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 almost 338,000 acres in 121 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 2011-12 deer harvest was 50,109. 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 50,000 pheasants annually for release on selected Wildlife Management Areas. The wild turkey, reestablished in the late 1970s, continues to thrive throughout the state with the population now estimated at 20,000 - 22,000 with an annual harvest of more than 3,000 birds.