don’t seem to be having thesame reproductive problems. The prob-lems we face are more clearly linked toglobal warming, the availability of foragespecies and other climate factors.

I would really like to tell you that bet-ter, more extensive studies will be com-pleted in the near future and considered indeveloping management plans. However,the current cutbacks in research dollarsmake that improbable. We need to con-vince our state and federal legislators thatthis is a problem that demands their atten-tion. These are not “feel-good” studies orearmarks. This is actual research thatshould be required of NMFS and the statesin their role as protectors of the commongood.

Club News Wanted!Is your club holding a special event? Celebratinga landmark anniversary? Let the rest of theFederation know! Send your news to the Editorof this paper (contact information on Page 2).

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWSMarch 2015 Page 5

Time to Prepare forStripers and Flounders

When using chunk and head baits cut from mossbunker (shown here), or from herring orshad, make certain to keep the hook exposed and not buried in the bait, as in this way thehook is ready to penetrate as soon as a hungry striper inhales it. Milt Rosko photo.

by Milt Rosko

As I write this the snow is falling, thewind is blowing, and the temperature isdropping, with a wind chill of 10 to 20below predicted.

Ugh! Will I ever get to go fishingagain? Well, optimist that I am, May isn’tthat far off, so I’d best think about plan-ning for the time the lilacs begin to bloom,the days get longer, and the sun pushes thatthermometer into the 70s.

For when that time arrives, two of myfavorite saltwater species will begin theirspring migration treks: the striper bass willbe heading northward from theChesapeake and southward down theHudson from winter quarters, while thewinter flounder will have just finishedspawning and will begin feeding heavilybefore they begin their migration seawardto spend the summer in the offshore depthsmany miles from shore.

Coincidentally, both will often becruising along the bottom in the sameinshore waters of New Jersey whilesearching for a meal, the flounder search-ing out sandworms, grass shrimp, clamlarva, and any other tidbits on the bottom,while the stately striper will also be gob-bling up whatever it can find, ranging fromthe common eel, to the plentiful moss-bunkers, shad, alewife, and herring foundin inshore waters.

While many anglers choose to seekout both species in the open reaches of theocean, experience has taught me that early-on the place to be is in the protected baysand rivers of the north Jersey coast. Mostnotably they include the Metedeconk,Toms, and Forked Rivers which emptyinto the broad expanse of Barnegat Bay.Then, of course there’s the Shark andManasquan Rivers. To the north the vastSandy Hook and Raritan Bays beckon, fedby the Shrewsbury and Navesink Riversalong with the broad reaches of the Raritanand many smaller tributaries.

All of these locations offer excitingpossibilities for shore-based anglers, asevery one of these waterways has areaswhere you can fish from the beach, docks,bridges, breakwaters, and bulkhead, and itis relatively easy to make a reasonable castto put your bait to the hungry twosomesearching for a meal.

My favorite rig when targeting thisduo is rather unique, as it presents a verysmall hook and equally small bait targetingwinter flounder, and a large hook and size-able bait for hungry stripers. I begin by

tying a 36- to 40-inch long piece of 40-pound-test fluorocarbon leader material toa small three-way swivel. Next I slip asizeable plastic float or large cork floatonto the leader, positioning it approxi-mately a foot from the leader’s end whereI then tie the large hook. It’s a 6/0 or 7/0Eagle Claw or Circle capable of holding alarge piece of mossbunker, herring, or shadbait measuring three inches in length by aninch-and-a-half in width. Just run the hookthrough the one side of the bait and out theother, with the point and barb of the hookexposed so it can easily penetrate wheninhaled. Avoid burying the hook in the baitas this often results in missed strikes as thebait hampers the hook point from doing itsjob.

To one of the remaining eyes of theswivel tie a six- to eight-inch-long piece of20-pound-test mono, with an end loop,onto which you’ll slip you sinker. For mostbay and river fishing you’ll find three- to

five-ounce bank style works well, or apyramid style if you encounter strong cur-rent.

The next step for this unique rig is totie a dropper loop about 18 inches from theend of your line. Then slip a snelled No. 8or 9 Chestertown flounder hook onto thedropper loop. Remember that it’s impor-tant to ultimately bait this hook with asmall bait, ideally a three-inch-long pieceof sandworm or bloodworm slipped ontothe shank of the hook with the remainderhanging free so a flounder can inhale itwith ease. A small piece of clam musclealso works well, as do a couple of tinygrass shrimp.

Complete the rig by tying the line tothe remaining eye of the three-way swivel,and you’re all set to go. Mind you, this rigis designed to be cast from shore, so thatthe line rests parallel with the bottom, withthe baited flounder hook resting on the bot-tom, while the striper hook is suspended

by the float on the leader, so it flutters afoot or two off the bottom, just withinrange of a striper cruising along searchingfor a meal.

Now that you’re rigged and baitedup, it’s just a matter of finding an areawhere these species are known to frequentduring spring, and just casting out, sittingdown, and relaxing as you enjoy the beau-tiful weather. Patience is paramount.

Towards this end might I suggest thatbetween the time you read this article andyou actually get out on the water, that youvisit one of the great bait and tackle shopsthat are located close to the bays and riversidentified earlier, especially where youplan to be fishing. Most of the staffs ofthese shops are talented anglers who arepleased to direct you to some early action.Don’t be bashful, as lots of the better loca-tions regularly have a handful of anglersfishing, so just join them and you’ll bepleasantly surprised how you’ll be wel-comed and soon become one of the regu-lars.

One rather unexpected developmentover the past couple of years has been theresurgence of striper activity on the beach-es, docks, and bulkheads of the RaritanRiver from Sayreville to the open reachesof Raritan Bay, and those beaches of SouthAmboy, Keansburg, and other bayshoretowns. Some theorize the fish populatingthis area in spring, especially the stripers,are Hudson River stock, although there arethose who theorize that many of these bassand of course the flounder as well, havespent the winter hibernating in these localwaterways. This theory may also be true ofthe stripers and flounder that wintered inthe rivers emptying into Barnegat Bay.

Whatever the case, we hope they’llbe there this spring, so plan accordingly.Join me and the contingent that you’ll seecasually relaxing and waiting for our ini-tial catch of the season, be it a huskystriper or fat flounder, both of which areabsolutely delicious table fare.

Governor’s Surf TournamentComing This May

For 22 years the annual Governor'sSurf Fishing Tournament had been held onthe first Sunday in October at Island BeachState Park. However, in 2014 the tourna-ment was moved to the third Sunday inMay. In 2015 the tournament will be heldon Sunday, May 17.

A variety of species are eligible forentry in the tournament each year. Overalllength determines the winner. All fish mustmeet minimum length tournament require-ments.

The individual who catches the over-all largest fish wins the "Governor'sAward" (see below). Fishing equipment isawarded to winners who catch the largestfish in each species category. Winnersfrom the early entry drawing and the tour-nament must be present during the after-noon awards ceremony to claim theirprizes or they will be forfeited.

Anglers planning to participate in thetournament should always register early:doing so entitles you to save on the adultregistration fee, be eligible for specialprizes and avoid delays when entering thepark. The early entry incentive ends April24, 2015. After this date, anglers will berequired to register at the tournament.

Fishing will proceed from 6:30 am to1:00 pm. The raffle drawing will take placefrom 1:30-2:00 pm, and the AwardsCeremony will begin at 2:00 p.m.

Mail-in Registration Fee (ages 18and older) is $15; ages 13-17 is $5, andfree for aes 12 and under. Children 12 andunder must be accompanied by an adult,and are still required to register. Note: Forthose who mail in their registrations you

will receive a registration packet 1-2weeks prior to the tournament. Day ofTournament Registration Fee Registrationopens 5:00 a.m. the Sunday of the event atPavilion #1, with the following costs:Ages 18 and older, $20; ages 13-17, $5;and ages 12 and under, free.

