Forked River Mountains WMA is one place where you will want to buy a topographical map and carry it with you. Access is good, but the trails can be tricky. Since the area essentially butts right up to the expansive Greenwood WMA, you may find it quite confusing to navigate. I have hunted the immediate area around the Forked River Mountains and have had good success, but it’s not an area that I would suggest to a fellow hunter who’s never experienced a Pine Barren’s hunt before.

PINE BARRENS PRIVATE PROPERTY
Within the ecological boundary of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, it’s hard to quantitatively measure the amount of public land compared to private land. Compared to public land, however, it’s easy to conclude that private land is far greater in terms of total acreage.

For that reason, don’t be afraid to knock on doors and ask for written permission to hunt. You would be shocked at just how many people -- even other hunters -- will grant permission to hunt on their land. I find this especially true if you are simply looking for a deer to put meat in the freezer.

Most people, and quite a few fellow hunters, frown on trophy hunting. After all, I have never seen a good recipe for antlers! But with the doe-to-buck ratio at approximately 15 to 1 over much of the Pines, isn’t it about time we took more does anyway? I think so, and I do take does -- about four a year, on average.

Speaking of private property in the Pine Barrens, I’ve had some interesting experiences with those folks who have recently moved here from more urbanized northern areas. I find that many of these folks don’t like hunters or maybe hunting in general --initially. But after a year or two of getting their pretty plants consumed as fast as they plant them in the soil, they warm up to my offer of helping them alleviate this problem. I can’t begin to relate how many times this has happened to me, and quite a few of my friends.

So, yes, here in the Pines, there is certainly far more privately held property than public land. But quite a good amount of it may be open to you, a lot more easily than you might think initially.

WHAT TO EXPECT
What’s a trophy whitetail to me may not be a trophy to you, or vice versa. New Jersey surely produces good racks year after year, but they are rarely harvested within the Pine Barrens. This is primarily due to the overall poor quality of the soils, which consist largely of sand.

Without good-quality soil, a WMA is hard-pressed to have a good growth of nutritious plants. Since plants make up a large percentage of whitetails’ diet, it’s vital that the plants the bucks consume be of the highest possible quality to provide them with the nutrients they need to develop large antlers.

Areas with more nutrient-rich soils -- for example, like those found within the farmlands of Salem, Cumberland, and Monmouth counties -- are far more likely to produce Pope and Young qualifiers, and even an occasional Boone and Crocket buck. Of course, Allaire State Park seems to have the best of both worlds: This area contains the necessary elements to produce bucks with good antlers and nice body size, year after year.

Simply put, the Pine Barrens may not boast bucks with massive headgear -- at least not most of the time. But there are certainly plenty of respectable heads out there. Additionally, the does of the area shouldn’t ever be underestimated. I’ve harvested more than a few does that weighed 100 pounds dressed out, which are perfect for the freezer.