Upland Game Birds

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

What Do I Need to Hunt Upland Game Birds in NJ?
Area	Hunting License	Pheasant/Quail Stamp	Hunter Orange	Report Harvest
Stocked WMAs	Yes	Yes	Orange Hat* required Firearm	No
Delaware Water Gap NRA	Yes	Yes	Orange Hat* required Firearm	No
Semi-Wild and Commercial Preserves	Yes	No	Yes, except hunting mallards	No, but birds must be tagged.
* A SOLID hunter orange hat (no camouflage/logos) is required as part of the 200 sq. inch hunter orange requirement when hunting small game with a firearm on any pheasant/quail-stocked WMA. (See below for a list of pheasant/quail-stocked WMAs.)

Firearms, Bows and Ammunition Legal for Upland Game Birds
Weapon Type	Gauge, Caliber or Draw Weight	Projectile(s)	Weapon Transportation
Bow: long, recurve, compound or crossbow capable of firing a single projectile only	35 pounds pull at archer’s draw length (long and recurve bows) or peak weight (compound bow) or 75 pounds minimum draw weight (crossbow).	Arrow or bolt with flu flu fletching and using blunt, field, or judo points	All bows MUST be unnocked or uncocked
Shotgun: single or double barrel	Not larger than 10 gauge or smaller than .410 caliber and capable of holding no more than three shells.	No shot larger than #4 fine shot	Shotguns MUST be cased and unloaded while in or on a vehicle, including ATVs/UTVs.

Upland Game Bird Seasons 2023–24
No Sunday hunting except commercial and semi-wild hunting preserves.
Species	Season	Hunting Hours	Bag Limit
Bobwhite quail (wild), Ruffed grouse	Closed statewide		Stocked quail may be taken at Peaslee and Greenwood WMAs identified below and on commercial and semi-wild hunting preserves
Bobwhite quail (stocked)	Nov. 11, 2023 at 8 a.m.–Jan. 31, 2024 Closed Dec. 4–9 & 13, 2023	Nov. 11 only: 8 a.m. – ½ hr after sunset. All other dates: Sunrise – ½ hr after sunset	4 quail May be taken only at: Greenwood Forest WMA, Peaslee WMA ONLY. Pheasant & Quail Stamp required.
Chukar partridge, Hungarian partridge, Pheasant	Nov. 11, 2023 at 8 a.m.–Feb. 19, 2024 Closed Dec. 4–9 & 13, 2023	Nov. 11 only: 8 a.m. – ½ hr after sunset. All other dates: Sunrise – ½ hr after sunset	7 partridge, 2 pheasant See Pheasant Stocking schedule below.
Youth Upland Bird Day Pheasant For properly licensed Youth hunters, under direct supervision of licensed, non-hunting adult (21 or older)	Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023	7 a.m. start (Guided) 1 p.m. start (Open hunt)	2 pheasant See Youth Pheasant Hunt Day Information in Take a Kid Hunting.
Youth Pheasant Days For properly licensed Youth hunters, under direct supervision of licensed, non-hunting adult (21 or older)	Nov. 6–10, 2023	Sunrise–½ hr. after sunset	2 pheasant See Youth Pheasant Hunt Days Information in Take a Kid Hunting.
Commercial Shooting Preserves Pheasant/Quail/Partridge/Mallard*	Sept. 1, 2023–May 1, 2024	Sunrise–½ hr. after sunset	No limit Must be tagged prior to transport off Commercial Preserve Sunday Hunting Allowed
Semi-Wild Preserves Pheasant/Quail/Partridge*	Nov. 11, 2023 at 8 a.m.–March 15, 2024	Sunrise–½ hr. after sunset	No limit Must be tagged prior to transport off semi-wild area Sunday Hunting Allowed
Crow	Aug. 14, 2023–Dec. 2, 2023 Dec. 11, 2023–March 16, 2024 (Mon., Thurs., Fri. & Sat. only) 8 a.m. start Nov. 11, 2023 on Stocked WMAs	Sunrise–½ hr after sunset	No limit
Woodcock	See Other Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons table in Migratory Bird Regulations. HIP Certificate Required ($2)
Dogs are allowed when hunting pheasant, quail, partridge, crow and woodcock. * Species restricted to those approved on Commercial/Semi-Wild license.