If the mail-in registration is post-marked by April 24, 2015 you will save onthe adult registration fee, be eligible forspecial prizes offered to preregistrants onthe day of the tournament, and avoiddelays (pre-registration allows you to godirectly to the beach).

Tournament anglers need to completethe NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry.

Questions can be directed to 609-748-4347.

The Governor’s Annual Surf FishingTournament is a great opportunity for fam-ilies and friends to get outdoors and enjoythe sport of surf fishing! Appreciation ofour marine resources through surf fishingwill hopefully build a strong advocacy formarine resource conservation. Entry to thepark is free to individuals who register forthe surf fishing tournament.

Please note that the purchase of aMobile Sportfishing Vehicle Permit(MSVP) is required to drive on the beach.If the vehicle you will be driving on thebeach is not registered in your name, makesure to contact the park office for compli-ance information. Permit applications willbe available at the park entrance. For infor-mation and fees call 732-793-0506 or visit:www.state.nj.us/parksandforests/parks/island.html.

Chris Follmer, winner of the 2014 tournament, received the Governor’s Cup from Lt.Governor Kim Guadagno, while NJ State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs NorthernRegion Vice President John Rogalo (center), Division of Fish and Wildlife Director DaveChanda (far right), and others look on. Photo courtesy NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Send In Your Pictures!Assert your braggin’ rights! The NJFSN is looking for readers’ pictures

of trophy, interesting, or simply noteworthy catches, kills, or sights seen

while hunting, fishing, trapping, or shooting. Digital images are pre-

ferred (email to olshapiroinnj@gmail.com), or send prints to the editor

(along with return postage if you want them back). The NJFSN reserves

the right to publish or not publish any picture it receives, at its discre-

tion. Include your name, home town, contact information (in case we

have questions) and details of the picture’s contents.

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWS March 2015Page 6

NEW JERSEY STATE FEDERATION OFSPORTSMEN’S CLUBS, INC.

Individual Application - Select type of membership desired.Send Check or Money OrderFOR TOTAL AMOUNT PAYABLE TO:NEW JERSEY STATE FEDERATION OF SPORTSMEN’S CLUBS, INC.P.O. BOX 10173, Trenton, NJ 08650-0173

* INSURED SPORTSMAN MEMBER - $35.00 eachReceives $1,000,000 excess liability insurance, membershipcertificate, and Federation’s Monthly Newspaper (12 issues)----------------------------------------------------------------- $_____________

* INSURED SPORTSMAN MEMBER HOUSEHOLDMEMBER - $30.00 eachReceives INSURED MEMBERSHIP without newspaper----------------------------------------------------------------- $_____________

* SPORTSMAN MEMBER - $20.00 eachReceives Federation’s Monthly Newspaper (12 issues) and Membership Card----------------------------------------------------------------- $_____________

* SPORTSMAN HOUSEHOLD MEMBER - $5.00 eachReceives SPORTSMAN MEMBERSHIP withoutnewspaper----------------------------------------------------------------- $_____________

* Check if Emblem Patch Is Required - $5.00 each $_____________

* Check if you wish to make an additional donation tothe NJSFSC Legislative Fund $_____________

March 2015 TOTAL $_____________

*Name_____________________________________Date of Birth_______________

*Address_____________________________________________________________

*City______________________________________*State________*Zip_________

Telephone No.________________________Email____________________________

County ________________________ Legislative District______________________

Club Name___________________________________________________________

*Required Information

* Please add me to your eDelivery Newspaper distribution list!Email_______________________________________________

Instead of receiving a hard copy of my NJ Federated Sportsmen News by mail, I opt to have iteDelivered to my inbox at no additional cost!

Benefits of eDelivery:· It’s Convenient! — View and/or save documents for future reference· It’s Fast! — No more waiting on paper copies to arrive in the mail· It’s Green! — Help make a positive environmental impact

Return your renewal with the eDelivered box checked and by entering your email addresstwice in the boxes provided. Please check box to activate eDelivery!

BLACK POWDER NOTESby Joe Bilby

CVA Variants, Mystery Rifle,

& New Blazing Star Press

In 2014, CVA introduced Salt BathFerritic Nitrocarburization, a high-techmilitary barrel steel treatment, to its high-end ACCURA line of muzzle-loadingrifles. The company has now announcedthat it will offer these "Nitride" treated bar-rels in its medium-priced OPTIMA V2 lineof muzzleloaders. The new model gunswere introduced at the recent 2015 SHOTShow.

CVA claims that the Nitride barreltreatment resulted in significant salesincreases of Accura models during 2014,largely because “being able to buy a gunwith a barrel that is guaranteed to neversuffer rust-caused bore pitting is a prettybig deal to any muzzleloader shooter." Thecompany feels that bringing the same tech-nology to the Optima V2 line will provideCVA with a significant sales advantage inthe middle market over its competitorswho are still using painted or baked-onbarrel treatments that only protect the out-side of a barrel from corrosion.Muzzleloaders, of course, are most suscep-tible to rust damage on the inside of theirbarrels, and the Nitride process protectsboth inside and outside.

Historic Black Powder Cartridge RifleFound Propped Against a Tree

The story has been around social webmedia for a while, but is still of interest. InNovember, Great Basin National Parkarcheologists discovered a 132-year-oldModel 1873 Winchester rifle leaningagainst a tree in the park. The gun, need-less to say, was well-weathered after beingexposed for all those years to sun, wind,snow and rain. The cracked wood stockwas weathered to grey and the barrel rust-ed to a deep brown, which blended in withthe color of the old juniper tree where therifle was left, for some unknown reason,for many years. The serial number indi-cates that the gun was one of 25,000Model 1873s made in 1882, but there is noway of knowing when it was left or,indeed, who left it in this remote area.

The Great Basin National Park cul-tural resource staff is continuing researchin old newspapers and family histories,hoping to resolve some of the mystery andfill in details about the story of this rifle.While Winchester records provided a dateof manufacture, they did not reveal theindividual or dealer to whom the rifle wasoriginally sold. Although I am not opti-mistic they will find the answer, the searchitself should prove fascinating.

The park will provide a viewingopportunity before sending the rifle to con-servators to stabilize the wood and applymuseum conservation techniques. Thetreatment will keep the gun looking as it

was when it was found and prevent furtherdeterioration. When the rifle is returned tothe park, it will be displayed as part ofGreat Basin’s 30th birthday and theNational Park Service centennial celebra-tion.

For a photo of the rifle and moredetails, see: http://i.imgur.com/NlnhZaU.-jpg.

New Blazing Star Press a Jersey Story

If you are really into history, as manyblack powder shooters are, you will wantto take a look at New Blazing Star Press’offerings. Aside from being a fellow NewJersey Civil War Heritage Associationtrustee and a great National Park employ-ee, Jason Wickersty is a very inventive guywho runs this business out of Bayonne,New Jersey. Jason has, over the past fewyears, developed "The Printer's TypeCase," a two-volume set of over 100 printfonts and borders from the Civil War era.The fonts, Jason notes, “can be yours fasterthan you can say ‘spherical case shot’ viadigital download” at his website,www.newblazingstarpress.com/shop.

Volume 1 contains 60 fonts and bor-ders for $49.95; Volume 2 contains 40fonts and borders and 13 CDV photo backmark illustrations for $39.95. You can buyboth as a combo package for $80.00 andsave 10%.

