Suffolk- Sarnoff property

[virgil]

I find the DEC website info hard to follow. Can anyone help clarify the rules for hunting the Sarnoff property. My question is this- from what i understand, you need the yearly access permit AND you need to be assigned one of the numbered sites. And, i'm assuming that you need to be parked in the numbered parking area for your assigned site. Is that right? Does that mean that aside from hunters in the numbered parking areas that there is noone else hunting that property at any given time?

[mbucks27]

To hunt Sarnoff you do need the seasonal access permit for both the car window and your pocket. There is no check in for bow season so you can park in any open numbered spot and hunt anywhere within the boundaries of the state land on the side of the road you are parked on. Once gun season starts you need to reserve a spot at the checkstation for the day you want to hunt. Most spots out there are one car spots but some of them allow two cars per spot. Good luck out there its tough hunting but there are some good bucks to be had.

John

[virgil]

Thanks for the response. So, does that mean that basically, legal access is from the numbered parking sites only? And, is it first come first served? You seem familiar with the area. What did you mean by 'tough hunting'? Have you had any success out there?

[mbucks27]

i sent you a PM.

John

[JimmyDaSavage]

Sarnoff tends to be really thick in a lot of spots but there are definitey deer around. I have hunted there before. Best of luck!

[Meat First]

Main problem with Sarnoff is scouting before the season is risky with all the ticks and chiggers out there. Had them(chiggers) bad a few years back walking lots#16 and 17. All I remember is sitting on stairs in my pool with washcloth and bottle of clorox. That Really sucked! Guess scouting in feb/march is a better idea. I did see some nice rubs though.

[RichZ7]

Virgil you can use your access pass and parking permit from Oct. 1-31 without having to check in at the check station. The Ridge check station opens up on Nov. 1 and then you have to actually go to the check station in the morning, wait in line and pick your spot. It's kinda a pain in the ass. Whatever parking spot your in allows you access to the state land up to the marked boundary lines on the same side of road your parked on. Some areas having parking on both sides of the roadways but you can't legally cross the road to hunt the opposite side. Most spots allow one vehicle and 2 hunters per vehicle. As far as Sarnoff, I have hunted there 2 times bowhunting and once during January shotgun season. As some of the fellas have said there are some real thick areas but you can find more open areas if you scout around. It seemed to me that most of the deer sign seems to be congregated around the thick spots which does make for a tough hunt. Another thing I found is that some areas have real small diameter trees (typical of some of the Pine Barren areas) which makes using a stand difficult. I use a Summit climber so I had to really look for some decent spots to use the stand. That being said, I had found some huge rubs on the property and heard of some real nice bucks being taken out there. Unfortunately the few times I hunted there I was skunked. Saw a few does and a decent 6 point but wasn't lucky enough to have a shot. Good luck if you decide to give it a try.

[RichZ7]

_{Forgot to mention once Nov.1 hits if you want to hunt a weekend day you have to call the check station a week before to put in a reservation. If you just show up on the weekend without a reservation you can hunt only if that spot is open.}

[mbucks27]

Rich at Sarnoff you do not need to check in until the shotgun season starts in January. As long as you have the access permits you dont need to checkin with your bow at Sarnoff like you do at rocky point or otis pike.

John

[pistolp71]

Hunted there a couple of times years ago. Very thick, with small trees. Tough to hang a stand. That's why I found a free standing tripod stand there. A friend of my shot a giant 14 pt non typical there about 15 yrs ago.

[RichZ7]

Rich at Sarnoff you do not need to check in until the shotgun season starts in January. As long as you have the access permits you dont need to checkin with your bow at Sarnoff like you do at rocky point or otis pike.

John

Oh ok thanks John. I thought it was like the rest of the state lands. I haven't hunted out there too many times.

[A Sportsman]

Meat First, I hear ya man. These chiggers the past number of seasons have been horrible. You can pull your socks over your pants to prevent Ticks. But the chiggers go right through the socks and they get you like 100 at a time.

I don;t hunt Sarnoff, but I hunt nearby there in some very similar habitat. The deer could litteraly bed down anywhere. Plus they are walking on a lot of sand so often times you don't hear them coming at all. I generally just try to find good numbers of tracks and sign, try to figure out their daily movements direction-wise, and set up near it. Can be frustrating though. They can pass by 40 yards from you and you won't see or hear them.

[A Sportsman]

Also a lot of times where you find good deer sign, there isnt a tree anyway near there to hang a stand. Hunting from the ground is feasible, but now your already bad visibility becomes worse.

I also worry about hitting a deer and having it vanish within two seconds. Its nicer when after you hit one, you can watch it for a while to give you a good feel for where to look for blood. I am colorblind and have a tough time looking for blood. So i am a little paranoid of that situation (not having a good idea of where to look for blood).

[Meat First]

They say to wait until after the second frost and bugs will die

[Meat First]

And virgil the spots south of the LIE in Otis Pike are also accessible with the seasonal pass only and you do not need to check in at Ridge Station. But of course the best spots are north...

[virgil]

I was in there scouting last week and my legs got ravaged. Chiggers are brutal. The itching is just finally getting better.

[virgil]

Thanks. Seems less complicated than i thought it would be. But, it seems like tough terrain to head into in the dark with a climber. I stumbled on a flock of about a dozen turkeys in there last week.

[mbucks27]

Yea i wouldnt dream about scouting in there now. I do all of my scouting in the winter on the island. I learned my lesson with them chiggers lol.

John

[Meat First]

Like I said Ive been down that road before so I feel for ya....Last time the wife made me sleep on the couch for 2 weeks