New Jersey Deer Management Zone 34: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 34 covers 331 square miles of Cape May and Cumberland counties. Hunters took 384 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, down from 415 the year before, and six-day firearm gave the most, 88. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set, and an antlered deer must have at least 3 points on one side. 36.8% of the zone is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) (43,317 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 refugeZone 34Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 331 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 36.8% (78,102 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 384 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 415 |
| Four-season average | 368 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Six-day firearm (88 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Antler point rule | An antlered deer needs at least 3 points on one side |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 1.16 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Cape May Coastal Wetlands, Dennis Creek, Heislerville, Tuckahoe |
How many deer are taken in Zone 34 each season?
384 in 2025-26, 31 fewer than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 368. Zone 34 gave 1% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 57 | 91 | 35 | 69 |
| Permit bow | 77 | 109 | 43 | 82 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 59 | 61 | 42 | 86 |
| Permit shotgun | 35 | 32 | 29 | 44 |
| Six-day firearm | 88 | 53 | 61 | 68 |
| Winter bow | 57 | 51 | 35 | 47 |
| Youth bow day | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Youth firearm day | 10 | 16 | 7 | 13 |
| All seasons | 384 | 415 | 254 | 417 |
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 34 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 34 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May County | 180,011 | 302 | 301 | 361 |
| Cumberland County | 30,160 | 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 34.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 34?
| 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. In Zone 34 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 34's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Cumberland and Cape May Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 47 and Rt. 548 in Port Elizabeth; then east on Rt. 548 to its intersection with Rt. 49; then northwest on Rt. 49 to its intersection with the Tuckahoe River at Head of the River; then eastward along the south bank of the Tuckahoe River and Atlantic-Cape May County line to Great Egg Harbor Bay; then continuing eastward along the Atlantic-Cape May County line to the Atlantic Ocean at the Great Egg Harbor Inlet; then southwest along the Atlantic Ocean to Delaware Bay; then north and west along the east bank of Delaware Bay to the Maurice River; then north along the east bank of the Maurice River to Port Elizabeth and Rt. 548, 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 34?
36.8% of Zone 34 is public land: 78,102 of its 212,032 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs), 43,317 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 34 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 43,317 | 20.4% |
| State forest and park land | 22,061 | 10.4% |
| National wildlife refuge | 12,724 | 6% |
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 34
| WMA | Acres in Zone 34 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Cape May Coastal Wetlands | 19,047 | Ocean,Sea Isle,Avalon,Wildwood Crest,Dennis,Lower,Middle & Upper Twps |
| Dennis Creek | 7,573 | Dennis & Middles; Maurice River |
| Heislerville | 6,587 | Dennis; Commercial & Maurice Rivers |
| Tuckahoe | 5,256 | Multiple Municipalities |
| Beaver Swamp | 3,055 | Dennis,Middle & Uppers |
| Higbee Beach | 1,081 | Lower & West Cape May |
| Cape Island | 442 | Cape May, Lower & Middles |
| Cox Hall Creek | 304 | Lower |
Which zones border Zone 34?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 30 | Low | 108 | 302 | 310 | 32.3% |
| Zone 42 | High | 218 | 370 | 332 | 17% |
| Zone 43 | Low | 29 | 126 | 169 | 68.3% |
| Zone 45 | Low | 71 | 154 | 73 | 50% |
| Zone 46 | Low | 86 | 173 | 93 | 45.8% |
Highways crossing Zone 34: NJ 47 (36 miles), US 9 (33 miles), NJ 50 (7 miles), NJ 147 (6 miles), NJ 347 (5 miles) and NJ 83 (4 miles). Towns inside: Maurice River, Middle, Upper and Dennis.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 34 in 2025-26?
384 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 88 in six-day firearm, 77 in permit bow, 59 in permit muzzleloader, 57 in fall bow. The zone gave 415 in 2024-25, 254 in 2023-24 and 417 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 34?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 34 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 34?
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). Any antlered deer taken in Zone 34 must have at least 3 antler points on one side.
Where is New Jersey Deer Zone 34?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Cumberland and Cape May Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 47 and Rt. 548 in Port Elizabeth." 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.