New Blazing Star is more than just

fonts, however, and you can also get otherneat period products, including custompremade 2.875" x 1.5" brass and zinc sten-cils with one or two lines of up to 15 char-acters per line stamped using original letterdies. For another few bucks they’ll add a½-dram glass cork-top vial of black ink, a3/8-inch tin, and horsehair bristle stencilbrush, and instruction sheet, all in a sky-blue cardboard paper box for $50 ($55with the extras) dollars. Blazing Star isalso offering a limited edition run of U.S.Sanitary Commission stencil plates, copieddirectly from an original in a private col-lection.

A recent addition to the Blazing Starline are arsenal label stamps, reproducingthe Federal Arsenal stamps for ten-roundpackages of ammunition adopted in the1850s. The labels indicate the caliber andtype of weapon the cartridges were madefor, along with the powder charge, locationwhere they were produced, and the yearthey were made.

By 1857, the St. Louis Arsenal hadreceived a press and plates to print labelsdirectly onto the wrapping paper, and bythe outbreak of the Civil War, the St.Louis, Frankfort, Allegheny, andKennebec Arsenals were printing labels onthe ammunition they produced. You canget stamps reflecting production at all ofthese arsenals, which might be a nice touchfor ammo used in the N-SSA traditionalmatch.

Blazing Star produces some neatstuff, unavailable elsewhere, and hasadopted a typically 19th-century motto:“No cheap work done. We neither usehumbug, false pretences, nor wear laurelswon by competitors.”

Hunting andFishing Flea Market

MARCH 15th 9AM-3PM$4.00

ADMISSION(under 14 free)

ARCHERY RAIN OR SHINE NEW ANDEQUIPMENT REFRESHMENTS USED TACKLE

ANTIQUES AND OVER 90 TABLES FRESH ANDCOLLECTIBLES WITH NEW NEVER SALT WATER

SEEN BEFOREVENDORS

New this year will be John Messeroll, offical P&Y - B&Cmeasurer, so bring your best antlers to score.

Fred Johnson and Whitetail Deer Institute Products for salein time for spring planting.

Sergeantsville FirehouseSergeantsville, NJ All-Indoor MarketHunterdon Countywww.sergeantsvillefirehouse.org

Located north of Trenton

Approx. 2.5 mi. off Delaware River

Hickory TavernTurkey Calls

Double-Sided Custom Trough Call

Made from paduak and copper.Copper high pitch and slate side

lower rasper.$30 incl. shipping

Call 908-647-1619

Memberships AvailableAtlanticCountyGamePreserve.org

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWSMarch 2015 Page 7

Holiday Hangover

Gene Doczy and hisChristmas gift Browntrout. Lou Martinezphoto.

by Lou Martinez

Normally the term “hangover”denotes a very unpleasant situation inwhich someone, perhaps you, had a bit toomuch celebrating, and must pay theproverbial piper the following morning.For the purpose of this article, however,"hangover" is not a bad thing. Let me startat the beginning.

Last season the NJ Division of Fishand Wildlife made us aware of a serioussituation in which trout, namely brookiesand browns, had contracted furunculosis, adisease that causes skin lesions, boils, anddarkening of the skin. Ospreys feeding oninfected fish and trying to make a meal ofhatchery fish are the suspected carriers ofthe disease. Many of the infected hatcheryfish had to be humanely euthanized. TheNJDFW made the decision to stock onlythe strain-resistant rainbow trout for the2015 opener; they have ceased to stockbrookies and browns until a new strain-resistant variant can be produced. (Thegood news is that more than half a million'bows will be stocked in 2015.)

But, as Dale Carnegie wrote in hisbook How to Stop Worrying and StartLiving, “If you have a lemon, make alemonade.”

Well, this past holiday season theDivision did just that. Prior to Christmasday, I received a voice mail from an oldfriend.

“Hey Lou, I left ya a holiday gift upat your local pond, we've decided to endour brown trout stocking for the currenttime, so we dropped off 75 breeders in the4- to 5-pound range at your local fishinghole, as well as two other locationsthroughout the state. Have fun.”

Although I'm mainly a bass, walleye,muskie type of guy, if you tell me thatthere are 5-pound trout one mile from myfront door you won't have to prod metwice. I immediately rummaged throughmy Bass Pro/Cabela's/Dick's-stocked

basement, and gatheredup any trout-sized luresI could find. I alsorespooled a reel with 4-pound flouro, andpicked up the phone torelate my “top secret”news to my buddy,Fireman Gene Doczy.

“Hey Gene, 5-pound browns! Let'sgo," I hissed.

“Oh yeah," he answered, “I was therewhen they put them in.” Huh?

Rushing out of my house, I forgot mynet, but knowing that Gene would havehis, I put the pedal down and got thereright after him.

Unloading our gear, I asked “Where'syour net?”

“Huh? I figured you'd bring it,” heanswered. Racing down to the water'sedge, we were greeted by... you guessed it,at least another dozen fisherman. Lookingaround the lake proved that this “secret”

was well-known; the place was packed.“Where should we go?” Gene asked.“Hmm, this looks like a good spot,” I

answered, as I sat down to tie on a smallRapala. Gene cast out and almost immedi-ately yelled “I got one, I got one , GETTHE NET!”

Um, what net? Luckily the fellowfishing next to us was kind enough to helpGene out, and we were able to photographand release the healthy male. We spentseveral hours on the day after Christmas innearly 60 degree temperatures, watchingbig beautiful browns swim by and turn uptheir noses at our lures. Gene was veryhappy with his “Christmas gift.”

The following week the weatherturned much colder and the lake developedskim ice in some sections. Trying out aplethora of Raps, rooster tails, and Meppsspinners were not getting any attention.Then I spotted a large trout break the sur-face twice; I cast just past him and let mylittle rainbow spinner fall to the bottom. Iyo-yoed it up and let it again fall, on a tightline, and wham, he busted it.

A bystander played net man for meand asked me for the fish, after photos. Isaid no, and that I had to release it. I thenreached into my pocket and handed him aten spot for the assist.

He followed me around the lake, as Iwatched large trout, several of them swim-ming under the thin ice. He hung around,just in case I needed more help.

As this is written (late January), thelake is now totally iced in and those “holi-day hangover” browns will be there formore piscatorial encounters very soon.

Opening DayPlan for T rout

Photo courtesy NJ Division of Fish andWildlife.

by Vin T. Sparano

There are really no special tac-tical secrets for opening day trout.The weather, however, is always abig factor on determining whattechniques will get you a limit oftrout, as always. If it’s like mostearly spring weather in New Jersey,the streams will be high, fast, andmuddy. You will also likely beelbow to elbow with other anglers.

Go with the basics. Leave your beautiful collection

of flies home, unless it’s a dryspring and streams are low andclear. Under these conditions, youwill probably need only two flies,Muddler Minnows and WoollyBuggers. Fish them slow and deep,casting upstream and allowingthem to drift downstream, givingthem occasional twitches during theretrieve.

But, as I’ve said, springstreams in New Jersey are likely tobe muddy and fast. You best bet isnightcrawlers and earthworms orredworms. If you’re working deeppools, you might need split shot toget your worm deep. Rememberthat worms washed into a streamwill drift naturally with the currentwith no drag, which means youshould hook a worm once through

the collar and girdle and allow it todrift with the current. Let the cur-rent do the work, allowing theworm to bounce along the bottom,fast through riffles and slowthrough pools. Concentrate onthose deep pools because that’swhere you will find the biggertrout.

I learned a long time ago that alittle flash goes a long way inattracting a sluggish trout. A smallspinner (gold or copper), such as aColorado spinner or a Mepps,Rooster Tail or Panther Martin,hooked through the collar of yourworm, will flash in the current.These spinner and worm combina-tions can be drifted, or cast andretrieved through deep pools,ponds, and lakes.

