New Jersey Deer Management Zone 21: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 21 covers 207 square miles of Ocean and Burlington counties. Hunters took 388 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, down from 391 the year before, and six-day firearm gave the most, 180. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set. 55.9% of the zone is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (42,237 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 refugeMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Zone 21Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 207 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 55.9% (74,128 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 388 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 391 |
| Four-season average | 394 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Six-day firearm (180 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 1.87 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Greenwood Forest, Forked River Mountain |
How many deer are taken in Zone 21 each season?
388 in 2025-26, 3 fewer than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 394. Zone 21 gave 1% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 74 | 93 | 36 | 84 |
| Permit bow | 65 | 94 | 71 | 79 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 22 | 30 | 40 | 45 |
| Permit shotgun | 16 | 15 | 7 | 18 |
| Six-day firearm | 180 | 125 | 139 | 191 |
| Winter bow | 26 | 26 | 33 | 41 |
| Youth bow day | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Youth firearm day | 2 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| All seasons | 388 | 391 | 328 | 468 |
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 21 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 21 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean County | 91,966 | 1,605 | 1,761 | 1,674 |
| Burlington County | 40,732 | 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 21.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 21?
| 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 21's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Ocean and Burlington Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 530 and the Garden State Parkway near South Toms River; then south along the Parkway to its intersection with Rt. 72; then northwest along Rt. 72 to its intersection with Rt. 644 (Buddtown-Ong’s Hat Road) at Four Mile Circle; then northwest on Rt. 644 to its intersection with Turkey Buzzard Bridge Road; then northeast on Turkey Buzzard Bridge Rd. to its intersection with Rt. 646 (New Lisbon-Four Mile Road); then northwest on Rt. 646 to its intersection with Rt. 530 (Pemberton-Brown’s Mills Road); then east along the southern border of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to its intersection with Rt. 70; then east on Rt. 70 to its intersection with Rt. 539 and Rt. 530 near Whiting; then east along Rt. 530 to its intersection with the Garden State Parkway near South Toms River, the point of beginning. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (Zone 37) is excluded from Zone 21."
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 21?
55.9% of Zone 21 is public land: 74,128 of its 132,698 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 42,237 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 21 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 42,237 | 31.8% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 31,891 | 24% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 34 | 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 21
| WMA | Acres in Zone 21 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwood Forest | 29,576 | Woodland; Barnegat, Berkeley, Lacey, Manchester & Oceans |
| Forked River Mountain | 2,310 | Lacey & Oceans |
Which zones border Zone 21?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 18 | Low | 89 | 359 | 368 | 29.9% |
| Zone 19 | High | 193 | 1,344 | 1,572 | 6.2% |
| Zone 22 | Low | 130 | 155 | 149 | 32% |
| Zone 23 | Low | 202 | 488 | 541 | 69.3% |
| Zone 24 | Low | 167 | 162 | 221 | 60.6% |
| Zone 48 | High | 115 | 783 | 723 | 2% |
| Zone 51 | High | 351 | 882 | 940 | 9.9% |
| Zone 68 | Special Area | 18 | 49 | 78 | 1.5% |
Highways crossing Zone 21: NJ 72 (14 miles) and NJ 70 (12 miles). Towns inside: Lacey, Pemberton and Barnegat.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 21 in 2025-26?
388 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 180 in six-day firearm, 74 in fall bow, 65 in permit bow, 26 in winter bow. The zone gave 391 in 2024-25, 328 in 2023-24 and 468 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 21?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 21 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 21?
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 21?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Ocean and Burlington Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 530 and the Garden State Parkway near 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.
New Jersey hunting Zone 18 Zone 19 Zone 22 Zone 23 Zone 24 Zone 48 Zone 51 Zone 68