New Jersey offers sportsmen and women more than 500,000 acres of state-owned public
open space providing a diversity of habitats from hardwood ridges and rolling
hills to pine forests and salt marsh. This total includes more than 323,000 acres
in 120 Wildlife Management Areas, specifically managed to enhance wildlife populations
and provide for wildlife-oriented recreation.
Hunters
can enjoy more than a hundred days of deer hunting, including seasons for bow,
shotgun and muzzleloading rifle. Multiple bag limits are the rule in most zones.
The 2007-08 deer harvest was 47,017. In addition, some of the best waterfowl hunting
on the East coast is found in the Garden State. Snow geese, brant, black duck,
mallard, bufflehead and a variety of other waterfowl species provide extensive
hunting opportunities, especially on the coastal marshes. The Rockport Pheasant
Farm produces 55,000 pheasants annually for release on selected Wildlife Management
Areas. The wild turkey, reestablished in the late 1970s, continues to increase
throughout the state with the population now estimated at 20,000 - 23,000 with
an annual harvest of more than 3,000.
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![Youth and dad with deer Youth and dad with deer](images/hunting/deer-youth06sm.jpg)
The "Take a Kid Hunting" program provides unique opportunities.
Click photo to enlarge.
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