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New Jersey Zone Finder

Answer six questions and get New Jersey deer management zones ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 season dates, public land and deer harvest by zone.

How the New Jersey finder works

New Jersey manages deer by deer management zone. This tool scores all 54 zones using NJ Fish & Wildlife's deer harvest by zone (2019–20, 2020–21 and 2022–23), USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as wildlife management areas, state forests and the Delaware Water Gap.

Season fit uses the 2026 New Jersey Hunting & Trapping Digest: the new High, Medium and Low deer regulation sets, the 2026 black bear segments in Bear Management Zones 1–5, spring 2027 turkey periods, stocked pheasant and quail, and waterfowl and woodcock by zone.

Species covered

  • White-tailed deer
  • Black bear
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Quail

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • American woodcock

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

New Jersey hunting FAQ

Which New Jersey deer zones have the most harvest?

Zones 12, 8, 5, 50 and 10 in Hunterdon, Morris, Warren, Sussex and Monmouth counties lead the state's harvest by zone. Most of them are in Regulation Set High, with long permit seasons and generous antlerless limits.

When is the 2026 New Jersey bear season?

Segment A runs Oct. 12–17, 2026 (archery, with muzzleloaders Oct. 15–17) and Segment B Dec. 7–12 (shotgun and muzzleloader), with a possible extension Dec. 16–19. Only Bear Management Zones 1–5 are open.

Can I hunt deer with a rifle in New Jersey?

No. New Jersey deer hunting is by bow, crossbow, shotgun and muzzleloader only.

New Jersey harvest leaders

The deer management zones with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

White-tailed deer (2019–2022 average)

  1. Zone 12 Zone 12: 3,380 per year
  2. Zone 8 Zone 8: 2,988 per year
  3. Zone 5 Zone 5: 2,679 per year
  4. Zone 50 Zone 50: 2,217 per year
  5. Zone 10 Zone 10: 2,122 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Ocean County: 12,306 per year
  2. Atlantic County: 10,361 per year
  3. Cape May County: 8,146 per year
  4. Cumberland County: 5,317 per year
  5. Middlesex County: 3,511 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Hunterdon County: 4,346 per year
  2. Sussex County: 3,712 per year
  3. Monmouth County: 3,684 per year
  4. Atlantic County: 3,596 per year
  5. Warren County: 3,429 per year