New Jersey Deer Management Zone 7: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and public land
New Jersey's Deer Management Zone 7 covers 133 square miles of Warren and Hunterdon counties. Hunters took 1,418 deer there in the 2025-26 seasons, up from 1,377 the year before, and fall bow gave the most, 545. For 2026-27 the zone follows NJFW's High regulation set. 8.3% of the zone is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (3,768 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 7Neighboring zonesHighway
| Size | 133 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 8.3% (7,048 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,418 |
| Deer taken, 2024-25 | 1,377 |
| Four-season average | 1,411 a season (2022-23 to 2025-26) |
| Busiest season, 2025-26 | Fall bow (545 deer) |
| 2026-27 rules | High regulation set |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025-26 | 10.66 (deer taken divided by the zone's area) |
| Wildlife management areas | Clinton, Buckhorn Creek, Musconetcong River, Pequest |
How many deer are taken in Zone 7 each season?
1,418 in 2025-26, 41 more than in 2024-25; across the four seasons below the zone averaged 1,411. Zone 7 gave 3.7% of New Jersey's 38,438 deer in 2025-26.
| Season | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall bow | 545 | 448 | 418 | 503 |
| Permit bow | 265 | 350 | 334 | 251 |
| Permit muzzleloader | 118 | 117 | 128 | 129 |
| Permit shotgun | 279 | 272 | 302 | 321 |
| Six-day firearm | 145 | 121 | 146 | 170 |
| Winter bow | 59 | 65 | 48 | 78 |
| Youth bow day | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Youth firearm day | 7 | 4 | 8 | 11 |
| All seasons | 1,418 | 1,377 | 1,384 | 1,465 |
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 7 cover?
| County | Acres in Zone 7 | County deer, 2025-26 | County deer, 2024-25 | County deer, 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 67,217 | 3,354 | 3,299 | 3,173 |
| Hunterdon County | 18,058 | 6,254 | 6,590 | 5,618 |
Source: NJFW White-tailed Deer Harvest by County, 2021-22 to 2025-26. County figures cover the whole county, not just Zone 7.
When are the 2026-27 deer seasons in Zone 7?
| 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 7's boundaries?
NJFW's description: "That portion of Hunterdon and Warren Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rts. 31 and 78 at Clinton; then north along Rt. 31 to its intersection with Rt. 46 at Buttzville; then west on Rt. 46 to the Delaware River at Manunkachunk; then south along the east bank of the Delaware to its intersection with Rt. 78 at Phillipsburg; then east along Rt. 78 to the point of beginning at Clinton."
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 7?
8.3% of Zone 7 is public land: 7,048 of its 85,330 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 3,768 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 7 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 3,768 | 4.4% |
| Fish and Wildlife land (WMAs) | 3,280 | 3.8% |
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 7
| WMA | Acres in Zone 7 | Municipality (NJDEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 2,017 | Bethlehem & Unions |
| Buckhorn Creek | 766 | Washington & Whites |
| Musconetcong River | 416 | Mutiples, Towns &s |
| Pequest | 170 | Multiple Municipalities |
Which zones border Zone 7?
| Zone | 2026-27 rules | Square miles | Deer, 2025-26 | Deer, 2024-25 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Medium | 245 | 2,234 | 2,223 | 12.9% |
| Zone 8 | High | 262 | 2,581 | 2,567 | 10.1% |
| Zone 10 | High | 140 | 2,047 | 2,045 | 1.6% |
| Zone 12 | High | 223 | 2,998 | 3,493 | 4.3% |
Highways crossing Zone 7: I-78 (18 miles), NJ 31 (12 miles), US 22 (12 miles), NJ 57 (12 miles), NJ 173 (11 miles) and NJ 122 (4 miles). Towns inside: White, Harmony, Bethlehem and Lopatcong.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Jersey Deer Zone 7 in 2025-26?
1,418 (NJFW 2025-26 New Jersey Total Deer Harvest): 545 in fall bow, 279 in permit shotgun, 265 in permit bow, 145 in six-day firearm. The zone gave 1,377 in 2024-25, 1,384 in 2023-24 and 1,465 in 2022-23.
When is the six-day firearm season in Zone 7?
December 7 to 12, 2026, with a bag limit of two antlered deer, one at a time. Zone 7 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 7?
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 7?
NJFW's description begins: "That portion of Hunterdon and Warren Counties lying within a continuous line beginning at the intersection of Rts. 31 and 78 at Clinton." 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.