thedrifter
09-13-03, 05:05 AM
Lejeune becomes hunters' paradise
September 12,2003
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Camp Lejeune is the regular stomping ground when Gunnery Sgt. Bobby Gokey goes out for a hunting trip. The Akron, Ohio, native knows the area like the back of his hand.
"I have been hunting this time since 1997 and before that when I was here from 1992 to 1994," said Gokey, 36, a family readiness officer with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.
Gokey isn't alone. Hundreds of military, their friends and federal employees hunt deer, wild turkey and other animals in the woods aboard Camp Lejeune.
"This is for my own use and saves on the grocery bill," Gokey said. "There's less fat and it's better for you."
Bow-and-arrow season for deer opens Saturday in North Carolina, which includes federal property aboard Camp Lejeune. Hunting is open there to active duty or retired military or government employee or their family. Patrons can also sponsor up to two nonaffiliated civilians for individual hunting trips, said base game warden John Waters.
Waters said Lejeune is a good choice for hunters who have the chance to use it.
"Camp Lejeune is a jewel of natural resources with a variety of wildlife you don't find in a developed area," he said.
Prospective hunters must get clearance to go into some areas, and safety is stressed as a paramount concern. Check in and check out are closely monitored.
"We have a quota for the number of hunters for a given training area," Waters said. "It ain't like hunting on Granddad's farm. You might not know the person next to you, so it's all driven by safety.
"The sponsor has to go with the person to check out the same area and return at the same time," Waters said. "The sponsor is also responsible for his or her conduct."
Waters said with the exception of base housing, the industrial area and a few impact zones that might contain unexploded shells, almost all of the 140,000 acres of woodlands at Camp Lejeune are prime hunting grounds.
A perspective hunter must have a state hunting license, which usually requires previous hunting experience or a hunter safety course, and then it costs another $15 for a combination license on the base that has both hunting and fishing privileges.
The deer season for muzzle-loaders begins Oct. 11, for shotgun hunters on Oct. 18, and they can continue to hunt until Jan. 1. Hunters can't use rifles on Camp Lejeune because the round carries too far, but there are some wooded areas for bow hunting only throughout the entire season in short walking distance from some housing areas.
For those who don't know military patrons who will sponsor them or are a little inexperienced and like the company of others, the Lejeune Rod and Gun club might be their answer.
Every Saturday during hunting season and some holidays, they sponsor groups to one of the four designated hunting areas.
But participants must get their state license and base license first and then contact the game wardens to help make arrangements or introductions.
These are federal wildlife enforcement officers who work closely with the base military police to make sure that security measures are followed.
"We welcome nonaffiliated hunters, but we just have to make sure that they're hunting safely within our rules," Waters said. "The deer numbers have to be controlled due to vehicle impacts and the food source. We don't want them eating shrubs in the housing areas or on the golf course and there will be fewer ticks if we limit them for parasitic reasons. Our wild turkey is also very popular."
Depending on the time of year hunters can take deer, bear, turkey, dove, quail, rabbit and a variety of water fowl.
There are future plans to allow hunters to check-in via the Internet and print a pass on their home computer and a separate game processing building should be built soon so that hunters can prepare their product without gutting their catch at home in front of neighbor children.
Last year, there were 13,240 individual hunting trips for a total of 52,770 hours and 1,785 people on group trips for a total of 6,153 hours.
They harvested 748 deer last season, which is down the annual average of about 1,000 and probably reflects more training areas and military hunters busy in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"Hunting is big business at Camp Lejeune," Waters said.
For more information contact the Camp Lejeune game warden Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (910) 451-5226 or visit their Web site at www.lejeune.usmc.mil/gwarden.
http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=Details.cfm&StoryID=15992&Section=News
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
September 12,2003
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Camp Lejeune is the regular stomping ground when Gunnery Sgt. Bobby Gokey goes out for a hunting trip. The Akron, Ohio, native knows the area like the back of his hand.
"I have been hunting this time since 1997 and before that when I was here from 1992 to 1994," said Gokey, 36, a family readiness officer with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.
Gokey isn't alone. Hundreds of military, their friends and federal employees hunt deer, wild turkey and other animals in the woods aboard Camp Lejeune.
"This is for my own use and saves on the grocery bill," Gokey said. "There's less fat and it's better for you."
Bow-and-arrow season for deer opens Saturday in North Carolina, which includes federal property aboard Camp Lejeune. Hunting is open there to active duty or retired military or government employee or their family. Patrons can also sponsor up to two nonaffiliated civilians for individual hunting trips, said base game warden John Waters.
Waters said Lejeune is a good choice for hunters who have the chance to use it.
"Camp Lejeune is a jewel of natural resources with a variety of wildlife you don't find in a developed area," he said.
Prospective hunters must get clearance to go into some areas, and safety is stressed as a paramount concern. Check in and check out are closely monitored.
"We have a quota for the number of hunters for a given training area," Waters said. "It ain't like hunting on Granddad's farm. You might not know the person next to you, so it's all driven by safety.
"The sponsor has to go with the person to check out the same area and return at the same time," Waters said. "The sponsor is also responsible for his or her conduct."
Waters said with the exception of base housing, the industrial area and a few impact zones that might contain unexploded shells, almost all of the 140,000 acres of woodlands at Camp Lejeune are prime hunting grounds.
A perspective hunter must have a state hunting license, which usually requires previous hunting experience or a hunter safety course, and then it costs another $15 for a combination license on the base that has both hunting and fishing privileges.
The deer season for muzzle-loaders begins Oct. 11, for shotgun hunters on Oct. 18, and they can continue to hunt until Jan. 1. Hunters can't use rifles on Camp Lejeune because the round carries too far, but there are some wooded areas for bow hunting only throughout the entire season in short walking distance from some housing areas.
For those who don't know military patrons who will sponsor them or are a little inexperienced and like the company of others, the Lejeune Rod and Gun club might be their answer.
Every Saturday during hunting season and some holidays, they sponsor groups to one of the four designated hunting areas.
But participants must get their state license and base license first and then contact the game wardens to help make arrangements or introductions.
These are federal wildlife enforcement officers who work closely with the base military police to make sure that security measures are followed.
"We welcome nonaffiliated hunters, but we just have to make sure that they're hunting safely within our rules," Waters said. "The deer numbers have to be controlled due to vehicle impacts and the food source. We don't want them eating shrubs in the housing areas or on the golf course and there will be fewer ticks if we limit them for parasitic reasons. Our wild turkey is also very popular."
Depending on the time of year hunters can take deer, bear, turkey, dove, quail, rabbit and a variety of water fowl.
There are future plans to allow hunters to check-in via the Internet and print a pass on their home computer and a separate game processing building should be built soon so that hunters can prepare their product without gutting their catch at home in front of neighbor children.
Last year, there were 13,240 individual hunting trips for a total of 52,770 hours and 1,785 people on group trips for a total of 6,153 hours.
They harvested 748 deer last season, which is down the annual average of about 1,000 and probably reflects more training areas and military hunters busy in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"Hunting is big business at Camp Lejeune," Waters said.
For more information contact the Camp Lejeune game warden Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (910) 451-5226 or visit their Web site at www.lejeune.usmc.mil/gwarden.
http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=Details.cfm&StoryID=15992&Section=News
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: