New Jersey Deer Management Zone 22: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 22 covers 130 square miles of Ocean and Burlington counties. Hunters took 155 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 149 the year before, and permit bow gave the most, 55. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set. 32% of the zone is public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge (14,228 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 22Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 130 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 32% (26,659 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 155 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 149 |
| Four-season average | 164 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Permit bow (55 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 1.19 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Great Bay Boulevard, Swan Bay, Wading River |
How many deer are taken in Zone 22 each season?
155 in 2025-26, 6 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 164. Zone 22 gave 0.4% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 41 | 54 | 36 | 49 |
| Permit bow | 55 | 37 | 57 | 53 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 11 | 10 | 11 | 27 |
| Permit shotgun | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Six-day firearm | 36 | 31 | 31 | 40 |
| Winter bow | 6 | 10 | 18 | 21 |
| Youth firearm day | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| All seasons | 155 | 149 | 157 | 194 |
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 22 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 22 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean County | 67,436 | 1,605 | 1,761 | 1,674 |
| Burlington County | 14,322 | 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 22.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 22?
| 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 22's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Ocean and Burlington Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the Garden State Parkway and Rt. 72 near Manahawkin; then south along the Garden State Parkway to its intersection with Stage Road; then west along Stage Road to its intersection with Leektown Road; then west along Leektown Road (which turns into Rt. 653 to its intersection with the Wading River); then south along the east bank of the Wading River to its intersection with the Mullica River and the AtlanticBurlington County line; then east along the Atlantic-Burlington County line to the Atlantic Ocean; then east to the Atlantic Ocean; then north along the Atlantic Ocean to Rt. 72 at Ship Bottom; then west along Rt. 72 to the Garden State Parkway, 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 22?
32% of Zone 22 is public land: 26,659 of its 83,216 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 14,228 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 22 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 14,228 | 17.1% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 6,474 | 7.8% |
| State forest and park land | 5,957 | 7.2% |
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 22
| WMA | Acres in Zone 22 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Great Bay Boulevard | 5,906 | Little Egg Harbor |
| Swan Bay | 411 | Bass River & Washingtons |
| Wading River | 159 | Bass River |
Which zones border Zone 22?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 21 | Low | 207 | 388 | 391 | 55.9% |
| Zone 24 | Low | 167 | 162 | 221 | 60.6% |
| Zone 26 | Low | 217 | 667 | 567 | 21.3% |
| Zone 42 | High | 218 | 370 | 332 | 17% |
| Zone 51 | High | 351 | 882 | 940 | 9.9% |
Highways crossing Zone 22: US 9 (16 miles) and NJ 72 (7 miles). Towns inside: Little Egg Harbor, Eagleswood, Long Beach and Tuckerton.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 22 in 2025-26?
155 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 55 in permit bow, 41 in fall bow, 36 in six-day firearm, 11 in permit muzzleloader. The zone gave 149 in 2024-25, 157 in 2023-24 and 194 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 22?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 22 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 22?
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 22?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Ocean and Burlington Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the Garden State Parkway and Rt. 72 near Manahawkin." 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.