New Jersey Deer Management Zone 46: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 46 covers 86 square miles of Atlantic County. Hunters took 173 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 93 the year before, and six-day firearm gave the most, 129. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's Low regulation set. 45.8% of the zone is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) (25,295 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 46Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 86 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 45.8% (25,295 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 173 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 93 |
| Four-season average | 135 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Six-day firearm (129 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | Low regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 2.01 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Tuckahoe, Peaslee, Maple Lake, Great Egg Harbor River |
How many deer are taken in Zone 46 each season?
173 in 2025-26, 80 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 135. Zone 46 gave 0.5% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 36 | 14 | 7 | 20 |
| Permit bow | 0 | 0 | 22 | 21 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 0 | 0 | 19 | 21 |
| Permit shotgun | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| Six-day firearm | 129 | 76 | 57 | 56 |
| Winter bow | 0 | 0 | 16 | 11 |
| Youth bow day | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Youth firearm day | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| All seasons | 173 | 93 | 132 | 141 |
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 46 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 46 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | 55,224 | 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 46.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 46?
| 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 46's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Atlantic County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 49 and the Tuckahoe River at Hunter’s Mill; then southeast along Rt. 49 to its intersection with the Tuckahoe River and the Atlantic-Cape May County line at Head of River; then eastward along the north bank of the Tuckahoe River to Great Egg Harbor Bay and the Egg Harbor Township line on the Egg Harbor River; then northwest along the west bank of the Egg Harbor River to its intersection with Rt. 40 at Mays Landing; then west on Rt. 40 to its intersection with Estell Ave.; then south on Estell Ave. to its intersection with Rt. 552 then southwest on Rt. 552 to its intersection with the Tuckahoe River at Milmay; then south along the east bank of the Tuckahoe River to its intersection with Rt. 49 at Hunter’s Mill the point of beginning. The Atlantic County Park System (Zone 61) is excluded from Zone 46."
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 46?
45.8% of Zone 46 is public land: 25,295 of its 55,284 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs), 25,295 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 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 25,295 | 45.8% |
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 46
| WMA | Acres in Zone 46 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuckahoe | 13,326 | Multiple Municipalities |
| Peaslee | 6,400 | Multiple Municipalities |
| Maple Lake | 4,697 | Estell Manor & Weymouth |
| Great Egg Harbor River | 857 | Folsom, Estell Manor, Buena Vista, Hamilton & Weymouths |
Which zones border Zone 46?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 26 | Low | 217 | 667 | 567 | 21.3% |
| Zone 34 | Low | 331 | 384 | 415 | 36.8% |
| Zone 42 | High | 218 | 370 | 332 | 17% |
| Zone 45 | Low | 71 | 154 | 73 | 50% |
| Zone 47 | Medium | 78 | 213 | 210 | 3.8% |
| Zone 61 | Special Area | 8 | 23 | 20 | 0% |
Highways crossing Zone 46: NJ 50 (12 miles) and US 40 (6 miles). Towns inside: Estell Manor, Weymouth and Corbin.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 46 in 2025-26?
173 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 129 in six-day firearm, 36 in fall bow, 7 in youth firearm day, 1 in youth bow day. The zone gave 93 in 2024-25, 132 in 2023-24 and 141 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 46?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 46 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 46?
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 46?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Atlantic County lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rt. 49 and the Tuckahoe River at Hunter’s Mill." The full boundary is on its zone description page (NJFW Deer Management Zone Descriptions).
Get a New Jersey hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for New Jersey are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, New Jersey included.
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 26 Zone 34 Zone 42 Zone 45 Zone 47 Zone 61