Hunter Access: Public Deer Hunting Land In New Jersey

New Jersey has more than 750,000 acres of public land available to the deer hunter. This list is arranged by deer management zone for public land open to deer hunting. Generally, only areas with 100 acres or more of upland habitat are listed. State parks and forests that allow hunting may have some sections which are closed to hunting. Some areas allow deer hunting only during certain seasons, require an access fee or have other special regulations. Refer to the Digest section Special Areas Hunting Season Information or contact the appropriate authority for details. See hunting opportunities on national wildlife refuges in New Jersey.

Remember: Hunters must have permission to hunt agricultural land even if the land is not posted. Hunters should obtain permission before hunting any private property. Hunters are advised not to purchase a deer permit for a zone in which they have no place to hunt.

Updates since last year are noted below in red.

Zone Public Land Open to Deer Hunting

1. • Bear Swamp WMA• Flatbrook—Roy WMA• Hainesville WMA• Stokes State Forest
2. • Kittatinny Valley State Park• Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
   (see Special Areas) 

   • Wawayanda State Park

3. • Abram Hewitt State Forest• Hamburg Mountain WMA• Long Pond Ironworks State Park• Newark Watershed (see Special Areas)• Norvin Green State Forest• Ramapo Mountain State Forest

   • Ringwood State Park

   • Wawayanda State Park

4. • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area• Flatbrook—Roy WMA• Stokes State Forest• Walpack WMA• Worthington State Forest
5. • Beaver Brook WMA• Columbia WMA• Honey Run WMA• Jenny Jump State Forest• Paulinskill WMA
   • Swartswood State Park 

   • Trout Brook WMA

   • White Lake WMA

   • Whittingham WMA

6. • Allamuchy Mountain State Park• Berkshire Valley WMA• Farny State Park• Morris County Park System—Mahlon Dickerson
   Reservation, Silas Condict Park (see Special Areas) 

   • Newark Watershed (see Special Areas)

   • Rockaway River WMA

   • Sparta Mountain WMA

   • Weldon Brook WMA

   • Wildcat Ridge WMA

7. • Clinton WMA• Hunterdon County Parks Dept.—Union Forge
   Preserve, Tower Hill Reserve (see Special Areas) 

   • Musconetcong River WMA

   • Spruce Run Recreation Area

8. • Allamuchy Mountain State Park• Black River WMA• Hacklebarney State Park• Hunterdon County Parks Dept.—Cold Brook
   Preserve, Teetertown Ravine Nature Preserve,
   Point Mountain Preserve (see Special Areas) 

   • Ken Lockwood Gorge WMA

   • Morris County Park System—Black River Park,
   Schooley’s Mountain Park (see Special Areas)

   • Musconetcong River WMA

   • Pequest WMA

   • Rockport WMA

   • South Branch WMA

   • Voorhees State Park

9. • Black River WMA
10. • Hunterdon County Parks Dept.—Musconetcong
    Gorge, the Drag Strip Property, Hoffman Park,
    Schick Reserve, South Branch Reservation,
    Uplands Reserve (see Special Areas) 

    • Musconetcong River WMA

11. • Hunterdon County Parks Dept.—Lockatong Nature
    Preserve, the Case Farm, Wescott Nature Preserve (see Special Areas) 

    • Lockatong WMA

12. • Hunterdon County Parks Dept.—Cushetunk
    Mountain Park, Sourland Mountain Nature
    Preserve, Deer Path Park, South Branch Reservation (see Special Areas) 

