Stone Searching Fall & Winter 2024/2025

[RednekF350]

........ I guess that's why your not allowed to hunt with rifles here either unless it's a muzzleloader.

Well Al, those rules changed a long time ago. I can use a .22 with shorts when trapping for dispatching. During the January 1 to March 15 annual predator hunting season the State allows any centerfire rifle less than .25 caliber for fox and coyote during daylight hours. So, you can use a .243, .223, 5.56 x 45mm, 22-250, etc., etc.. Personally, I use a Savage bolt chambered in .22-250 (slightly hotter than 5.56) for groundhog and coyote. It kills easily at 300 yards and is legal for deer in a lot of states.

I think you probably know that an AR-15 is chambered for 5.56 and that makes an AR-15 legal for coyote and fox. I've seen people hunting with them down my way. It's all legal as long as you have your $2.00 annual predator permit, your $15.00 annual rifle permit and your $27.50 annual firearm hunting license.

 

[manumuskin]

Well Al, those rules changed a long time ago. I can use a .22 with shorts when trapping for dispatching. During the January 1 to March 15 annual predator hunting season the State allows any centerfire rifle less than .25 caliber for fox and coyote during daylight hours. So, you can use a .243, .223, 5.56 x 45mm, 22-250, etc., etc.. Personally, I use a Savage bolt chambered in .22-250 (slightly hotter than 5.56) for groundhog and coyote. It kills easily at 300 yards and is legal for deer in a lot of states.

I think you probably know that an AR-15 is chambered for 5.56 and that makes an AR-15 legal for coyote and fox. I've seen people hunting with them down my way. It's all legal as long as you have your $2.00 annual predator permit, your $15.00 annual rifle permit and your $27.50 annual firearm hunting license.

Yes an M16 uses the same 5.56 I wonder if they are legal? or does the magical word "Assault" mean it's the No No boy on the block?If I remember right the M60's used a 7.62? Those were a long time ago now.

 

[stiltzkin]

I need to remember to wear my blaze orange hat. Last weekend I got startled in the morning by a series of close shotgun blasts not far from the lake at Batsto. I turned around and walked in the other direction.

https://soundcloud.com/stiltzkin-951727172%2Fshotgun-blast%2Fs-UY4MEhQLCXE

 

[Teegate]

I need to remember to wear my blaze orange hat.

Everyone should always wear one at this time of year.

 

[RednekF350]

I need to remember to wear my blaze orange hat. Last weekend I got startled in the morning by a series of close shotgun blasts not far from the lake at Batsto. I turned around and walked in the other direction.

https://soundcloud.com/stiltzkin-951727172%2Fshotgun-blast%2Fs-UY4MEhQLCXE

In the Batsto Lake area you are in Deer Management Zone 23. Further east you will cross into DMZ 24 and south of 542 you would be in DMZ 26. None of those zones have any active firearm deer seasons. So, you could have heard a poacher, a fox and coyote hunter, or a small game hunter. The predator season is in until March 15 and allows shotguns and rifles during daylight hours and shotgun only at night. Small game runs to February 22.

The State developed the mapping system linked below a few years back and it beats the hell out of the old DMZ static map that was part of the game laws each year. The best thing about it is after clicking on your location there is a link that takes you right to the deer season dates for that zone.

NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife - AHRS Deer Hunting Location Viewer

www.nj.gov

Personally, I only wear the minimum blaze orange required by law when I am actively hunting, which is a hat. All other time spent in the woods I do not wear orange. I get a lot of surprised looks and I have fielded questions a few times from Pine Barrens Karens (male and female) when I am carrying a .22 rifle with no orange on, especially on a Sunday, when I go out to check my trap line. Trapping is 7 days per week with mandatory daily line checks. When I check my line I wear a brown or a black Carhartt coat and a camo hat. I really don't want people to know what I am doing.

 

[Teegate]

That link crashes on my and Jessica’s phone. Have not tried it on my computer.

 

[RednekF350]

That link crashes on my and Jessica’s phone. Have not tried it on my computer.

