New Jersey Deer Management Zone 18: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 18 covers 89 square miles of Ocean County. Hunters took 359 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, down from 368 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 112. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set. 29.9% of the zone is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) (17,107 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 18Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 89 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 29.9% (17,108 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 359 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 368 |
| Four-season average | 352 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (112 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 4.03 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Colliers Mills, Manchester, Whiting, Prospertown Lake |
How many deer are taken in Zone 18 each season?
359 in 2025-26, 9 fewer than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 352. Zone 18 gave 0.9% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 112 | 95 | 74 | 112 |
| Permit bow | 102 | 131 | 102 | 106 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 28 | 32 | 33 | 39 |
| Permit shotgun | 7 | 11 | 6 | 8 |
| Six-day firearm | 75 | 51 | 57 | 53 |
| Winter bow | 31 | 45 | 42 | 41 |
| Youth bow day | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Youth firearm day | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| All seasons | 359 | 368 | 317 | 365 |
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 18 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 18 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean County | 57,155 | 1,605 | 1,761 | 1,674 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 18.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 18?
| Season | Dates | Bag limit |
|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | October 3 to 30, 2026 | Two deer, only one antlered |
| Youth archery day | September 26, 2026 | One deer of either sex |
| Permit bow | October 31 to November 29, 2026 (closed in zones 45 and 46) | Two deer; one may be antlered with an Antlered Buck 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 | November 30, December 1, 14, 15, 19 to 24 and 26 to 31, 2026 and January 1 to 9, 2027 (closed in zones 45 and 46) | Two deer; one may be antlered with an Antlered Buck Muzzleloader Permit |
| Permit shotgun | December 16 to 18, 2026 (closed in zones 45 and 46) | Two deer; one may be antlered with an Antlered Buck Shotgun Permit |
| Winter bow | January 1 to 31, 2027 | Two deer, only one antlered |
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 18's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Ocean County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 530 and the Garden State Parkway at South Toms River; then west along Rt. 530 to the intersection with Rt. 70; then west along Rt. 70 to the border of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst; then northward along the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst boundary to the northernmost intersection of the Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst border and Rt. 539; then northwest along Rt. 539 to the intersection with Woodruff Rd.; then northeast along Woodruff Rd. to the intersection with Colliers Mills Road; then east along Colliers Mills Road to the intersection with Hawkin Road (Prospertown-Colliers Mills Road: Rt. 640); then northwest along Hawkin Road (Prospertown-Colliers Mills Road: Rt. 640) to the intersection with Rt. 537 near Prospertown; then northeast along Rt. 537 to the intersection with Rt. 571 near Holmeson; then southeast along Rt. 571 to the Garden State Parkway; then south along the Garden State Parkway to the point of beginning near South Toms River."
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 18?
29.9% of Zone 18 is public land: 17,108 of its 57,156 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs), 17,107 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 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 17,107 | 29.9% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 105 | 0.2% |
| State forest and park land | 1 | 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 18
| WMA | Acres in Zone 18 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Colliers Mills | 12,465 | Jackson & Plumsteds |
| Manchester | 3,291 | Jackson, Manchester & Toms Rivers |
| Whiting | 1,193 | Manchester |
| Prospertown Lake | 108 | Millstone & Upper Freeholds; Jackson |
Which zones border Zone 18?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 15 | High | 110 | 1,072 | 1,090 | 8.5% |
| Zone 16 | Medium | 129 | 811 | 809 | 6.3% |
| Zone 17 | High | 104 | 954 | 973 | 4% |
| Zone 21 | Low | 207 | 388 | 391 | 55.9% |
| Zone 51 | High | 351 | 882 | 940 | 9.9% |
Highways crossing Zone 18: NJ 37 (13 miles) and NJ 70 (10 miles). Towns inside: Manchester and Lakehurst.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 18 in 2025-26?
359 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 112 in fall bow, 102 in permit bow, 75 in six-day firearm, 31 in winter bow. The zone gave 368 in 2024-25, 317 in 2023-24 and 365 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 18?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 18 uses the Low regulation set: fall bow October 3 to 30, 2026, and winter bow January 1 to 31, 2027 (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
How many antlerless deer can you take in Zone 18?
Two deer per season, only one antlered under the Low regulation set: fall bow allows two deer, only one antlered, and the permit shotgun season allows two deer; one may be antlered with an antlered buck shotgun permit (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
Where is New Jersey Deer Zone 18?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Ocean County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 530 and the Garden State Parkway at South Toms River." 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.