Salmon eggs have always beena good choice for opening day. I’vefound that artificial salmon eggswork just as well as the real thing.If you find salmon eggs falling offthe hook easily, soak them in abrine solution overnight and theywill toughen up. Fish salmon eggsthe same way as you do withworms. Cast upstream and allowthe eggs to drift naturally along thebottom. At the end of the drift, letthe eggs bob suspended in the cur-rent for a minute or so beforeretrieving. Trout will often hit at thetail end of a drift.

If you can get them, small min-nows will work extremely well inearly spring. Just hook themthrough the lips and cast them tothe streams banks, especiallyundercut banks. Add a split shot ortwo to get your minnow to swimdeep.

There was a time when we hadto dig our own worms and brine ourown salmon eggs, but you can nowavoid all the preparation if yourtackle shop stocks Gulp! baits. I’veused these in both fresh and saltwa-ter and I have found them just aseffective as the real thing. Gulp!makes salmon eggs, nightcrawlers,mini-earthworms, curly tails, andmore.

Knowing where to fish is moreimportant that the bait you use.Trout face upstream, into theoncoming current to catch whatev-er food that comes their way. Thisis especially true around rocks,boulders, and deep pools. Don’tgive up on a spot that looks good. Itmight take a dozen drifts to finallyentice a trout to hit a bait, but whenit does, you’ll be glad you perse-vered.

Good luck!

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWS March 2015Page 8

Cold is No Longer anObstacle to Bass Fishing

With the right attire, a bass angler need not wait for ther weather to warm up before pur-suing his or her quarry. Garrick Dixon photo, courtesy of Stormr.

by Pete Robbins

The weather at the 2013 BassmasterClassic in Tulsa was so bad it would havebeen uncomfortable for duck hunting. Infact, it was barely suitable for a polar bear.When trucks shooting sand have to showup to de-ice the boat ramp, maybe it’s timeto consider a different activity, but 53 com-petitors soldiered on nevertheless, in pur-suit of the $500,000 top prize.

Savvy bass anglers know that winter-time fishing can be exceptional. Of courseyou have to fish slowly, but once youlocate the bass, they’re often ganged up.They’re also frequently at their heaviest.Here in the mid-Atlantic, most years thewater stays soft long enough to chase fishthroughout the winter, but unless you’recomfortable doing so it’s a better idea tostay home with a big cup of hot coffee.

The bass pros (not surprisingly, giventhe prize money at stake) have pioneeredmany ways of staying warm and comfort-able in these conditions. For generations,the mantra has been “layer up,” but oftenthat leaves anglers looking like theMichelin Man, warm to the core butunable to move. Today, high-tech fabricsand designs allow anglers to be both warmand mobile.

One of the garments leading the wayis from a New Jersey company calledStormr. While the company is relativelynew, their parent has decades of experi-ence with neoprene, and they’ve leveragedthat into ultra-thin outerwear that has theadditional benefit of providing flotationand flexibility. Pros including GregHackney debuted it at the Tulsa Classic,

and now at every cold-weather tournamentan increasing number of pros wear itinstead of the old bulky snowmobile suitsor ski gear. Rather than wearing multiplelayers underneath, many had just jeans,long underwear, and a hooded sweatshirtto combat the sub-20-degree temperatures.

The floatation aspect of the Stormrgear is particularly valuable. Anglers whofish alone will either want to wear a PFDor some garment with flotation capabili-ties. Otherwise, a fall into frigid water withlots of clothing on is almost a certain death

sentence. Apparel manufacturers includingMustang and Onyx make flotation coatsand suits specifically for anglers.

You’ll want to keep your head warmas you head down the lake, and then whenyou’re fishing. Some anglers like motorcy-cle helmets for running, because they sealout the elements. Others claim that theylimit peripheral vision and are deadly ifyou somehow end up in the water. Anotheroption is a windstopper balaclava and a setof ski goggles. For less than 100 bucks,you can add a clear or tinted Save Phace

face mask. Remove that when you get toyour fishing spot, and the balaclava canstay on. The days of cotton knit hats arepast.

Gloves are also essential. A big pairof insulated gloves or mittens is ideal forrunning the boat. You can also get themwith fold-back flaps which expose yourfingers, thereby allowing you to fish whenyou get to your spot. Neoprene gloves, likethose from Stormr, are another option.

Other anglers like thin golf gloves orbatting gloves for fishing. Still others go tothe hardware or garden store and buy mul-tiple pairs of cheap jersey gloves – start theday with all of them dry, and then as theyget damp discard and replace. With a handwarmer packet inside, this simple solutioncan work wonders. Another simple solu-tion is to get latex surgical gloves and usethem under a liner of your other gloves,thereby keeping your hands dry all day.

Similarly, if your feet get cold youwill be miserable. Of course there areboots with massive amounts of insulation,but often they’re better suited to trekkingthrough the Arctic than operating a foot-controlled trolling motor. Companies likeRocky and Cabela’s make boots that havethe upper portion of a hunting boot, butwith an athletic sole – you’ll still be able towork your Motorguide and your hotfoot,and they’re easy on your back. If there’sspace for a toe-warmer packet, that’s evenbetter. Of course, you won’t want to skimpon socks; both space-age materials andage-old wool will keep you warm and wickmoisture away from your feet to keep youcomfortable all day.

After a couple of harsh winters, manyNew Jersey bass anglers must feel as iftheir seasons are being compressed.Absent a trip to Florida, Texas, or Mexico,at times it feels like we give up more thanour share of time out of the year when wewant to be on the water. That doesn’t haveto be the case, however. If you dress prop-erly and with safety in mind, you can con-tinue to fish, while others lament theweather forecasters’ reports.

from Letters, p. 3

Father and Son Each Get 8-Pointers

Dear Oliver,

Alex Fox, 15, of Branchburg, afourth-generation New Jersey deer hunter,bagged his first 8-pointer in the first hourof opening day. His father, Larry Foxsweated it out, but bagged his own 8 point-er in the last hour of the same day.

Larry FoxBranchburg, NJ

The two Foxes pose proudly next to theiropening day results.

Perch Tourney in April

Dear Oliver,

I wanted to share an upcoming invitewith the members of the NJFSN.Landisville Gun Club will hold its AnnualPerch Tournament on April 18, 2015.Contestants may fish anywhere in thestate, and weigh in no later than 2:00 pm atour Club at 4th and Cape May Ave, EstellManor, NJ. A barbecue, included in the$30 registration fee, will follow the weigh-in.

If anyone needs additional informa-tion, they can contact me atdavidcisins@verizon.net or 609-404-0581.

David LorenziniGalloway, NJ

Events for March, 2015Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1Lake HopatcongIcefishing Contestkneedeepclub.org

2 3 4 5 6 7*Ocean Cty DinnerNJ WaterfowlersDinner 732-741-1216QDMA Banquetdave.bachinsky@cpsagu.com

8 9 10 11 12IGFA Fresh WaterFishing Seminar908-208-4523

13 14 **UBNJ Game Dinner

732-957-1960

Anglers&Hunters Dinnerhoundhome@msn.com

15 16 17 18 19RVTA Meetingfishrvta.com

20 21NJTA Fur Sale609-773-0470

22NJTA Fur Sale609-773-0470

23 24 25 26 27 28NJ DecoyCollectors Assoc.Show & Sale609-298-7459

29 30 31 * FCSA

DisabledAmerican’sDinnerchildrensfund1-@gmail.com

** Atlantic Cty

Federation Youth

Sporting Clays

Shoot, acfedera-

tionofsportsmen.com

World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition

World Fishing &OutdoorExposition

Saltwater Fishing Expo

SaltwaterFishing Expo

Need To SellSomething?

