January 20, 2013 — Although it's one of the smallest states in the nation, New Jersey has an amazing amount of recreational resources available to outdoor enthusiasts. Located within its borders are 330,000 acres of wildlife management areas for hunting, more than 50 state parks and forests, 200 waters for trout fishing and countless hiking trails.
In an effort to help people connect with the state's many outdoor recreation options, the state's DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife has launched a free fish and wildlife app for smartphones. Called the Pocket Ranger New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Application, it's available for iPhones and Androids. It includes detailed information on the state's fish and wildlife species, fishing and hunting regulations, public open spaces and more.
"We have so much information on where to hunt and fish in New Jersey and all the different fish and boat access points," said DFW Information and Education Bureau Chief Jim Sciascia. "We thought that this would be a great tool for people who just want to know what's out there in the way of outdoor recreation."
According to Sciascia, developing the app was a process that took about nine months. The bureau of information and education worked closely with the developer, ParksBy Nature, to repurpose all of the information it had on its website to create a comprehensive resource compatible with smartphones.
"There was not a lot of (new) information we had to produce for it," Sciascia said. "It was just a matter of taking what we already had and giving it to the developers so they could put it in a format that is mobile friendly."
One of the strengths of the app is its GPS capabilities. For example, users can get turn-by-turn driving directions to fishing locations, wildlife management area access points and more. The app also has an advanced map-caching feature that allows you to continue using the app even if mobile service is interrupted. Plus, there's a Friend Finder function that lets a person connect with family and friends while afield so that everyone knows each other's locations at all times.
Read the full story at the Express-Times