New Jersey Deer Management Zone 2: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 2 covers 180 square miles of Sussex County. Hunters took 1,597 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 1,565 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 523. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Medium regulation set. 13% of the zone is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (7,027 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 landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Zone 2Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 180 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 13% (14,945 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,597 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 1,565 |
| Four-season average | 1,534 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (523 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Medium regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 8.87 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Paulinskill River, Hamburg Mountain |
How many deer are taken in Zone 2 each season?
1,597 in 2025-26, 32 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 1,534. Zone 2 gave 4.2% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 523 | 429 | 458 | 446 |
| Permit bow | 357 | 402 | 348 | 356 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 251 | 298 | 200 | 247 |
| Permit shotgun | 149 | 148 | 167 | 131 |
| Six-day firearm | 265 | 187 | 227 | 245 |
| Winter bow | 36 | 85 | 61 | 59 |
| Youth bow day | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Youth firearm day | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| All seasons | 1,597 | 1,565 | 1,474 | 1,498 |
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 2 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 2 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 115,054 | 3,925 | 3,735 | 3,329 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 2.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 2?
| 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 | Five 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 | Five 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 | November 30, December 1, 14 to 24 and 26 to 31, 2026 and January 1 to 9, 2027 | Five antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Muzzleloader Permit |
| Permit shotgun | December 14 to 18, 2026 and January 1 to 16, 2027 | Five antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Shotgun Permit |
| Winter bow | January 1 to 31, 2027 | Five 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 2's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Sussex County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 94 and the New York State line; then south along Rt. 94 to its intersection with Rt. 23 at Hamburg, then southeast along Rt. 23 to its intersection with Rt. 517 at Franklin; then south along Rt. 517 to its intersection with Rt. 206 at Andover; then north along Rt. 206 to its intersection with Rt. 519 at Newton; then north along Rt. 519 to the New York State line; then east along the New York State line to Rt. 94 to the point of beginning."
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 2?
13% of Zone 2 is public land: 14,945 of its 115,149 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 7,027 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 2 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 7,027 | 6.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 5,814 | 5% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 1,287 | 1.1% |
| National Park Service | 817 | 0.7% |
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 2
| WMA | Acres in Zone 2 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Paulinskill River | 1,239 | Hampton, Andover & Lafayettes & Town of Newton |
| Hamburg Mountain | 48 | Franklin, Hardyston, Ogdensburg, Vernon |
Which zones border Zone 2?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Low | 73 | 500 | 493 | 40.4% |
| Zone 3 | Low | 198 | 566 | 430 | 31.7% |
| Zone 5 | Medium | 245 | 2,234 | 2,223 | 12.9% |
| Zone 6 | Medium | 184 | 952 | 769 | 22% |
| Zone 67 | Special Area | 18 | 85 | 86 | 98.4% |
Highways crossing Zone 2: NJ 94 (14 miles), US 206 (12 miles), NJ 23 (12 miles), NJ 15 (9 miles) and NJ 284 (7 miles). Towns inside: Wantage, Sparta, Andover and Lafayette.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 2 in 2025-26?
1,597 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 523 in fall bow, 357 in permit bow, 265 in six-day firearm, 251 in permit muzzleloader. The zone gave 1,565 in 2024-25, 1,474 in 2023-24 and 1,498 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 2?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 2 uses the Medium 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 31, 2027 (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
How many antlerless deer can you take in Zone 2?
Five per season under the Medium regulation set: fall bow allows five antlerless deer and one antlered deer, and the permit shotgun season allows five antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an antlered buck shotgun permit (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
Where is New Jersey Deer Zone 2?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Sussex County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 94 and the New York State line." The full boundary is on its zone description page (NJFW Deer Management Zone Descriptions).
Get a New Jersey hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for New Jersey are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, New Jersey included.
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.