Try placing a Classified Ad in the NJFederated Sportsmen News! The

News reaches your target audience

of dedicated sportsmen and women

throughout New Jersey - see page

11 for more information.

Need Extra Papers?

If your club, organization, orcounty needs extra copies ofthe Federated News for anupcoming event or display,please contact the Editor of thispublication (973-533-1260;

olshapiroinnj@gmail.com) ATLEAST SIX WEEKS IN ADVANCEof the date in question.

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWSMarch 2015 Page 9

Events for April, 2015Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8Fly Tying eventFred S. BurroughsTUnnjtu.org

9HacklebarneyTUmeetinghacklebarneytu.org

10* Hunters

Helping the Hungryarchery eventhuntershelpingthe-hungry.org

11

12NJ SFAA ArcheryShootblackknightbowben-

ders.com

13Ernest SchwiebertTU meetingesctu.org

14Central Jersey TUmeetingcjtu.org

15 16

RVTA Meetingfishrvta.com

17 18RVTA Round ValleyShoreline Cleanup

fishrvta.com

19Novelty Shoot andChili Cookoff (Apr.18-19) garden-statearchery.com

20 21 22Hunter Ed.QuintonSportsmens Club

23-26

Appalachian Traditional Archery at WhittinghamWMA pola.galie@gmail.com

26(archerycont.)

27 28 29Ray Neirle S.Jersey TU meeting

sjtrout.org

30 * Monmouth Cty

WaterfowlersDinner732-986-2164

The Sporting Viewby Marty Boa

Did You Know...?

These shotgun shells are color coded according to gauge as specified in the originalcolor coding safety system developed by the Federal Premium CartridgeCompany. Although the colors cannot be readily discerned in this black and white photo,they are (from left): 12 ga. target load - red, 16 ga. buckshot load- purple, and 20 ga.game load - yellow. Some manufacturers have deviated from the original color designa-tions, especially regarding the use of green, black, and red shells. Marty Boa photo.

The Federal Premium ammu-nition company is responsible forthe development of a color-codedsystem of shotgun shell identifica-tion. In an article titled “10 ThingsYou Didn’t Know About FederalPremium” published in a Januaryissue of the online version of theNational Rifle Association publica-tion American Hunter – Insider,Shawn Skipper revealed someinteresting facts provided byFederal Premium. Chief amongthem is the infobit that FederalPremium began standardizing thecolor coding the exterior surfacesof shotshells as a safety initiative in1960.

Over the years, FederalPremium has maintained their his-toric color code system for themanufacturing of shotshell hullsaccording to gauge as follows:

10 gauge – brown12 gauge – red or black16 gauge – purple20 gauge – yellow (mandato-

ry).410 gauge - red (unusual

size and shape to be noted)28 gauge – green

Although an industry standardfor many years, some ammo manu-facturers have departed from theoriginal concept by producingshells of various gauges in a varietyof colors including but not limitedto: clear/transparent, clear/translu-cent, red, green, black, lavender,purple, brown, and orange… and asalways, yellow for 20 gauge.

Different gauge shells shouldbe stored separately. Having shellsin your vest or hunting coat thatdon’t match your gun could ruin ahunt. The main concern, however,is that chambering and ultimatelyfiring a round that is mismatched toa gun can result in damage to thegun and injury or worse to theshooter.

Safety first – check it out.

* * *

The New Jersey Division of

Fish and Wildlife reported recentlythat the largest number of pheasantsin the past 24 years were producedand stocked by the Division in2014. The number was close to63,000, including 1,000 bonusbirds released for the YouthPheasant Hunt and nearly 5,600bonus birds for the final regularseason stockings.

All of these pheasants wereraised at the Division’s RockportPheasant Farm in Warren County.The breakdown is as follows:

Youth Hunt 2,100Regular Season 55,000Bonus Birds 5,590

Total Stocked 62,690

The Division’s pheasant andquail stocking programs received aboost in the form of 52 pheasantand 10 quail transport boxes, cour-tesy of the Union Sportsmen’sAlliance (USA) Work Boots on theGround program and group of ded-icated Union volunteers.

After a successful project in2013, the USA’s 2nd Annual Tri-State Area Conservation DinnerCommittee went for a repeat per-formance in 2014. Utilizing 2014dinner funds, $5100 worth of build-ing supplies were purchased and 52pheasant and 10 quail transportboxes were constructed, painted,and delivered to the Division. Theboxes were put to good use this pastseason in stocking the above listedunprecedented number of birdsreleased on state WildlifeManagement Areas.

* * *

Several species of freshwaterfish are being used to help controlNew Jersey’s mosquito population.Gambusia, also known as “mosqui-to fish,” are part of a comprehen-sive program being administered bythe New Jersey MosquitoCommission to reduce the numberof mosquitoes. The fish, along withfathead minnows and sunfish, areknown to feed on mosquito larvae

before the mosquitoes-to-be devel-op into the adult stage, duringwhich they can breed, bite, andspread disease.

Gambusia are raised at theHackettstown State Fish Hatchery(also known as the Charles O.Hayford State Fish Hatchery) andsupplied to county mosquito com-missions for statewide stocking inenvironmentally appropriate bodiesof water. Between 1.5 to 2.5 millionfish are produced per year.

An informative video on thetopic produced by AndreMalok/The Star Ledger can beviewed on NJ.com athttp://tinyurl.com/mz348gf.

The Hackettstown State FishHatchery opened in 1912 and was

the state’s trout production facilityuntil 1981, at which time thePequest Trout Hatchery took overcoldwater fish production. TheHackettstown hatchery thenassumed the primary function ofcool- and warmwater fish produc-tion. The hatchery currently pro-duces and distributes 15 species offish based on requests from theDivision’s regional fisheries biolo-gists. The Hackettstown hatcherycelebrated its 100th anniversary in2012.

POACHINGIS A CRIME

YOU AREITS VICTIMYOU CAN HELP!

If you have information on apoacher, PLEASE call today - youcould be helping to insure a good

future for our wildlife.

CALL: 1-855-OGT-TIPSCalls are toll-freeand confidential.

Contributions are welcome - makeyour check out to:

Operation Game ThiefPO Box 10173

Trenton, NJ 08650-0173

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWS March 2015Page 10

On The Roadby Rick Methot

Time Marches On,

and Waits for No Man

If March was a state it would be onthe “fly over” list.

Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois come tomind, as in “let’s get this over with and getto where we really want to go.”

Same goes for March. We want to getto spring, which actually, on the calendaranyway, happens the 20th of this month.

Daylight Savings Time begins the8th, the night I’ll be at a Devils hockeygame in Newark. (Hey, it’s a fundraiser formy wife’s non-profit outfit; otherwise doyou really think I’d be traveling to thebowels of Newark in the dark?)

I know there are still lingering out-door shows (how many can you stand?)this month, as well as an annual sports-men’s dinner here and there.

But March is biding time; the aboveare mere diversions to endure 31 days untilthis hideous month bites the dust, andhopefully goes out quivering like a lamb.

I remind you, however, the Blizzardof ’88 was in March. (That would be

1888.)Personally, March has some familial

attachment, as my father, son, and grand-son were all born during this football-lesstwilight zone. They’re ages will be 93, 38,and six respectively.

It’s all about time, isn’t it? Life is toohard and too short not to accept March,crappy as it is, for another fading chance togo bird hunting (semi-wilds and commer-cial preserves are open) or sally forth to theriver for the shad run. They actuallyshowed as early as St. Patrick’s Day once,in the nearly 30 years I’ve lived a mile upfrom the Delaware.

