Photo by Ralph Hensley.

Eight years into this new century, the hunting landscape is changing in all three of the Mid-Atlantic States.

Deer, geese and bear populations are thriving -- so much so that they've mandated more diversified wildlife management plans. Likewise, external factors such as the price of fuel and less discretionary income affect how often sportsmen hunt, and how far they're willing to travel.

I spoke with representatives of each state's fish and wildlife departments to discuss the health of wild game populations, numbers of hunters and specific management plans, plus other information to give our readers an overview of hunting in each state.

NEW JERSEY
For the scoop on the Garden State's varied wildlife populations, I spoke with Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) Director Dave Chanda at a recent Fish & Game Council meeting.

Chanda's been with the DFW for over 20 years and has served as its director for three. Having worked his way up, he has a unique prospective on the state's wildlife and the problems of managing it in one of our most densely populated states.

White-Tailed Deer
G&F: What's the current size of the state's deer herd?

Chanda: Currently around 150,000 deer, which is down from the 200,000 that were estimated in 2000.

Exploding deer numbers in the 1980s and '90s led to the Division putting in place an Earn A Buck program, by which hunters had to harvest an antlerless deer before taking a buck. In addition, the state uses a deer-management zone system that can be adjusted from year to year. This strategy worked and brought the numbers down to the current levels.

G&F: Is the Earn A Buck program still in effect in New Jersey?

Chanda: The Earn A Buck program was abolished a couple of years back, and the state is now managing the deer within the zones to keep their numbers in check.

G&F: How many deer hunters are there in the state?

Chanda: License sales in 2007 indicate there are about 80,00 hunters, most of which are deer hunters. While this is down from 10 years ago, the number of hunters has leveled off with a difference of only 2,200 hunters between 2005 and 2008.

Chanda also mentioned that with the new computerized electronic licensing system that went into full operation in 2006, New Jersey is now compiling data that will target certain segments of the population, help bring new people into the sport and bring back some of those who have left the sport. Statistical information has also been better with the new system, he said.

G&F: How is the new system -- of having the regulations in effect for two years at a time -- working out?