    • Round Valley Recreation Area

    • South Branch WMA

13. • No public deer hunting land
14. • Assunpink WMA (Robbinsville Twp section only)• Pigeon Swamp State Park• Six Mile Run Reservoir State Park (see Special Areas)
15. • Assunpink WMA• Monmouth County Park System—Charleston
    Springs Golf Course, Perrineville Lake Park (see Special Areas)
16. • Turkey Swamp WMA• Monmouth County Park System—Bear Swamp Tract of Manasquan Reservoir, Howell Park Golf
    Course, Turkey Swamp Park, Yellowbrook Tract of Manasquan River Linear Park (see Special Areas)
17. • Colliers Mills WMA• Monmouth County Park System—Clayton Park,
    Crosswicks Creek Park (see Special Areas)
18. • Colliers Mills WMA• Manchester WMA• Whiting WMA
19. • Medford WMA• Wharton State Forest
21. • Double Trouble State Park• Forked River Mountain WMA• Greenwood Forest WMA• Lebanon State Forest
22. • Bass River State Forest
23. • Wharton State Forest
24. • Bass River State Forest• Penn State Forest• Stafford Forge WMA• Swan Bay WMA• Warren Grove Recreation Area• Wharton State Forest
25. • Cedar Lake WMA• Great Egg Harbor River WMA• White Oak Branch WMA• Wharton State Forest
26. • Great Egg Harbor River WMA• Hammonton Creek WMA• Makepeace Lake WMA• Port Republic WMA
27. • Salem River WMA• Thundergut Pond WMA
28. • Buckshutem WMA• Elmer Lake WMA• Union Lake WMA
29. • Bayside PSE&G Tract (see Special Areas)• Cohansey WMA• Gum Tree Corner WMA• Mad Horse Creek WMA• Maskells Mill Pond WMA• Stowe Creek State Park
30. • Bear Swamp Natural Area (closed Jan. 15–Aug. 1)• Dix WMA• Egg Island WMA
    • Fortescue WMA 

    • Nantuxent WMA

    • New Sweden WMA

31. • Millville WMA• Buckshutem WMA
34. • Beaver Swamp WMA• Belleplain State Forest• Cape May Wetlands WMA
    • Cape May National Wildlife Refuge 

    • Dennis Creek WMA
    • Heislerville WMA

    • Higbee Beach WMA

    • Tuckahoe WMA

    • Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve (see Special Areas)

35. • D.O.D. Ponds• Harrisonville Lake WMA
36. • No public deer hunting land
37. • Fort Dix Military Reservation (see Special Areas)
38. • Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (see Special Areas)
39. • No public deer hunting land
40. • No public deer hunting land
41. • Alexauken Creek WMA• Mercer County Parks—Baldpate (Kuser) Mountain• Mercer County Parks—Howell Living
    History Farm
42. • Port Republic WMA
43. • Millville (Bevan) WMA
45. • Menantico Ponds WMA• Peaslee WMA
46. • Gibson Creek WMA• Great Egg Harbor River WMA• Tuckahoe WMA• Maple Lake WMA• Peaslee WMA
47. • Peaslee WMA
48. • Rancocas State Park (see Special Areas)
49. • No public deer hunting land
50. • Monmouth County Park System—Hartshorne Woods Park, Tatum Park, Thompson Park, Big Brook Park, Huber Woods, the Ramanessin Section of Holmdel Park (see Special Areas)
51. • Allaire State Park• Manasquan River WMA• Manahawkin WMA• Monmouth County Park System—Shark River Park, Rt. 33 Tract and Shark River Park—East of Remsen Mill Rd.
    (see Special Areas)
53. • Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station (see Special Areas)
54. • No public deer hunting land
55. • Glassboro WMA
56. • Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (see Special Areas)
57. • Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (see Special Areas)
58. • Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge—north of Rt. 72 (see Special Areas)
61. • Atlantic County Park System (see Special Areas)
63. • Abbotts Meadow WMA• Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
    (see Special Areas)
64. • Monmouth Battlefield State Park (see Special Areas)
65. • Winslow WMA
66. • Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center (see Special Areas)
67. • High Point State Park (see Special Areas)
68. • Franklin Parker Preserve (see Special Areas)
70. • Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, north of the Mullica River and south of Rt. 72 (see Special Areas)

Maps and information on hunting land is also available from the following sources:

USGS Topographic Maps
Topo quads — $10 ea.; State exact location including county, township, road or select a WMA
NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection

Maps and Publications
NJDEP Office of Constituent Services
Mail Code 401-07A, PO Box 402, Trenton, NJ 08625-0402
(609) 777-1038
www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs/pricelist/

State Parks and Forests Maps
Maps and information on lands administered by the Division of Parks and Forestry. Please specify park or forest. Free.
NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection
Division of Parks and Forestry
MC 501-04, PO Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
(800) 843-6420

Wildlife Management Area Maps
Maps and information on lands administered by NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Photocopies of individual WMA maps on USGS base available free. Specify which WMA.

NJ Div. Fish and Wildlife, WMA Map Request
Mail Code 501-03, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
(609) 984-0547

Download maps from our Web site at www.NJFishandWildlife.com/wmaland.htm or
create your own map at NJ-GeoWeb.