March Madness is basketball (proba-bly the dumbest sport ever invented) tomost, but shad fishing to many.

The aforementioned St. Patrick’s Dayon the 17th, even if you don’t have one zil-lionth of a trace of Irish DNA in your body,is always fun. If you travel, by the way, putIreland on your “to do” list. You cannothave a bad time in Ireland.

Meantime, the clicking of the equi-nox clock means to me that “couch potato”time is over and I’d better start payingattention as the second hand sweeps like areaper, grim or not, cutting swaths throughour allotted gift for larking about huntingand fishing and avoiding cleaning the gut-ters.

But speaking of time, as it races on,perhaps a New Year’s resolution so longago, was to show up when the hourdemanded in 2015. This is important forsportsmen hopping on a boat, catching aplane to far flung adventures, or being atthe buffet table when they bring out theoysters.

Hate to be late? Me too. Movies, con-certs, dinner reservations, parties, or anoil-change appointment – I want to be ontime.

Punctuality is akin to personalhygiene. Pay attention and just do it.

I believe those who would take a cav-alier attitude toward showing up whenexpected exhibit a shabby disregard for therest of us. It’s rude and displays a haughtyhubris, if that’s possible, in that their timeis more important than ours.

“I’ll be there when I get there, mon,”may be fine down Jamaica way, but mostof us shouldn’t be dilly-dallying around onisland time, at least north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

I don’t know where my “obsession”with being on the dot comes from, but Isuspect a good part of it goes back nearly50 years to boot camp days where the love-ly little government resort at Parris Islandran its interesting daily activities to theminute, starting with reveille at 0430. The

squared-away DI’s didn’t say “4:30-ish.”I have never, ever been late to jump

on a charter or party boat at the time ofsailing that was announced, nor to meetguys to head afield on the opening day ofdeer season.

On that note, one of my outdoorwriter colleagues, who writes saltwaterstuff for the state’s largest newspaper, isnotoriously tardy.

On a charter, fine… to a point. Hispals will wait before shoving off withouthim, depending on their collective moodsand how warm and fuzzy they feel towardthe guy at the moment.

A party boat, however, waits for noman.

What used to be the scene, and stilloften is, has our gang that insists on stop-ping for breakfast before boarding a boatdownashore, be it the Highlands, Belmar,or Point Pleasant, our usual shoving-offports for voyages to spots where we don’tcatch fish.

So these clowns, not more than a fewyears from drooling in the home, are wolf-ing down pancakes, waffles, maple syrup,bacon and eggs and gallons of coffeebefore boarding ship.

I’m sipping coffee, unable to takesolid food at that hour, and checking thediner’s wall clock… an hour to boarding,an hour and 15 minutes before most ofthese bozos start losing their breakfastover the starboard rail.

Tossing their cookies into the chumslick.

Timing is everything.

NJ DFW Law EnforcementBureau Reports: July ‘14

Conservation Officers reported atotal of 6608.1 hours of duty. Duringpatrols, officers performed 6248 fieldinspections of hunters, fishermen or trap-pers, with 614 summonses issued.Estimated penalties collected during thisreport period by Conservation Officerscame to $40,983.80.

Northern Region Highlights

CO Ocampo assisted the HaledonBorough Police Department, PassaicCounty, with the service of a search war-rant in their town. Intelligence obtained bythe police department led them to believethat an alligator would be present in theresidence. While serving the warrant, oneAmerican alligator and one box turtle wereseized. A resident of the home was issueda summons for “Possession of a potential-ly dangerous species without a permit” anda summons for “Possession of a regulatednon-game species without a permit.”

CO Ziegler responded to a residencein the Town of Newton, Sussex County, ona report from their Code EnforcementOfficer, that the resident possessed an alli-gator. Further investigation by CO Zieglerdiscovered that the resident was also inpossession of a skunk and a squirrel. Thehomeowner was issued three summonsesfor possession of the animals without per-mits.

Lt. Lacroix relayed information thatshe received from an informant that a resi-dent of Stillwater Township, SussexCounty was in possession of snakes thatwere collected from the wild in NewJersey. CO Ziegler and Lt. Sutton beganinvestigating and discovered that the indi-vidual was also offering snakes for sale onFacebook.

A records check with the Non-game/Exotic Permits Section revealed thathe only possessed a “Hobby Permit,”which prohibits the sale of the animalspossessed under it. An inspection of theindividual’s “Hobby Permit” revealed thathe was in possession of three eastern milksnakes, one black rat snake, and one woodturtle. The suspect admitted to collectingeach of the animals from the wild. As a

result of the investigation, he was issuedfive summonses for “possession of regu-lated non-game species without a permit”and one summons for “Engaging in theretail sale of reptiles without a permit.”

CO Driscoll concluded an investiga-tion that began during the pheasant hunt-ing season, where a complaint came inabout a trail camera being shot by anotherhunter on the Black River WMA inChester Township, Morris County. CODriscoll, assisted by Lt. Sutton, met withthe complainant, who was able to recoverthe photographs from the trail camera’smemory card. The photos clearly showedan individual, dressed in hunting clothes,pointing his shotgun at the camera.

The COs continued the investigationthroughout the remainder of the pheasantseason, and they were able to locate a sus-pect who looked very similar to the indi-vidual in the photographs. CO Driscollinterviewed the suspect and took photo-graphs of him, but the man would notadmit to any wrongdoing. The suspect’sfirearm was seized and sent to a ballisticslab for testing along with evidence thatwas collected from the scene.

The suspect’s attorney contacted theNorthern Region Office regarding the mat-ter. Capt. Panico provided the attorneywith the photographs from the trail cameraand the photographs, taken by CODriscoll, of his client. The attorney againcontacted the Northern Region Office andstated that his client would like to takeresponsibility for his actions and admitthat he in fact shot the camera. As a result,the suspect was issued summonses for“Possession of a loaded firearm within 450feet of an occupied building” and“Causing damage to the personal propertyof another while hunting.”

Central Region Highlights

CO McManus and Lt. Lacroix werepatrolling the Assunpink WMA early oneSunday evening when they received acomplaint from NJ State Police regardinga Hispanic male walking around with whatappeared to be an AR-15 rifle. After a briefsearch of the area, the officers located agroup of Hispanics (six adults and one

juvenile) fishing at Assunpink Lake. Oneof the males in the group matched thedescription given by the witness. Anempty box for a Crosman Air Rifle wasobserved in one of their vehicles.

After questioning the individualspresent, they eventually led the officers toa trail in the nearby woods where theweapon was hidden. During a search of thearea around the fishermen, three freshlykilled songbirds (one blue jay and twophoebes) were found, one of which hadbeen breasted out.

When Lt. Lacroix reeled in their fish-ing lines, it was observed that they hadbeen using the bird meat for bait. Threemen admitted to using the air rifle and ahomemade slingshot to shoot the birds.There was also a large amount of food andgarbage spread all around, including anumber of empty beer bottles and a char-coal grill.

A total of 11 summonses were issuedincluding: taking of non-game species,hunting on Sunday, fishing without licens-es, littering on a State WMA, and picnick-ing on a State WMA.

The Central Region Office receivedinformation from a Monmouth CountyPark Ranger that an individual had postedsigns at the Manasquan Reservoir offeringto purchase box turtles for 50 dollars each.There was a name and a telephone numberlisted on the sign.

CO Riviello contacted the man byphone and set up a time to meet and sellhim a turtle. On the day of the operation,Lt. Szulecki observed the sale from acovert position nearby. After the man hadtaken possession of the turtle and had paidCO Riviello $50.00 for it, Lt. Szuleckimade the stop in uniform as he began toleave. During a brief interview the manadmitted to having two other box turtles athis house. They were seized and taken tothe Mercer Wildlife Rehabilitation Centerin Mercer County. The man was issued asummons for possession of a non-gamespecies without a permit.