They have two different links one is through their arc GIS site. That one worked for me this morning and then it didn’t work. Then I used the other one that I put on this post and it worked. They recently upgraded a lot of their interactive maps, including the New Jersey landscape project map, which I use all the time for reports and checking on threatened and endangered species status. I think they might be working out some bugs. Google New Jersey interactive deer zone map and try the other link.

Update. I just tried it on my phone and it does not work. If you use a regular computer it does work. Maybe it’s too intense for the phone?? Now I remember trying to use the interactive map a few weeks back on my phone trying to show some one how to use it And I couldn’t get it to work on the phone with Wi-Fi.

 

[Teegate]

Yesterday, we spent most of the early morning visiting cemeteries. Our first stop was the Pemberton Baptist cemetery to visit M. Warner Hargrove who explored with Beck. We have discussed him on the site semi recently. The wind was cold and blowing but nothing that was annoying.

From there to the Odd Fellows cemetery nearby where we visited the father of a man I knew years ago. Then off to see if we could access the Pointville Cemetery at Ft. Dix but we soon found out access has been limited since 911 so we turned around. I may try again some other time. Then from there we visited another cemetery that I will discuss later in the year.

We then headed to the Parker Preserve and on our way across the bogs we were blasted by the wind whipping us so hard that it almost blew us over. I have never felt wind like that before and it was cold. We stopped at the observation deck along the way and could only stay up there a few minutes.

Today was 19 degrees when we headed out but much nicer than yesterday in the woods. Our first stop was to find a Wharton monument fairly deep in the woods.

The woods were open in this area making it easy to find.

After finding it and looking around we found three trees with old blazes on them.

And finally, we revisited a monument that I failed to photograph the first time we were there. At one time a stone was there but that is water under the bridge. Long gone as far as I can tell.

 

[manumuskin]

Yesterday, we spent most of the early morning visiting cemeteries. Our first stop was the Pemberton Baptist cemetery to visit M. Warner Hargrove who explored with Beck. We have discussed him on the site semi recently. The wind was cold and blowing but nothing that was annoying.

View attachment 24179

View attachment 24180

From there to the Odd Fellows cemetery nearby where we visited the father of a man I knew years ago. Then off to see if we could access the Pointville Cemetery at Ft. Dix but we soon found out access has been limited since 911 so we turned around. I may try again some other time. Then from there we visited another cemetery that I will discuss later in the year.

We then headed to the Parker Preserve and on our way across the bogs we were blasted by the wind whipping us so hard that it almost blew us over. I have never felt wind like that before and it was cold. We stopped at the observation deck along the way and could only stay up there a few minutes.

View attachment 24181


Today was 19 degrees when we headed out but much nicer than yesterday in the woods. Our first stop was to find a Wharton monument fairly deep in the woods.

View attachment 24182

The woods were open in this area making it easy to find.

View attachment 24183

After finding it and looking around we found three trees with old blazes on them.

View attachment 24184

And finally, we revisited a monument that I failed to photograph the first time we were there. At one time a stone was there but that is water under the bridge. Long gone as far as I can tell.

View attachment 24185

was that bottom monument in bass River SF? Looks like one of their big monuments?

 

[Teegate]

was that bottom monument in bass River SF? Looks like one of their big monuments?

No. It is near Moores Meadow.

 

[Jerseyman]

Teegate:

This past Wednesday, I finished processing M. (Mark) Warner Hargrove's papers. What a treasure trove. Not only did he prepare descriptions of many Burlington County Pine Barrens toponyms, but his biographical sketches of Pineys he encountered through the years are stellar. The South Jersey Culture & History Center at Stockton will begin publishing his written gems in the next issue of SoJourn. You all will be amazed.

I organized all the papers, placed them in separate acid-free file folders, and housed them in archival boxes. The next step is to digitize the collection, including the photographs, a number of which will knock your socks off! Views that have not seen the light of day prior to our publication of them.

In short, it is fabulous collection that will surely dazzle ardent fans of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, or at least the Burlington County section!

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Teegate]

Jerseyman,

Thanks for keeping us informed. Looking forward to seeing them.

