New Jersey
115000
Est. Whitetail Population
109000
No. Licenses Sold Annually
$55.50-$59.50
Resident archery license is $31.50 (seniors $16.50); Resident firearm license is $27.50 (senior $15.50); Deer permits are $28.
Resident hunting license and deer permit
$163.50
Nonresident license is 135.50 plus $28 deer permit.
Non-resident hunting license and deer permit
189 4/8"
Taken by Scott Borden in Monmouth County in 1995.
Record B&C Typical Stat
7
Total B&C Typical Entries
203 3/8"
Taken by Darrell Capps in Cumberland County in 2000.
Record B&C Non-Typical Stat
3
Record B&C Non-Typical Entries
Season Dates (2013): Archery season is Sept. 28 to Oct. 25 and Jan. 1-31. Youth days are Sept. 21 for bow and Nov. 23 for firearm. General firearm season is Dec. 9-14. Muzzleloader season is Dec. 2-3, 16-17, 21-24 and 26-28. Some dates vary by zone, so check state regulations.
The Grade: C
Densely populated New Jersey isn't a place where you're going to sling a rifle over your back and roam at will to find your buck. But if you're willing to scout hard, stay put on small parcels of land and use archery gear, you can find some good hunting here. Hunters take about 55,000 deer a year in New Jersey, and as a testament to the bowhunting focus in this metropolitan state, archery accounts for about half the total annual kill. Booner bucks are not abundant, although Pope and Young animals are becoming more and more common. A few public areas do exist.
Antler Nation Knowledge: Crossbows became legal in New Jersey in 2010, and hunters have liked the increased range and opportunity. It's actually the perfect hunting tool for a state where firearms hunting is becoming more limited. Sunday hunting is also a relative newcomer to the New Jersey scene, and hunters like the increased opportunity there as well.
