Colliers Mills WMA
Ocean & Monmouth Counties12,906 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Bow, Shotgun, Muzzleloader allowed. Sunday Bowhunting authorized.
Statutory Wildlife Regulations
NJ Deer Hunting Seasons, Management Zones 1–68 & Regulation Sets
New Jersey deer hunting seasons span Fall Bow, Permit Bow, Youth Day, Six-Day Firearm, Permit Muzzleloader, and Permit Shotgun across 68 distinct Deer Management Zones. Bag limits and Earn-A-Buck mandates are strictly governed by Zone Regulation Sets 0 through 8 under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.
Reviewed & Verified by NJ Woods & Water Wildlife Research Desk • Master Hunter Education Instructor Verified • Updated for 2025–2026 Season
Interactive NJ Deer Management Zone Decoder & Regulation Set Lookup
N.J.A.C. 7:25-5 AlignedZones 1 through 68
New Jersey Deer Management Zone (DMZ) Decoder
Search by township or county to inspect season dates, weapon legality, and Earn-A-Buck mandates.
Verified against N.J.A.C. 7:25-5 (2025–2026 Game Code)
Zone 12
Mercer & Hunterdon Counties (Hopewell, East Amwell)Regulation Set 8 (High Density Suburban)
Earn-A-Buck (EAB) Mandatory
Antlerless Bag LimitUnlimited Antlerless
Permitted Weapon TypesBow, Shotgun, Muzzleloader
Antlered Buck Limit1 Buck Per Season (Permit Req.)
Major Public Lands & WMAsSourland Mountain Preserve, Mercer County Park
Statutory Citation:N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.29(m) - Antlerless deer must be taken before harvesting an antlered buck during early bow season in Zone 12. Must check via AHRS by 8:00 PM.
Mandatory AHRS Harvest Check-In (N.J.A.C. 7:25-5)
How Do New Jersey Deer Management Zones and Regulation Sets Function?
Administered by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife within the NJDEP, the state's wildlife geography is categorized into 68 distinct units, each known as a Deer Management Zone (DMZ). To streamline harvest management, the state groups zones into 9 standardized Regulation Set 0 through 8 frameworks. Regulation Set 0 represents the most restrictive regime (military reservations), while Regulation Set 8 represents maximum population suppression with unlimited antlerless tags.
Before entering public tracts or leasing private acreage, review our central New Jersey Woods and Water outdoors guide for county boundaries, legal weapons, and access requirements.
Complete Season Dates: Fall Bow, Permit Muzzleloader, Six-Day & Permit Shotgun
Statutory dates established under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5 (Game Code) organize the hunting year into consecutive seasons: Fall Bow Season, Permit Bow Season, Six-Day Firearm Season, Permit Muzzleloader Season, Permit Shotgun Season, Winter Bow Season, and the annual Youth Hunting Day. During early archery weeks, reference our whitetail vital organ shot placement guide for optimal broadside and quartering angle target anatomy.
Early Autumn
Fall Bow Season
Opens second Saturday in September for Regulation Sets 6–8 (Earn-A-Buck active). Expands statewide in early October.
Rut Peak
Permit Bow Season
Covers the peak breeding rut from late October through Thanksgiving Saturday. Rut chasing peaks Nov 5–15.
Winter Firearm
Six-Day Firearm & Permit Shotgun
Six-Day Firearm opens second Monday of December (bucks only). Permit Shotgun follows for antlerless quotas.
Late Primitive
Permit Muzzleloader Season
Split dates in November/December and resumes throughout January with .44 caliber minimum projectiles.
Biological TelemetryMid-Atlantic Photoperiod (40°N)
Whitetail Rut Phase & Photoperiod Breeding Calendar
Track daylight decline triggers, hormone escalation, and peak whitetail breeding dates across New Jersey's northern ridges, pine barrens, and agricultural valleys.
Buck Hormonal StatusPeak Testosterone • Aggressive Roaming
Bucks abandon nocturnal feeding patterns to cruise downwind doe bedding edges. High response to antler rattling and grunt calls.
Optimal Stand PlacementTerrain Funnels, Saddles & Pinch Points
Position treestands along topography funnels connecting separate woodlots or doe bedding sanctuaries. Hunt 10 AM to 2 PM midday.
Earn-A-Buck Mandates, Antlered Buck Permits & Public Wildlife Management Areas
Under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5, Earn-A-Buck (EAB) rules require the harvest and digital registration of an antlerless deer prior to harvesting an antlered buck on an Antlered Buck Permit. Public hunters frequenting tracts such as Colliers Mills WMA, Pequest WMA, Assunpink WMA, Wharton State Forest, and High Point State Park must verify parcel boundaries.
When transporting hunting shotguns or muzzleloaders across state highways to these public parcels, ensure strict compliance with NJ firearm permit requirements under N.J.S. 2C:58.
Public Lands Access10 Major State Tracts • 350,000+ Total Acres
New Jersey Wildlife Management Area (WMA) & Range Finder
Search 10 premier state wildlife management areas and public ranges across New Jersey. Filter by shooting ranges, boat ramps, acreage, and deer management zones.
N.J.A.C. 7:25-2 State Public Lands Regulations
Assunpink WMA
Monmouth & Mercer Counties6,346 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Full season archery & firearm. Horseback riding permitted on marked trails.
Pequest WMA
Warren Counties4,960 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
No firearm discharge within 450-ft hatchery safety perimeter. Bow permitted.
