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New Jersey

Hunting

Hunting

Upland Game Birds

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.

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)

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

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

Quail Stocking Schedule 2023

Statewide

Dog Training Area*

Saturday

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

Thursday

Tuesday

Saturday

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

Thursday

Saturday

Season

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

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.

Map of Pheasant and Quail Stocked Areas

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.

Edible Portions of Rabbit

For rabbit and squirrel:

  • Front shoulders
  • Thighs
  • Backstrap
    Edible Portions of Turkey

For game birds such as turkey:

  • breast, legs and thighs
Edible Portions of Game Birds

For game birds other than turkey:

  • breast