manmade field in Wharton and an area cleared many years ago

[mudboy dave]

On the western portion of Wharton there are two manmade feilds that I was curious why they were cleared. I love going back to them and looking at the stars. heres the locations

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...d=111901079104381183408.000493ff56b070010f044

a little backlground on the big clearing that I camn remember

if you look at a 95 overhead you can see where it was pretty clear. I can recall riding my bicycle out there and there was a ginormous pile of woodchips out there. they only left a few random trees out there. If you ride by now you can tell the growth is different. It is alot thicker than the surrounding woods.

 

[Teegate]

The state at least in the past routinely allowed logging of certain area's of woods. That must have been one of them.

Guy

 

[Boyd]

They have both a homeowner and commercial firewood program. In the past, I have seen people out there taking advantage of this in the areas that they designate: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/njfs_firewood_prog.html

 

[kayak karl]

there is a field near Batona camp also.

 

[RednekF350]

Dave,
That clear cut was done around 1990. We used to take my kids and the neighbor's kids spotting back there in my '87 F-350.
The few trees that were left standing are known as seed trees.
When clear cutting with no plans to manually replant using seedlings, one leaves the most superior trees in the plot for natural seed production and distribution.
The trees that were left were the tallest and straightest in the plot. As you can see, the regeneration was rapid and dense.
A similar area was done at the same time off of 206 directly across from Dutchtown.
I am attaching a NJPB mapping where you can see the seed tree layout in the Dutchtown cut. If you look at your field in 1995 you will see the seed trees as well.
Scott

 

[mudboy dave]

Ohhh. I forgot about that one. i vaguely remember that as well from riding around with my dad. remember in 1990 I was only 8 year old lol. Any clue on the other 2 smaller clearings which haven't grown back?

 

[Teegate]

Ohhh. I forgot about that one. i vaguely remember that as well from riding around with my dad. remember in 1990 I was only 8 year old lol. Any clue on the other 2 smaller clearings which haven't grown back?

That could be a rye field for deer???

Guy

 

[mudboy dave]

State does that?

 

[Teegate]

Don't know.

Also, when the state surveyed Wharton they made quite a few mistakes, and even missed tracts of land what they thought was theirs. So it could be private property. You can see one of their errors in the attached map. Notice they penciled in a piece of property they missed.

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

State does that?

The State USED to do that.
The small rectangles are rye fields planted by the State to encourage a healthy deer herd and to provide hunters with enhanced opportunities.

The fields in the photos were built in the 60's and I hunted around them and the Bulltown rye strips with my father beginning around 1969.
The program was abandoned in the 70's or 80's from what I can remember.
The Bulltown area has tremndously long strips planted along side of the roads traversing the woods.

I was actually pulled out of my truck by LE with my son in a car seat in 1987 near the one in your photo. They were in the process of busting a pot growing operation near one of the fields and thought I was involved. Wrong place at the wrong time but they cooled off quickly.

The attached 1963 aerial from Historic Aerials shows your fields bright and shiny.

 

[Teegate]

I forgot the attachment.

 

[mudboy dave]

Ohhh. Cool. Was always curious. I asked my dad but he couldn't remember. As soon as i mentioned this to him he instantly remembered. Guuy, what map is that that you posted the penciled in part?

 

[Teegate]

Ohhh. Cool. Was always curious. I asked my dad but he couldn't remember. As soon as i mentioned this to him he instantly remembered. Guuy, what map is that that you posted the penciled in part?

One of various maps I acquired.

Guy

 

[gipsie]

The State USED to do that.

The Bulltown area has tremendously long strips planted along side of the roads traversing the woods.

Is Piney Pond Feedstrip one of those? I love that area and always wondered why they were called feedstrips (there are about three of them back around there if I remember correctly). I always assume that the roads in Wharton were named a long time ago.

 

[mudboy dave]

One of various maps I acquired.

Guy

oh, ok. I was just wondering if it was something publicly available so I can see where Wharton Borders are.

 

[MuckSavage]

Dave brought it up & Scott verified it. In the late 80's, early 90's, i worked for Stella Contracting. We had the contract to clearcut the trees outlined in Dave's post. I don't know why we did it, I simply showed up at 5 am, cut the marked trees & went home at 5 pm.

 

[mudboy dave]

Muck have you been there recntly to see the regroth. It is unbelievably thick. Too thick to comfortably walk through.

 

[RednekF350]

Is Piney Pond Feedstrip one of those? I love that area and always wondered why they were called feedstrips (there are about three of them back around there if I remember correctly). I always assume that the roads in Wharton were named a long time ago.

Yes Gipsie and the nearby Eleanor Adams and Tylertown feedstrips.
Until you posted this, I never knew them by any other name than the Bulltown rye strips.
I never noticed that the names appear on the Google mappings.
The Tylertown strips shown at the bottom of the attached is where I spent a lot of time hunting with my dad in the 60's and 70's.

 

[Boyd]

oh, ok. I was just wondering if it was something publicly available so I can see where Wharton Borders are.

The borders of all state owned open space are shown on my Map of New Jersey: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/294/

 

[gipsie]

Thanks Scott! Piney Pond feedstrip actually has a sign on a tree at the entrance...