Range 14 (Public Shooting Range)
Burlington (JB MDL) Counties2,500 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Open to public civilian membership. Target shooting only (No hunting on range floor).
Millville (Bevans) WMA
Cumberland Counties14,000 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Extensive whitetail and upland quail hunting. Six-Day Firearm allowed.
Flatbrook-Roy WMA
Sussex Counties2,130 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Mountain terrain. Bear and whitetail seasons. High elevation safety protocols.
Tuckahoe (Lester G. MacNamara) WMA
Atlantic & Cape May Counties17,200 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Tidal marshland. Coastal duck blinds and upland whitetail shotgun permitted.
Clinton WMA
Hunterdon Counties1,440 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
High-density deer zone (Reg Set 8). Earn-A-Buck mandates apply.
Black River WMA
Morris Counties3,078 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Suburban fringe tract. 450-ft occupied building safety zone strictly enforced.
Wharton State Forest Public Hunting
Burlington, Camden & Atlantic Counties122,884 Acres
Weapon & Use Rules:
Massive Pine Barrens wilderness. 4WD recommended for sugar sand navigation.
In-Line Muzzleloader Powder Limits & Fouling Diagnostics
For in-lines like the CVA Wolf .50 caliber, standard guidelines mandate 100 grains (by volume) of black powder substitute. Troubleshoot breech plug fouling, delayed ignition, and sabot resistance:
Primitive Weapon ArmoryCVA Wolf • Optima • Traditions In-Line
In-Line Muzzleloader Powder & Fouling Diagnostic Guide
Diagnose ignition failures, breech plug carbon build-up, and sabot resistance before entering the woods for New Jersey Permit Muzzleloader season.
N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.24 & Manufacturer Armory Standards
HIGH PRIORITY HAZARDDIAG-MF-01
Hang-Fire or Delayed Ignition (Hammer Strike • Pause • BOOM)
Mechanical Root Cause
Hard carbon cake inside the CVA breech plug flash channel restricts the 209 primer flame from directly reaching the black powder / Triple Seven pellets. Oil in the fire channel from off-season storage can also contaminate the ignition base.
Immediate Field Remediation
Remove the Quick-Release Breech Plug (QRBP) and clean the flash channel by rotating a 1/8" drill bit by hand to shave rock-hard carbon. Before loading in camp, fire two dry 209 primers through an unloaded, pointed-safe barrel to burn out residual oils.
Max Safe NJ Powder Charge:100gr Volume (2x 50gr Pellets)
Legal Caliber Threshold:.44 Caliber Min Single Projectile
Optimal Muzzle Velocity:1,950 fps (250gr Hornady SST)
Shotgun Choke Tube & Slug Compatibility Safety Solver
Under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.23, firing slugs through inappropriate choke tubes risks catastrophic barrel bursts. Verify your barrel, choke constriction, and slug type:
Field Ballistic Safety12ga & 20ga Constriction Matrix
Shotgun Choke Tube & Slug Compatibility Solver
Select your barrel type, installed choke constriction, and slug design to verify internal pressure safety and barrel burst risk before heading afield.
N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.23 & SAAMI Standards Verified
SAFE TO FIRE
Clearance: Optimal Gas SealOptimal Configuration for Smoothbore Hunting
Foster lead slugs have hollow bases and swaged exterior rifling fins designed to safely compress through Cylinder and Improved Cylinder constrictions. Delivers consistent 50–75 yard terminal energy for New Jersey whitetail.
Field Protocol: Recommended 50-yard zero. Verify shot spread across 3-shot group.
Legal Shotgun Slug Trajectory & Ballistics Verification
G1 Aerodynamic DragZeroed at 100 Yards
External Ballistics & Slug Drop Simulator
Simulate muzzle velocity decay, kinetic energy delivery, and ballistic bullet drop for New Jersey legal slugs.
N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.23 & 7:25-5.24 Lawful Projectile Calibration
25y50y75y100y (Zero)125y150y175y200y
Sight Baseline (100yd Zero) Projectile Flight Arc
Velocity (fps)1,585 fpsRetained velocity
Kinetic Energy (ft-lbs)1,452 ft-lbsTerminal punch
Trajectory Drop (in)0.0 inZero reference
Flight Time (sec)0.18 sTo target plane
Frequently Asked Questions About NJ Hunting Seasons & Zones
01How do I find out what Deer Management Zone my hunting property is in?
New Jersey Deer Management Zones are bounded by designated state highways, county roads, rivers, and municipal boundaries. Use the interactive decoder above or consult the official NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife Zone Map in the annual Hunting & Trapping Digest. If a boundary road splits your property, you must obtain permits matching the specific side of the road you hunt.
02What is an Antlered Buck Permit in New Jersey?
A New Jersey Antlered Buck Permit allows a hunter to take one antlered deer during a specific permit season (Permit Bow, Permit Muzzleloader, or Permit Shotgun). You must possess a valid zone permit for that season before purchasing an Antlered Buck Permit. Only one buck permit may be purchased per hunter per permit season.
03Can I hunt on Sundays in New Jersey?
Bowhunting for deer on Sundays is legal on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and private property statewide. Firearm deer hunting on Sundays remains strictly prohibited under New Jersey statute N.J.S. 23:4-24 across all public and private lands.
04What are the fluorescent hunter orange requirements during firearm deer seasons?
Under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.23, all hunters afield during any firearm deer season (including bowhunters during overlapping seasons) must wear a cap consisting of at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material visible from all sides, or a minimum of 200 square inches on a chest/back garment.