Great Swamp, NJ!

[SimonKenton]

The have added ANOTHER 4,000 acres of the Refuge to muzzleloaders ONLY!!! NO shotguns, handguns or spitballs. About flippin' time. :thumbsup:

Call 973-425-1222, ext 15
or e-mail [email protected]

 

[bigbore442001]

Could you be so kind as to give us a description of the Great Swamp in NJ? It sounds very intriguing. What kind of game is inhabiting this area? What is the terrain like? Thanks

 

[MikeC]

Is there a website with the information. I live and work within 15 minutes from the swamp.

 

[2172]

Mike, I drove through Harding Twp for about 20 years, en route to my job in Short Hills from Long Valley...the way the locals used the great swamp to stop Austin Tobin the dictator of the Port of NY Authority back when he planned to put an airport there (to extend the boundaries of his empire) still brings back pleasant thoughts..that is some pretty country, even if it is misnamed..Hank

 

[SimonKenton]

What I know of it comes from the early Seventies. There were a lot of actresses upset that hunting was allowed on a wildlife "refuge" not understanding a whit about either wildlife or refuges.

They got a judge to stop a control hunt about 1971. The F&G folks showed the judge color photos and film of the hundreds of starved deer they found the next spring. Many with tumors on them the size of grapefruit. This was before the tone deaf judges we have now. He told the actresses to pound sand after that.

Since then there's been a circus atmosphere where citiots with signs protest hunters and police keep them apart. The original area was 3,700 acres and now another 4,000 added for black powder only. I think it's in Sussex county.

-Ray

 

[MikeC]

I know the swamp resides in Morris and Somerset counties not Sussex.

I sent an email to the address provided and received a reply. 4000 additional acres are now open to MZ hunters only but sadly the time to apply to hunt the swamp expired on Sept. 7. This makes a total of 7800 acres open to hunting.

There is always next year.

 

[rabjr]

Cool, did your Great Swamp have a big fight in it like ours did?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Swamp_Fight

 

[MikeC]

Not sure about a fight. The entire area which is just outside of Morristown is loaded with history dating back to before the revolution. Jockey Hollow which is a national park and where Washington and his troops wintered is the headwaters of the Passaic River which flows through the swamp and butts up with it.

Beautiful area with grand estates and horse farms (aka lots and lots of money). Most people don't know this but NJ has more horses per acre than any other state. Brett Favre (NY Jets QB) just purchased a 4+ million estate in Harding TWSP which is part the Great Swamp, wouldn't be suprised if his property butts right up to it.

 

[bucktales]

Cool, wish they did that here. :thumbsup:

We had a big Swamp Fight too.
Pequot Swamp Fight