 

[bobpbx]

From there to the Odd Fellows cemetery nearby where we visited the father of a man I knew years ago.

My mother and stepfather are buried there. I wish she were next to my real father in Perth Amboy.

 

[Teegate]

I went to Parkdale this morning again looking for a few moments and came up empty as expected. I think they are gone. So I then moved on looking for three other Wharton monuments.

I pushed through the woods for a quarter mile and after a lucky poke in the ground I found one.

A surprising old wooden state sign in the tree nearby.

On the aerials I noticed a small hill nearby so I visited. It was unremarkable.

On the way back I noticed this. I suspect the nearby home owner at one time used it for target practice.

I then returned to my car and walked the other side of the road and found this stand. Nothing special about it except it is the first time I have ever come across one that actually had the stand marked with the owners numbers.

About 150 feet away I looked for another monument and here is the result.

Click Here For The Video

 

[enormiss]

I always find it interesting that the concrete markers are covered in moss, and usually not the surrounding area, when it prefers acidic conditions.

 

[Teegate]

Moss has helped me find many of them.

 

[RednekF350]

I went to Parkdale this morning again looking for a few moments and came up empty as expected. I think they are gone. So I then moved on looking for three other Wharton monuments.

I pushed through the woods for a quarter mile and after a lucky poke in the ground I found one.

View attachment 24190

A surprising old wooden state sign in the tree nearby.

View attachment 24191

On the aerials I noticed a small hill nearby so I visited. It was unremarkable.

View attachment 24192

On the way back I noticed this. I suspect the nearby home owner at one time used it for target practice.

View attachment 24193

I then returned to my car and walked the other side of the road and found this stand. Nothing special about it except it is the first time I have ever come across one that actually had the stand marked with the owners numbers.

View attachment 24194

About 150 feet away I looked for another monument and here is the result.

Click Here For The Video

What kind of numbers? Conservation ID? I need to find the manufacturer of that stand. I am ALMOST old enough to need one of those.

I'm staring down the barrel at 67 this year. I bought a brand new Summit Viper climber last year to make things a little more comfortable. A few pounds heavier than my trusty Summit Bushmaster climber. I bought three Bushmasters for me and both of my sons in one time over twenty years ago and all three are still in service. I have only replaced the shock cord on the boot straps a few wines and the tree cables twice.

The stand in the picture looks like the Hilton. I could get used to that and bring all four of my grandsons!
I know someday I'll have to start using a ladder stand but I ain't quite there yet.

 

[Teegate]

What kind of numbers? Conservation ID? I need to find the manufacturer of that stand. I am ALMOST old enough to need one of those.

I'm staring down the barrel at 67 this year. I bought a brand new Summit Viper climber last year to make things a little more comfortable. A few pounds heavier than my trusty Summit Bushmaster climber. I bought three Bushmasters for me and both of my sons in one time over twenty years ago and all three are still in service. I have only replaced the shock cord on the boot straps a few wines and the tree cables twice.

The stand in the picture looks like the Hilton. I could get used to that and bring all four of my grandsons!
I know someday I'll have to start using a ladder stand but I ain't quite there yet.

I did not take a photo but I seem to remember it like this. XX-XX-XX

I did not find one of the monuments near it and will be going back. So I will work on finding the information. Sorry for the lack of help but I basically walked by it, took the photo, and continued on. I was about to head home and was ending my day.

 

[RednekF350]

I did not take a photo but I seem to remember it like this. XX-XX-XX

I did not find one of the monuments near it and will be going back. So I will work on finding the information. Sorry for the lack of help but I basically walked by it, took the photo, and continued on. I was about to head home and was ending my day.

The Conservation ID number system started about twenty years ago. You get the same number for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for your lifetime. The 9-digit number appears in large characters on your physical license. It's all numbers and in the format ###-###-### That sounds like what you probably saw. Not sure why someone would do that. It is certainly not a theft deterrent.

 

[Wildland937]

The ID number is now required on deer stands and equipment in state park land for identification reasons.
Kind of like locks are for honest people...