New Jersey Deer Management Zone 50: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 50 covers 293 square miles of Monmouth and Middlesex counties. Hunters took 1,821 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 1,673 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 734. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's High regulation set. 2% of the zone is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (2,003 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 Park ServiceMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Zone 50Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 293 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2% (3,771 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,821 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 1,673 |
| Four-season average | 1,703 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (734 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | High regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 6.22 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Navesink River |
How many deer are taken in Zone 50 each season?
1,821 in 2025-26, 148 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 1,703. Zone 50 gave 4.7% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 734 | 605 | 559 | 678 |
| Permit bow | 554 | 504 | 523 | 485 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 40 | 35 | 65 | 42 |
| Permit shotgun | 172 | 216 | 154 | 181 |
| Six-day firearm | 93 | 92 | 116 | 103 |
| Winter bow | 224 | 219 | 221 | 184 |
| Youth bow day | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Youth firearm day | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| All seasons | 1,821 | 1,673 | 1,640 | 1,679 |
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 50 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 50 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth County | 124,617 | 3,879 | 3,714 | 2,955 |
| Middlesex County | 62,254 | 1,049 | 997 | 723 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 50.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 50?
| 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 50's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the New Jersey Turnpike and Rt. 522 near Jamesburg; then southeast on Rt. 522 to the intersection with Rt. 537 at Freehold; then southwest on Rt. 537 to the intersection with business Rt. 33; then east on Rt. 33 to the intersection with the western edge of the fenced boundary of the Earle Naval Weapons Depot; then north and east along the fenced boundary of the Earle Depot to the intersection of County Route 38 (Wayside Rd.) and Rt. 547 at the most eastern point of the fenced boundary of Naval Weapons Station–Earle; then northeast on Rt. 547 to the intersection with the Garden State Parkway; then north on the Garden State Parkway to the intersection with Rt. 36 near Eatontown; then east on Rt. 36 to the Atlantic Ocean; then north along the Atlantic coastline to the Raritan Bay; then south and west along the southern shore of Raritan Bay to Raritan River; then continuing west along the south bank of the Raritan River to the intersection with the New Jersey Turnpike; then southwest along the New Jersey Turnpike to the intersection with Rt. 522, the point of beginning. Monmouth Battlefield State Park (Zone 64), Naval Weapons Station, Earle (Zones 39 and 40), and Fort Monmouth (Zone 62), are excluded from this zone."
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 50?
2% of Zone 50 is public land: 3,771 of its 187,675 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 2,003 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 50 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 2,003 | 1.1% |
| National Park Service | 1,704 | 0.9% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 1,149 | 0.6% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 64 | under 0.1% |
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 50
| WMA | Acres in Zone 50 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Navesink River | 64 | Rumson |
Which zones border Zone 50?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 14 | High | 320 | 1,443 | 1,615 | 4.4% |
| Zone 15 | High | 110 | 1,072 | 1,090 | 8.5% |
| Zone 16 | Medium | 129 | 811 | 809 | 6.3% |
| Zone 36 | High | 763 | 1,060 | 1,029 | 0.7% |
| Zone 39 | Special Area | 17 | 93 | 120 | 0% |
| Zone 51 | High | 351 | 882 | 940 | 9.9% |
| Zone 64 | Special Area | 3 | 45 | 20 | 98.4% |
Highways crossing Zone 50: NJ 18 (51 miles), NJ 36 (37 miles), NJ 35 (32 miles), US 9 (31 miles), I-95 (17 miles) and NJ 34 (15 miles). Towns inside: Old Bridge, Colts Neck, Marlboro and East Brunswick.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 50 in 2025-26?
1,821 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 734 in fall bow, 554 in permit bow, 224 in winter bow, 172 in permit shotgun. The zone gave 1,673 in 2024-25, 1,640 in 2023-24 and 1,679 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 50?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 50 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 50?
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 50?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of the New Jersey Turnpike and Rt. 522 near Jamesburg." 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 14 Zone 15 Zone 16 Zone 36 Zone 39 Zone 51 Zone 64