Even if you don’t shoot anything, hunting in New Jersey offers a rewarding opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Besides privately owned lands open to hunting and commercial hunting compounds, the state offers 500,000 acres of public open space alive with game, and more than 100 days of open-season hunting for deer, among other game. But before you head out with a gun, be sure to be safe and hunt in a legal way.
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- Don’t go out without all the appropriate licenses and permits. Depending on your favorite game-killing method and your target, you’ll need a Firearm Hunting License, a Small Game Firearm License, a Bow and Arrow Hunting License and/or a Trapping License. New Jersey residents can also get an All-Around Sportsman License which includes the Firearm and Bow and Arrow Hunting licenses, plus a Fishing License.
- You even need to get a permit, according to New Jersey Game Code, if you hit a deer with your car.
- Beyond the basic licenses, you’ll need additional permits or stamps to use a rifle or a muzzleloader; to hunt with a raptor; and to hunt deer, turkeys, black bears, otters, beavers, coyotes, foxes, waterfowl, migratory birds, woodcocks, rails, moorhens, snipe, ducks, brant, geese, quails, and pheasants.
- Separate permits are required for deer with and without antlers. You may also need specific permits to hunt in various zones of New Jersey and for hunting during certain seasons.
- Black bear, turkey, beaver, and otter hunting or trapping permits are awarded only by lottery, which require separate applications.
- In order to get a New Jersey hunting license for the first time, you must either have a license from another state or complete the appropriate course in the New Jersey Hunter Education Program.
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- New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife offers three free hunter’s education courses, funded through the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act: The Firearms Course, which covers shotguns, rifles, air rifles, and muzzleloaders; the Bow and Arrow Course, covering manual bows and crossbows; and the Trapper Course. The firearms and archery courses are home-study, followed by a live-fire field session and written exam. There is also an online interactive option, which has fees.
- Before applying for a New Jersey hunting license, make sure you’re current on your child support. The Division of Fish and Wildlife is required to certify hunters aren’t deadbeat dads before issuing licenses. The certification can be completed online.
- You can apply for permits with an agent, such as many hunting-supply stores, or online. Online applications include a convenience fee. The permits are sent by mail within 7 to 10 business days, so plan ahead.
- Complete details about licenses and other information about hunting in New Jersey is available on the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife website. They also have a smartphone app.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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