New Jersey Deer Management Zone 42: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 42 covers 218 square miles of Atlantic County. Hunters took 370 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 332 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 108. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's High regulation set. 17% of the zone is public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge (15,929 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 42Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 218 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 17% (23,634 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 370 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 332 |
| Four-season average | 387 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (108 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | High regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 1.7 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Absecon, Tuckahoe, Pork Island, Malibu Beach |
How many deer are taken in Zone 42 each season?
370 in 2025-26, 38 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 387. Zone 42 gave 1% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 108 | 72 | 85 | 128 |
| Permit bow | 83 | 81 | 97 | 98 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 29 | 33 | 52 | 39 |
| Permit shotgun | 65 | 53 | 64 | 92 |
| Six-day firearm | 60 | 52 | 59 | 67 |
| Winter bow | 21 | 35 | 29 | 32 |
| Youth bow day | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Youth firearm day | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| All seasons | 370 | 332 | 387 | 458 |
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 42 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 42 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | 137,994 | 1,490 | 1,231 | 2,202 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 42.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 42?
| 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 | Unlimited 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 | Unlimited 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 | Antlerless only November 23 to 25, 27 and December 7 to 12; either sex November 30, December 1, 14 to 24 and 26 to 31, 2026 and January 1 to February 20, 2027 | Unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Muzzleloader Permit |
| Permit shotgun | Antlerless only November 23 to 25, 27 and December 7 to 12, 2026; either sex December 14 to 18, 2026 and January 1 to February 20, 2027 | Unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an Antlered Buck Shotgun Permit |
| Winter bow | January 1 to February 20, 2027 | Unlimited 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 42's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Atlantic County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the south bank of the Mullica River and the Garden State Parkway; then south along Rt. 9 to its intersection with Great Creek Rd.; then west on Great Creek Rd. to its intersection with Jimmie Leeds Rd.; then west on Jimmie Leeds Rd. to its intersection with Duerer St.; then west on Duerer Street to its intersection with Cologne Avenue; then south on Cologne Avenue to its intersection with Rt. 322; then west on Rt. 322 to its intersection with Rt. 50; then south on Rt. 50 to its intersection with the Great Egg Harbor River at Mays Landing; then south along the east bank of the Great Egg Harbor River to the Atlantic-Cape May County line in Great Egg Harbor Bay; then eastward along the Atlantic-Cape May County line to its intersection with the Atlantic Ocean at the Great Egg Harbor Inlet; then northeast along the Atlantic Ocean to Great Bay; then west along the south shore of Great Bay to the confluence of the Mullica River; then west along the south bank of the Mullica River to its intersection with the Garden State Parkway, the point of beginning. The Atlantic County Park System (Zone 61) and the lands (excluding Laurel Memorial Park Cemetery), roads, right of ways and easements within the contiguous boundary of the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center (Zone 66) are excluded from Zone 42."
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 42?
17% of Zone 42 is public land: 23,634 of its 139,259 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 15,929 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 42 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 15,929 | 11.4% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 6,325 | 4.5% |
| State forest and park land | 1,380 | 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 42
| WMA | Acres in Zone 42 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Absecon | 3,701 | Absecon,Atlantic,Brigantine,Galloway & Pleasantville |
| Tuckahoe | 1,665 | Multiple Municipalities |
| Pork Island | 714 | Egg Harbor |
| Malibu Beach | 257 | Egg Harbor |
Which zones border Zone 42?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 22 | Low | 130 | 155 | 149 | 32% |
| Zone 26 | Low | 217 | 667 | 567 | 21.3% |
| Zone 34 | Low | 331 | 384 | 415 | 36.8% |
| Zone 46 | Low | 86 | 173 | 93 | 45.8% |
| Zone 61 | Special Area | 8 | 23 | 20 | 0% |
| Zone 66 | Special Area | 8 | 31 | 24 | 0% |
Highways crossing Zone 42: US 30 (23 miles), US 9 (20 miles), US 40 (18 miles), US 322 (17 miles), NJ 152 (3 miles) and NJ 87 (3 miles). Towns inside: Egg Harbor, Atlantic, Brigantine and Pleasantville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 42 in 2025-26?
370 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 108 in fall bow, 83 in permit bow, 65 in permit shotgun, 60 in six-day firearm. The zone gave 332 in 2024-25, 387 in 2023-24 and 458 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 42?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 42 uses the High 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 February 20, 2027 (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
How many antlerless deer can you take in Zone 42?
No limit in most seasons under the High regulation set: fall bow allows unlimited antlerless deer and one antlered deer, and the permit shotgun season allows unlimited antlerless deer; one antlered deer with an antlered buck shotgun permit (NJFW Deer Seasons 2026-27).
Where is New Jersey Deer Zone 42?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Atlantic County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the south bank of the Mullica River and the Garden State Parkway." 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 22 Zone 26 Zone 34 Zone 46 Zone 61 Zone 66