A special permit is NOT required to participate and goose hunters should note that the winter season hunt area boundaries are different from the traditional north, south and coastal zones. Hunters should check the boundaries carefully before hunting. The boundaries for the northern portion of the hunt area are the same as those open during the past four special winter seasons. The southern portion of the hunt area has been expanded to include additional parts of Cumberland County as well as portions of the Pinelands in Ocean and Burlington counties. In addition, major cranberry growing areas of the Pinelands were included where farmers have been experiencing increasing amounts of damage from resident Canada geese.
New Jersey is home to two populations of Canada geese.
The second population is resident Canada geese that live here year-round. While Atlantic Population geese have rebounded substantially from the critically low population level observed in 1995, they still remain below management objectives. Resident Canada geese, though a tremendously valuable wildlife resource, have caused increased crop depredation and nuisance problems in some areas of the state due to their overabundance. The winter season will help to slow the growth rate of the expanding resident population. However, special hunting seasons that target Resident Population Canada geese need not be as restrictive.