New Jersey Deer Management Zone 14: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 14 covers 320 square miles of Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties. Hunters took 1,443 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, down from 1,615 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 563. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's High regulation set. 4.4% of the zone is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (8,000 acres).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest. Seasons: NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27. Land: PAD-US.
Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs)State forest and park landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Zone 14Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 320 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 4.4% (9,071 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,443 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 1,615 |
| Four-season average | 1,469 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (563 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | High regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 4.51 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Assunpink, Van Nest |
How many deer are taken in Zone 14 each season?
1,443 in 2025-26, 172 fewer than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 1,469. Zone 14 gave 3.8% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 563 | 538 | 507 | 522 |
| Permit bow | 289 | 427 | 310 | 328 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 56 | 51 | 53 | 45 |
| Permit shotgun | 258 | 273 | 283 | 216 |
| Six-day firearm | 114 | 139 | 101 | 116 |
| Winter bow | 161 | 185 | 156 | 174 |
| Youth bow day | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Youth firearm day | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| All seasons | 1,443 | 1,615 | 1,411 | 1,405 |
Sources: NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest; NJFW 2024-25 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest; NJFW 2023-24 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest; NJFW 2022-23 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest. Each table's zone rows add up to its Total row.
Which counties does Zone 14 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 14 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 92,039 | 1,503 | 1,753 | 1,402 |
| Middlesex County | 56,100 | 1,049 | 997 | 723 |
| Somerset County | 52,553 | 2,393 | 2,608 | 2,286 |
| Burlington County | 4,095 | 3,217 | 3,593 | 2,568 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 14.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 14?
| Season | Dates | Bag limit |
|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | September 12 to October 2 (first deer must be antlerless, except youth license holders), then October 3 to 30, 2026 | Unlimited antlerless deer and one antlered deer |
| Youth archery day | September 26, 2026 | One deer of either sex |
| Permit bow | October 31 to December 24 and December 26 to 31, 2026 | Unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Bow Permit |
| Youth firearm day | November 21, 2026 | One deer of either sex |
| Six-day firearm | December 7 to 12, 2026 | Two antlered deer |
| Permit muzzleloader | Antlerless only November 23 to 25, 27 and December 7 to 12; either sex November 30, December 1, 14 to 24 and 26 to 31, 2026 and January 1 to February 20, 2027 | Unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Muzzleloader Permit |
| Permit shotgun | Antlerless only November 23 to 25, 27 and December 7 to 12, 2026; either sex December 14 to 18, 2026 and January 1 to February 20, 2027 | Unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Shotgun Permit |
| Winter bow | January 1 to February 20, 2027 | Unlimited antlerless deer and one antlered deer |
Only one antlered buck may be taken per season per hunter, except two in the six-day firearm season. Sunday hunting is legal only in archery seasons and only on WMAs and private land. Deer must be tagged at once and reported by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest.
Sources: NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27; NJFW 2026-27 Deer Season Regulation Sets Reference Chart.
Where are Zone 14's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Burlington Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Routes 22 and 206 at Somerville; then east along Route 22 to its intersection with Interstate 287; then south on Interstate 287 to its intersection with Route 18; then south on Route 18 to its intersection with the New Jersey Turnpike; then southwest along the New Jersey Turnpike to its intersection with Route 545; then northwest on Route 545 which becomes Farnsworth Avenue; then continuing northwest on Farnsworth Avenue to its intersection with W. Burlington Street; then southwest on W. Burlington Street to its intersection with Interstate 295; then north on Interstate 295 to its intersection with the Delaware River at Bordentown; then northwest along the east bank of the Delaware River to Route 546 at Washington’s Crossing; then east on Route 546 to its intersection with Route 206 at Lawrenceville; then north along Route 206 to the point beginning at Somerville. Rotary and Blauguard Islands lying in the Delaware River are in this zone."
Source: NJFW Deer Management Zone Descriptions. NJFW suggests tracing the line on a county map; its Hunting and Trapping Explorer shows it too.
How much public land is in Zone 14?
4.4% of Zone 14 is public land: 9,071 of its 204,829 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 8,000 acres. NJFW notes that not every WMA is open to all hunting in every season; state parks and forests set their own rules and allow no Sunday hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone 14 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 8,000 | 3.9% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 1,071 | 0.5% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 79 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the zone line from USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1).
Wildlife management areas in Zone 14
| WMA | Acres in Zone 14 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Assunpink | 972 | East Windsor & Robbinsvilles;Roosevelt, Millstone & Upper Freeholds |
| Van Nest | 95 | Hamilton & West Windsors |
Which zones border Zone 14?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 8 | High | 262 | 2,581 | 2,567 | 10.1% |
| Zone 12 | High | 223 | 2,998 | 3,493 | 4.3% |
| Zone 13 | High | 225 | 991 | 929 | 6.8% |
| Zone 15 | High | 110 | 1,072 | 1,090 | 8.5% |
| Zone 17 | High | 104 | 954 | 973 | 4% |
| Zone 36 | High | 763 | 1,060 | 1,029 | 0.7% |
| Zone 41 | High | 47 | 553 | 696 | 14.1% |
| Zone 48 | High | 115 | 783 | 723 | 2% |
| Zone 50 | High | 293 | 1,821 | 1,673 | 2% |
Highways crossing Zone 14: I-95 (58 miles), US 130 (56 miles), US 1 (54 miles), US 206 (40 miles), I-295 (38 miles) and NJ 29 (21 miles). Towns inside: South Brunswick, West Windsor, Robbinsville and Princeton.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 14 in 2025-26?
1,443 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 563 in fall bow, 289 in permit bow, 258 in permit shotgun, 161 in winter bow. The zone gave 1,615 in 2024-25, 1,411 in 2023-24 and 1,405 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 14?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 14 uses the High regulation set: fall bow September 12 to October 2 (first deer must be antlerless, except youth license holders), then October 3 to 30, 2026, and winter bow January 1 to February 20, 2027 (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
How many antlerless deer can you take in Zone 14?
No limit in most seasons under the High regulation set: fall bow allows unlimited antlerless deer and one antlered deer, and the permit shotgun season allows unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an antlered buck shotgun permit (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
Where is New Jersey Deer Zone 14?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Burlington Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Routes 22 and 206 at Somerville." The full boundary is on its zone description page (NJFW Deer Management Zone Descriptions).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest; earlier seasons' zone tables; NJFW Historic Deer Harvests, 1972 to 2025; NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- Seasons and rules: NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27; NJFW 2026-27 Deer Season Regulation Sets Reference Chart; NJFW Special Area Deer Hunting Regulations. Boundaries: NJFW Deer Management Zone Descriptions.
- Zone map: NJDEP Deer Management Zones (DMZ) in New Jersey. Public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, municipalities (county subdivisions).
FilledTag is not part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from NJFW, NJDEP and federal sources or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
New Jersey hunting Zone 8 Zone 12 Zone 13 Zone 15 Zone 17 Zone 36 Zone 41 Zone 48 Zone 50