Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

New Jersey’s Pine Barrens is a densely forested region that covers just over 1.2 million acres across much of the southern and central portions of the state.

The name “pine barrens” is derived from the area’s generally flat topography and sandy, nutrient-poor soils, along with the dense growth of pitch pines (Pinus rigida), which can grow to be over 40 feet tall.

Pitch pines rely on fire to reproduce, and in the Pine Barrens, fire is a necessary and frequent occurrence. For that reason -- and due to the generally poor nutrients of the region’s soils -- large areas of land are covered by pitch pines measuring between 1 and 5 feet tall. These stunted trees are sometimes referred to as “pygmy pines.”

PINE BARRENS’ BOUNDARIES
Within the ecological boundaries of the Pine Barrens there are two basic sub-boundaries: The Preservation Area and the Protection Area, both established by the Pinelands Commission in 1980.

Starting from the extreme south, a rough set of boundaries for the ecological area defined as the New Jersey Pine Barrens would be from Cape May Courthouse west to Bridgeton, north to Glassboro, northeast to Freehold, east to Asbury Park, south along the western side of the Garden State Parkway, then continuing southwest back to Cape May Courthouse.

New Jersey’s Pine Barrens contains many areas perfect for resident and non-resident hunters alike. The largest expanses of good hunting lands are actually owned and maintained by the state.

WHARTON STATE FOREST
One of these prime public lands is Wharton State Forest. The Wharton Tract is made up of some 108,000 acres of core-area Pine Barrens habitat, most of which is open to hunting in some form or fashion. The Wharton Tract was the single largest privately owned contiguous tract of land in New Jersey until the state purchased it in 1954 and 1955. Today, it is a well-developed recreational facility that includes such popular hiking trails as the Batona Trail.

Having hunted extensively in Wharton State Forest I can tell you from first-hand experience that the hunting here is hard. In many areas, dense cover with thick underbrush makes it difficult to actually see a deer until it’s right up on you.

However, some of the prettiest, mature stands of oaks grow here. In the early archery season, when the oaks are dropping their acorns, bagging a nice buck is very much a reality. But this isn’t an area to focus on if you’re concentrating on harvesting a trophy rack. Big bucks do inhabit this region, of course. But there are other areas where your hard work and precious time are better spent.

ALLAIRE STATE PARK
One of these places is Allaire State Park. Most people don’t think of the Pine Barrens extending as far north as Monmouth County, but it certainly does. Allaire State Park is probably the single best public hunting area within the Pines that affords the hunter a better-than-average chance at harvesting a trophy-class buck.

In fact, New Jersey’s current record head was harvested in Allaire State Park. And with the high-quality farmland not far from the area, there’s little doubt that hunters can expect good racks to be the norm for this part of the Pine Barrens.