CO McManus and Lt. Lacroix con-ducted a Saturday night patrol at theColliers Mills WMA. They encountered agroup of 10 individuals with a large bon-

fire and alcoholic beverages in a field inthe Pole Brook section of Colliers Mills.Eighteen summonses were issued forbeing in a State WMA after legal hoursand possession of alcoholic beverages on aState WMA.

Southern Region Highlights

CO Kille received a complaint inOldmans Township, Salem County ofapproximately 30 bus tires dumped on pri-vate property. CO Kille and the propertyowner set up cameras on the propertyimmediately following the incident.

As luck would have it the suspectreturned a night later, dumped additionaltires, and was caught on camera.Unfortunately, the photo was distorted anda registration was unable to be retrieved.The victim was able to identify the utilitytruck with the aid of a photo recognitionapplication. It was then discovered that thevehicle was rented from a moving/storagefacility in Berlin Township, CamdenCounty on both nights by the same indi-vidual.

A Detective from the NJSP whoaided in the investigation wrote a subpoe-na, and the identity of the suspect wasrevealed. CO Kille and the Detective wentto the man’s address only to find out hehadn’t lived there for over six years. Withno other leads as to where the man resided,the two officers went to the storage facili-ty to collect additional evidence from thevehicle used in the crime. While the twoofficers where there the suspect arrived toaccess his storage unit. The man wastaken into custody and transported to theBellmawr SP barracks.

He was subsequently interviewedand explained he was from Africa. Hewould purchase old school buses and scrapthem for profit. The tires that were stillusable he would ship to Africa where theywould be sold and reused. The unusabletires would usually be brought to a dispos-al facility in Camden City. On this occa-sion they were dumped. A total of 59 tireswere dumped, measuring 18 cubic yards.The man was charged with two indictablesolid waste crimes and criminal trespass.

CO Kille received (cont. next page)

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWSMarch 2015 Page 11

Tight Lines andStraightaway Shots

by Robert Brunisholz

Hunter-Friendly Bills

Advance in Legislature

Just when you think things are set-tling down to some semblance of normal,the folks who make up the cabals of theanti-everything crowd emerge,Punxsutawney Phil-like, to throw a fewStillson wrenches into the proverbial gearbox. Please forgive the mixed metaphor.

On an upbeat note for Garden Statesportsmen and women, however, inJanuary New Jersey’s Senate Environmentand Energy Committee approved fourmeasures pertaining to hunting and trap-ping, clearing the way for a full vote in theSenate.

So, what are these measures? Ofequal or more importance, what is the leg-islative status of the measures?

They include SB-1683, sponsored bystate Sen. Steven Oroho (R-Dist. 24),which would allow Sunday hunting withfirearm and/or bow and arrow on militaryinstallations, but only if the administratorsat the facility wish to take advantage of theSunday hunting stipulation. The measuredoes not mandate Sunday hunting at allmilitary bases.

And while addressing Sunday hunt-ing, S-699 would (finally) allow Sundayhunting statewide on all public and privatehunting grounds for properly licensedhunters. The bill’s author and primarysponsor is Joseph Kyrillos (R-Dist. 13).

S-573, sponsored by state Sen. BobSmith (D-Dist. 17) could conceivably becalled one of the most controversial, in thatit allows youngsters who are older than age10 but less than age 16 to hunt under an“apprentice” license. Traditionally, NewJersey has nearly always requiredentrance-level youngsters to successfullycomplete a Hunter Safety Course prior tothe issuance of a license. The measurewould allow youngsters to “apprentice”hunt with a properly licensed adult, age 21or older, who has successfully completed aHunter Ed course. The apprentice license,however, would be limited to receivingonly two in as many years.

Finally, S-2492 according to itsauthor and primary sponsor state Sen.Stephen Sweeney (D-Dist. 3), this bill hasbeen the butt of many jokes, but he sayshe’s serious because flooding is a seriousmatter.

S-2492 would no longer limit thenumber of beaver trapping permits issuedby the Division of Fish and Wildlife by astatutory and pre-established number of

200 permits. Instead, the bill would allowdivision biologists and department headsto decide how many permits are needed ina specific area, thus allowing the divisionto issue as many (or few) permits asrequired to prevent flooding and otherproblems created when beaver dam up astream, river, or become nuisances, ratherthan be limited by a pre-designated num-ber.

The Sunday hunting on militarybases (S-1683) is a no-brainer. If the brassor whoever runs a military base decidesthat Sunday hunting isn’t a good idea forthat particular base, then no Sunday hunt-ing is the order of the day. However, thechoice is theirs to make. Yes or no, up ordown. It is, after all, a military base andthose in charge should have the final say.Makes sense to me.

From there, however, things godownhill a bit.

S-699 would allow Sunday huntingon all public lands, and it’s about time. Butas surely as the sun will rise tomorrow,there is the ever-present contingent ofhunter-haters emerging from the highgrass, all claiming that Sunday huntingwill result in the shooting and arrowing ofvarious trail-walkers, bike and horse rid-ers, and bird watchers.

If you’re a bird watcher or trail walk-er, take my word for it; no hunter is goingto think you resemble a flight of mallards.Besides, when you’re on your nature-gawking venture, might I have the audaci-ty to suggest that you should welcome thesight of a hunter? After all, it was s/hewho, through the cost of their multiplelicenses and permits, as well as the excisetaxes paid on their equipment that godirectly to contributing to numerous con-servation programs, contributed mightilyto the purchase of that land you’re nowusing and is now permanently designatedas a wildlife management area. And that’snot counting a hunter’s or angler’s privatedonations to conservation groups likeDucks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, theRuffed Grouse Society, Trout Unlimited,on and on ad nauseam. As a photographer,bird watcher, or trail walker, you paid zero.In fact, the next time you see a hunter inthe field, instead of harassing him or herby blowing an air horn, you might consid-er thanking that hunter.

As to S-573, I labeled the bill contro-versial only because the anti-hunters and

gun grabbers have their knickers in a knot,claiming it introduces youngsters to gunsand hunting at what they deem is too ten-der an age and because youngsters should-n’t be allowed anywhere near a gun. Theirobjections stem not so much from concernfor young hunters as they are an unadornedeffort to halt hunting. Nothing less, noth-ing more.

If they were really concerned aboutyoungsters keeping company withfirearms, may I suggest coming up with aneffective measure that would keep gunsfrom gang-bangers and drug dealers.Doing so might save some lives asopposed to the effort it takes to employFabian and mendacious strategies to targetlegitimate hunters.

To appreciate some of the commentsat the committee hearing, one need onlyobserve that this is, after all, New Jersey.No sooner had the aforementioned billsbeen dusted off for examination and debatewhen the naysayers, hunter-haters, andanti-gun people started their inimicalhistrionics.

Allow me to site one example:According to Anthony Mauro, Chairmanof the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance andone who attended the hearing, the nemesisof New Jersey’s hunting and fishing frater-nity was ruled out of order at the commit-tee hearing on the aforementioned bills.

According to Mauro, Jeff Tittel, NewJersey director of the Sierra Club, tried invain to mislead the committee members.

“Tittel said (at the hearing) these billshad been backed and promoted by theNational Rifle Association and theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council, anon-partisan group working to advance‘limited government, free markets and fed-eralism at the state level through a nonpar-tisan public/private partnership of statelegislators and members of the private sec-tor and the general public,’ but MollyFuhs, spokeswoman for ALEC, disputedthat.” Mauro said.

Mauro went on to quote Fuhs inNJOA’s website: “I’m not sure where Mr.