Pheasant Stocking Schedule 2023
Birds stocked the evening prior to the hunting dates listed below. Pheasant & Quail Stamp required in addition to hunting license.
Northern Region	County	Dog Training Area*	Saturday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Thursday	Tuesday	Saturday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Thursday	Saturday	Season
Northern Region	County	Dog Training Area*	11/11	11/14	11/16	11/18	11/21	11/23	11/25	11/30	12/12	12/16	12/19	12/21	12/23	12/28	12/30	Total
Berkshire Valley	Morris	No	80	50	50	70	50	70	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	820
Black River	Morris	Yes	290	170	170	260	170	260	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	2,850
Clinton	Hunterdon	Yes	340	200	200	300	200	300	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	3,340
Delaware Water Gap N.R.A.	Sussex/Warren	No	530	320	320	470	320	470	320	320	320	320	320	320	320	320	320	5,310
Flatbrook	Sussex	No	350	210	210	310	210	310	210	210	210	210	210	210	210	210	210	3,490
Pequest	Warren	Yes	290	170	170	260	170	260	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	2,850
Walpack	Sussex	No	80	50	50	70	50	70	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	820
Whittingham	Sussex	Yes	280	170	170	250	170	250	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	170	2,820
Central Region			11/11	11/14	11/16	11/18	11/21	11/23	11/25	11/30	12/12	12/16	12/19	12/21	12/23	12/28	12/30	Total
Assunpink	Monmouth	Yes	540	320	320	480	320	480	320	320	320	320	320	320	320	320	320	5,340
Colliers Mills	Ocean	Yes	330	200	200	300	200	300	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	3,330
Greenwood (Howardsville Section)	Ocean	No	80	50	50	70	50	70	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	820
Manahawkin	Ocean	No	80	50	50	70	50	70	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	820
Manasquan	Ocean	Yes	190	110	110	170	110	170	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	1,850
Medford	Burlington	No	140	80	80	130	80	130	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	1,360
Stafford Forge	Ocean	Yes	270	160	160	240	160	240	160	160	160	160	160	160	160	160	160	2,670
Fort Dix	Ocean	No	60	0	0	50	50	60	0	0	70	60	0	0	0	0	0	350
Southern Region			11/11	11/14	11/16	11/18	11/21	11/23	11/25	11/30	12/12	12/16	12/19	12/21	12/23	12/28	12/30	Total
Dix	Cumberland	No	210	130	130	190	130	190	130	130	130	130	130	130	130	130	130	2,150
Glassboro	Gloucester	Yes	170	100	100	150	100	150	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	1,670
Heislerville	Cumberland	No	80	50	50	70	50	70	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	820
Mad Horse	Salem	No	150	90	90	140	90	140	90	90	90	90	90	90	90	90	90	1,510
Millville	Cumberland	Yes	570	340	340	510	340	510	340	340	340	340	340	340	340	340	340	5,670
Nantuxent	Cumberland	No	190	110	110	170	110	170	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	1,850
Port Republic	Atlantic	No	80	50	50	70	50	70	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	820
Tuckahoe	Cape May	Yes	180	110	110	160	110	160	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	110	1,820
Winslow	Camden	No	230	140	140	210	140	210	140	140	140	140	140	140	140	140	140	2,330
Statewide Totals			5790	3430	3430	5170	3480	5180	3430	3430	3500	3490	3430	3430	3430	3430	3430	57480
Quail Stocking Schedule 2023
Statewide		Dog Training Area*	Saturday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Thursday	Tuesday	Saturday	Tuesday	Thursday	Saturday	Thursday	Saturday	Season
Statewide		Dog Training Area*	11/11	11/14	11/16	11/18	11/21	11/23	11/25	11/30	12/12	12/16	12/19	12/21	12/23	12/28	12/30	Total
Greenwood	Ocean	No	600	280	260	400	280	600	400	280	260	400	260	400	400	280	400	5,500
Peaslee	Cumberland	No	600	280	260	400	280	600	400	280	260	400	260	400	400	280	400	5,500
Maps showing the areas to be stocked with pheasants during the small game season can be found at dep.nj.gov/njfw/hunting/pheasant-quail-stocking-maps/ * WMAs with dog training areas receive 20 chukar each week (Saturdays), for four weeks prior to Youth Pheasant Day for dog training purposes.

Pheasant and Quail Stocking Maps

Go to dep.nj.gov/njfw/hunting/pheasant-quail-stocking-maps/ for maps of the pheasant and quail stocked fields for each stocked WMA.

Pheasant and Quail Stamp

Anyone aged 16 and over (except 16-year-olds who are still eligible to use their youth firearm license) hunting or possessing pheasant (or quail only on Greenwood Forest or Peaslee WMAs) on the following designated wildlife management areas must have in possession a current Pheasant and Quail Stamp:

Assunpink, Berkshire Valley, Black River, Clinton, Colliers Mills, Dix, Flatbrook, Glassboro, Greenwood Forest, Howardsville, Heislerville, Mad Horse, Manahawkin, Manasquan River, Medford, Millville (Bevan), Nantuxent, Peaslee, Pequest, Port Republic, Rockport, Stafford Forge, Tuckahoe (MacNamara), Walpack, Whittingham and Winslow. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is also a designated pheasant and quail stamp area. Pheasant and quail stamps are valid for the calendar year, January–December. Quail may be hunted or possessed ONLY on Peaslee or Greenwood Forest WMAs.

Areas Open to Quail Hunting

The statewide quail hunting season is closed except at Peaslee WMA and Greenwood Forest WMA where NJ Fish & Wildlife will provide hunters and falconers the opportunity to hunt for quail.

No person may release quail for dog training purposes on the following WMAs: Buckshutem, Dix, Egg Island, Fortescue, Millville (Bevans), Nantuxent, New Sweden and Stafford Forge.

See Upland Game Bird Seasons table above for season dates and bag limits. Exception: This statewide closure does not apply to certain semi-wild and commercial shooting preserves that were permitted to stock quail during the 2009–10 season, the only ones that may continue to stock quail.

Ruffed Grouse Season Closed

Ruffed grouse rely on young forest habitat which currently comprise only 5% of state forest lands. This lack of habitat has caused grouse populations to decline below the level necessary to support a hunting season. In an effort to reduce the decline, the grouse hunting season is closed statewide. No exceptions.

Edible Portions Guide

Edible portions do not include meat from the head or neck; meat that has been damaged by the method of taking; bones, sinew, and meat reasonably lost as a result of butchering, boning, or close trimming of bones, or viscera. Edible portions do not include meat from diseased or scavenged carcasses. See Wanton Waste of Game section in General Hunting Regulations.

For rabbit and squirrel:

Front shoulders
Thighs
Backstrap

For game birds such as turkey:

breast, legs and thighs

For game birds other than turkey:

breast