New Jersey Deer Management Zone 45: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 45 covers 71 square miles of Cumberland County. Hunters took 154 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 73 the year before, and six-day firearm gave the most, 116. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set. 50% of the zone is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) (22,837 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 45Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 71 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 50% (22,837 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 154 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 73 |
| Four-season average | 107 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Six-day firearm (116 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 2.17 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Peaslee, Menantico Ponds, Millville |
How many deer are taken in Zone 45 each season?
154 in 2025-26, 81 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 107. Zone 45 gave 0.4% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 33 | 17 | 3 | 12 |
| Permit bow | 0 | 0 | 15 | 13 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 0 | 0 | 14 | 19 |
| Permit shotgun | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Six-day firearm | 116 | 52 | 49 | 42 |
| Winter bow | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 |
| Youth bow day | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Youth firearm day | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| All seasons | 154 | 73 | 100 | 102 |
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 45 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 45 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 43,617 | 1,795 | 2,030 | 2,609 |
| Cape May County | 1,410 | 302 | 301 | 361 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 45.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 45?
| 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 45's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Broad Street (Rt. 552 spur) and Delsea Drive (Rt. 47); then northeast along Rt. 552 spur to Rt. 552; then continuing northeast along Rt. 552 to its intersection with the Tuckahoe River at Milmay; then south along the west bank of the Tuckahoe River to its intersection with Rt. 49 at Hunter’s Mill; then southeast on Rt. 49 to its intersection with Rt. 548; then west on Rt. 548 to its intersection with Delsea Drive (Rt. 47) and the Manumuskin River in Port Elizabeth; then west along the south bank of Manumuskin River to its intersection with the Maurice River; then north along the east bank of the Maurice River to its intersection with Rt. 49 in Millville; then east on Rt. 49 to its intersection with Delsea Drive (Rt. 47); then north on Rt. 47 to its intersection with Broad Street (Rt. 552 spur), 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 45?
50% of Zone 45 is public land: 22,837 of its 45,629 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs), 22,837 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 45 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 22,837 | 50% |
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 45
| WMA | Acres in Zone 45 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Peaslee | 20,895 | Multiple Municipalities |
| Menantico Ponds | 1,815 | Millville |
| Millville | 97 | Millville,Commercial, Downe, Lawrence & Maurice Rivers |
Which zones border Zone 45?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 28 | Medium | 151 | 698 | 819 | 8.2% |
| Zone 31 | Medium | 48 | 236 | 307 | 15.4% |
| Zone 34 | Low | 331 | 384 | 415 | 36.8% |
| Zone 43 | Low | 29 | 126 | 169 | 68.3% |
| Zone 46 | Low | 86 | 173 | 93 | 45.8% |
| Zone 47 | Medium | 78 | 213 | 210 | 3.8% |
Highways crossing Zone 45: NJ 49 (14 miles), NJ 55 (10 miles) and NJ 47 (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 45 in 2025-26?
154 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 116 in six-day firearm, 33 in fall bow, 4 in youth firearm day, 1 in youth bow day. The zone gave 73 in 2024-25, 100 in 2023-24 and 102 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 45?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 45 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 45?
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 45?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Broad Street (Rt. 552 spur) and Delsea Drive (Rt. 47)." 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 28 Zone 31 Zone 34 Zone 43 Zone 46 Zone 47