Tittel of the Sierra Club is getting hisinformation. All ALEC model policies areon-line and it can be easily verified thatALEC maintains no model policies onhunting,” Fuhs told Mauro.

In addition, Mauro specifically sin-gled out the supposed backing by the NRAas alleged by Tittel. “NJOA knows of noinvolvement by the NRA in promotingthese bills,” Mauro said.

Tittel then reportedly testified furtherbefore the committee, claiming that NJOA“tried to link local animal rights to eco-ter-rorism.” That, of course is as far from thetruth as the killings of Americans atBenghazi was caused by a movie critical ofIslam.

“NJOA has never claimed local ani-mal activist organizations or their mem-bers are associated with people in eco-ter-rorist activities," Mauro said. “However,over the years we (NJOA) have providedinformation that has been made publicfrom groups as radical as the AnimalLiberation Front (also listed as a terroristgroup by the FBI) to government agenciessuch as the FBI, civil rights groups like theAnti-Defamation League and privateorganizations that have made these claims.Mr. Tittel would be best served by gettinga retraction from any agency or organiza-tion making the claims if he believes theyare untrue.”

So, there you have it. A standard leg-islative committee hearing, but in NewJersey it seems nothing is standard nor nor-mal any longer. That’s may be becausegroups like the Sierra Club and its hordesof constituent groups made up of hunterhaters and gun grabbers don't have theirfeet held to the fire and are never asked tocite their sources. Well, at least never untilthe January committee hearing when stateSen. Smith, chair of the committee, ruledTittel “out of order.”

I’d hazard a guess that being ruledout of order is another way of telling some-one of Tittel’s ilk not to let the door hit ‘emin le derrière when leaving.

(from prev. page) a call from the samecomplainant in Oldmans Township, SalemCounty informing him that yet anotherindividual dumped solid waste on hisproperty a week later. The cameras thatwere previously used were still operationaland the photographs revealed a registra-tion. CO Kille and the same Detectivefrom the State Police went to the suspect’shome. After a brief interview the manadmitted to dumping. The Carney’s Point,Salem County man was charged with anon-indictable solid waste crime and crim-inal trespass.

CO’s Trembley, Kille, James and Lt.Risher conducted an afternoon patrol inthe Cedar Lake North section of the CedarLake Wildlife Management Area inMonroe Township, Gloucester Countyafter many complaints from legitimateusers.

During the patrol the officers encoun-tered many illegal users on the wildlifemanagement area. The officers issueddozens of summonses for interference withthe duties of a conservation officer, posses-sion of alcohol on a wildlife managementarea, swimming on a wildlife managementarea, damage to vegetation, operatingunregistered ATV’s on a wildlife manage-ment area, and operation of ATV’s over aclosed area.

One group in particular possessedmarijuana less than 50 grams in the motorvehicle and all the occupants lied abouttheir identities and addresses. It took theofficers an additional several hours to con-firm all their identities. Once that wascomplete, one of the individuals was

arrested on an outstanding warrant forcrimes in Camden County and transferredto Cherry Hill Police Department. All werecharged with interference with the dutiesof a conservation officer, possession ofalcohol, obstruction of governmental func-tion, and possession of marijuana less than50 grams.

Marine Region Highlights

On June 20, COs Moscatiello andWoerner along with Gary Wolf from theFDA conducted a nighttime shellfishpatrol of the Manasquan and Shark Riversin Monmouth County. While patrolling theShark River around 2130 hours, the COsnoticed a spotlight along the Shark RiverHills section of Neptune Twp.

As they arrived at the area of the lightthey noticed three separate boats with fish-ermen aboard who appeared to be giggingfish. The COs along with Gary Wolfinspected the first two boats that arrived tothe shore and the COs found only a fewAmerican eels. Each group was givenwarnings for spearfishing without beingcompletely submerged in the water.

The COs then went back to waitingfor the third vessel to come back to shore,which ended up being about three and ahalf hours later. At around 0145 hours,now on June 21, the boat had made its wayback to the shore. During COMoscatiello’s initial contact with the groupof three fishermen and after identifyinghimself, the man at the stern of the boatgrabbed a garbage bag of fish, all the whileas CO Moscatiello advised the individualit would not be a wise choice to discard the

bag. The individual weighed his optionsbriefly and decided to throw the bag intothe water off the stern of the boat.

It then appeared that the individualwas attempting to put his trolling motorinto reverse and head into deeper water toevade the officers. CO Moscatiello wouldhave nothing to do with that and quicklygrabbed the bow of the boat and pulled itashore. CO Woerner secured the three menwhile CO Moscatiello waded into waist-deep water to retrieve the bag and its con-tents of fish.

After recovering the bag of fish, theCOs also located a bucket on the vesselwhich contained even more fish. In totalthe COs located 44 summer flounder, ofwhich 42 were undersized. The vessel alsocontained an undersized striped basswhich the men had caught but failed to jet-tison.

Each individual was issued sum-monses for possession of 29 over limitsummer flounder, possession of 42 under-sized summer flounder, possession of oneundersized striped bass, and for spearfish-ing while not being completely submergedin the marine waters of the state. The indi-vidual that threw the bag of fish was issuedadditional summonses for interferencewith the duties of a Conservation Officer,littering while fishing, and for wantonwaste of 30 marine fish. All fish weredonated to a local food bank.

On On July 10, this case was success-fully prosecuted with two of the individu-als paying penalties of $1,000 each. Thethird individual who faced additionalcharges for interference, littering, andwanton waste paid a penalty of $1,500.

After conducting some long rangesurveillance on the Maurice River, COHausamann observed three fishermenplacing undersize striped bass in a whitebag. As the fishermen were getting readyto leave, CO Hausamann approached thefishermen as they were loading their vehi-cle.

The three fishermen were more thanwilling to show CO Hausamann theirbuckets with croakers and perch. WhenCO Hausamann inquired about the loca-tion of the white bag the fishermen becamevery uncooperative and argumentativewith CO Hausamann. During their attemptto deter CO Hausamann from performinghis duties, CO Hausamann discovered thewhite bag underneath the fishermen’svehicle. The bag contained 13 undersizestriped bass.

All three fishermen were issued sum-monses for undersize striped bass, over thelimit striped bass, and interference with theduties of a conservation officer.

CO Nicklow and CO Harp inspecteda vessel they observed enter Absecon Inletwith green-stick gear which is utilized tocatch Atlantic Highly Migratory Species.The inspection of the vessel revealed threefederal violations: two undersize yellowfintuna, two mahi mahi without possessing adolphin-wahoo permit, and failure to com-plete a fishing vessel trip report. The viola-tions were turned over to the NationalMarine Fisheries Service, Office of LawEnforcement for prosecution.

NEW JERSEY FEDERATED SPORTSMEN NEWS March 2015Page 12

Open 7 days A WeekSeptember 15 – March 31

Office Hours 8:30am-4:30pmGuided Hunts Available

Pheasants & ChukarCustom Tower Shoots

Reservations Required609-259-9501

www.bentcreekpreserve.net

MUSKY TROUT HATCHERIES L.L.C.

www.muskytrouthatchery.com email: musky279@yahoo.com

CHENEY’S ARGO SALES

62 Pacific Avenue

Barnegat, NJ 08005-1710

609-213-0656, fax 609-698-2464

Jim 609-758-0305 or 609-698-2464

Please PatronizeOur Advertisers

VISIT THE FEDERATION ONTHE INTERNET ATwww.njsfsc.org

$295

Channel Catfish * Largemouth Bass * BluegillFathead Minnows * Grass Carp * Koi Feed

Fresh Brown Trout Eggs (For Steelhead Fishing)