New Jersey Deer Management Zone 43: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 43 covers 29 square miles of Cumberland County. Hunters took 126 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, down from 169 the year before, and six-day firearm gave the most, 62. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set. 68.3% of the zone is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) (12,754 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 landZone 43Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 29 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 68.3% (12,754 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 126 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 169 |
| Four-season average | 132 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Six-day firearm (62 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 4.34 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Millville |
How many deer are taken in Zone 43 each season?
126 in 2025-26, 43 fewer than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 132. Zone 43 gave 0.3% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 20 | 30 | 17 | 23 |
| Permit bow | 16 | 33 | 15 | 26 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 13 | 24 | 15 | 11 |
| Permit shotgun | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Six-day firearm | 62 | 65 | 65 | 46 |
| Winter bow | 11 | 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Youth bow day | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Youth firearm day | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| All seasons | 126 | 169 | 121 | 112 |
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 43 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 43 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 18,685 | 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 43.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 43?
| 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 43's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Cumberland County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Buckshutem Road (County Road 670) and Cedarville Road (County Road 610); then southwest on Cedarville Road to its intersection with Newport Centre Grove Road (County Road 629); then southwest on Newport Centre Grove Road to its intersection with the Central Railroad of New Jersey (C.R.R.N.J.); then east on the C.R.R.N.J. line to its intersection with Haleyville Road (County Road 676) at Mauricetown Station; then east on Haleyville Road to its intersection with the Maurice River at Mauricetown; then north along the west bank of the Maurice River to the north bank of Buckshutem Creek at Laurel Lake; then west along the north bank of Buckshutem Creek to Buckshutem Road; then northwest on Buckshutem Road to its intersection with Cedarville Road, the point of beginning. Zone No. 44: Not designated."
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 43?
68.3% of Zone 43 is public land: 12,754 of its 18,685 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs), 12,754 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 43 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 12,754 | 68.3% |
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 43
| WMA | Acres in Zone 43 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Millville | 12,744 | Millville,Commercial, Downe, Lawrence & Maurice Rivers |
Which zones border Zone 43?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 30 | Low | 108 | 302 | 310 | 32.3% |
| Zone 31 | Medium | 48 | 236 | 307 | 15.4% |
| Zone 34 | Low | 331 | 384 | 415 | 36.8% |
| Zone 45 | Low | 71 | 154 | 73 | 50% |
Highways crossing Zone 43: none numbered.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 43 in 2025-26?
126 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 62 in six-day firearm, 20 in fall bow, 16 in permit bow, 13 in permit muzzleloader. The zone gave 169 in 2024-25, 121 in 2023-24 and 112 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 43?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 43 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 43?
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 43?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Cumberland County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Buckshutem Road (County Road 670) and Cedarville Road (County Road 610)." 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.