New Jersey Deer Management Zone 27: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 27 covers 121 square miles of Salem County. Hunters took 668 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, down from 707 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 207. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Medium regulation set, and an antlered deer must have at least 3 points on one side. 6.2% of the zone is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) (4,758 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)National wildlife refugeZone 27Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 121 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 6.2% (4,761 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 668 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 707 |
| Four-season average | 662 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (207 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Medium regulation set |
| Antler point rule | An antlered deer needs at least 3 points on one side |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 5.52 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Salem River, Thundergut Pond |
How many deer are taken in Zone 27 each season?
668 in 2025-26, 39 fewer than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 662. Zone 27 gave 1.7% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 207 | 210 | 170 | 183 |
| Permit bow | 170 | 198 | 162 | 169 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 122 | 116 | 105 | 90 |
| Permit shotgun | 64 | 95 | 110 | 85 |
| Six-day firearm | 59 | 44 | 57 | 52 |
| Winter bow | 31 | 35 | 32 | 38 |
| Youth bow day | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Youth firearm day | 15 | 7 | 11 | 10 |
| All seasons | 668 | 707 | 647 | 627 |
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 27 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 27 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County | 74,822 | 1,670 | 1,830 | 2,036 |
| Cumberland County | 2,392 | 1,795 | 2,030 | 2,609 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 27.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 27?
| 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. In Zone 27 an antlered deer must carry at least 3 points on one side of the rack. 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 27's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Cumberland and Salem Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rts. 77 and 40 at Pole Tavern; then northwest on Rt. 40 to its intersection with Rt. 48; then west on Rt. 48 through Penns Grove to the Delaware River; then south along the east bank of the Delaware River to its intersection with the Salem Canal at Deepwater; then eastward along the south bank of the Salem Canal to its intersection with the Salem River; then southward along the west bank of the Salem River to its intersection with Rt. 49 at Salem; then southeast on Rt. 49 to its intersection with Salem County Rt. 667 (Pecks Corner-Cohansey Road) at Pecks Corner; then eastward along Rt. 667 to its intersection with Rt. 540; then east along Rt. 540 to its intersection with Rt. 77; then north on Rt. 77 to its intersection with Rt. 40 at Pole Tavern, 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 27?
6.2% of Zone 27 is public land: 4,761 of its 77,219 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs), 4,758 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 27 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 4,758 | 6.2% |
| State forest and park land | 3 | 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 27
| WMA | Acres in Zone 27 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Salem River | 2,523 | Multiple Municipalities |
| Thundergut Pond | 2,222 | Alloway & Quintons |
Which zones border Zone 27?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 28 | Medium | 151 | 698 | 819 | 8.2% |
| Zone 29 | Medium | 113 | 594 | 634 | 19% |
| Zone 35 | Medium | 223 | 1,014 | 1,177 | 0.7% |
| Zone 63 | Low | 45 | 144 | 174 | 17.8% |
Highways crossing Zone 27: US 40 (19 miles), NJ 40 (10 miles), NJ 45 (9 miles), I-295 (6 miles) and US 130 (4 miles). Towns inside: Mannington, Alloway, Carneys Point and Woodstown.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 27 in 2025-26?
668 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 207 in fall bow, 170 in permit bow, 122 in permit muzzleloader, 64 in permit shotgun. The zone gave 707 in 2024-25, 647 in 2023-24 and 627 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 27?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 27 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 27?
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). Any antlered deer taken in Zone 27 must have at least 3 antler points on one side.
Where is New Jersey Deer Zone 27?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Cumberland and Salem Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rts. 77 and 40 at Pole Tavern." 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.