New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 25 - DIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RULES › Subchapter 5 - 2020-2021 GAME CODE › Section 7:25-5.26 - White-tailed deer winter bow season

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) Duration of the winter bow season is from January 1 through January 31 in zones in Regulation Sets 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; and in Zones 54, 61, 66, 67, and 68. Duration of the season is January 1 through the third Saturday in February, in zones in Regulation Sets 7 and 8; and in Zones 37, 39, 53, and 64, except closed January 1 in Zone 37. Legal hunting hours shall be 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.
(b) Bag Limit: Hunters must use the antlered buck transportation tag from their bow and arrow or all around sportsman license, which is designated for use during the winter bow season, when registering an antlered deer. The standard bag limit is two deer, one antlered and one antlerless, or two antlerless in zones in Regulation Sets 1, 2, and 3, and Zone 53. In zones in Regulation Set 5, the bag limit is one antlered deer and five antlerless deer. In zones in Regulation Set 6, the bag limit is one antlered deer and nine antlerless deer. In zones in Regulation Sets 4, 7, and 8 and in Zones 37, 39, 64, 66, and 68, the bag limit is one antlered deer and an unlimited number of antlerless deer. In zones in Regulation Set 0, the bag limit is one antlered deer or one antlerless deer. Only one deer may be taken at a time until the season limit is reached except in zones in Regulation Sets 6, 7, and 8, and in Zones 37, 39, 53, 54, 61, 64, 66, 67, and 68, where the limit is two deer at a time until the season concludes. All deer must be legally registered via the automated harvest report system. After taking a second deer in any zone in Regulation Sets 0, 1, 2, and 3, hunters may not hunt deer during the winter bow season in the zones in Regulation Sets 0, 1, 2, and 3. Upon harvesting a deer, hunters must immediately fill out with the exception of the confirmation number the "transportation tag" on the license. Additionally, every deer is to have a tag affixed to the carcass bearing the hunter's CID, date of harvest, zone of harvest, antler points if applicable, and confirmation number if registered. This tag shall remain attached until such time as the deer is processed for consumption. Hunters must register their deer via an AHRS, as designated by the Division, prior to the attempt to take an additional deer and no later than 7:00 P.M. local time of the day of harvest. Hunters must record the confirmation number given via this system, which replaces the legal possession tag.
1. Possession of a deer after 7:00 P.M. local time on the date killed without a legal confirmation number shall be deemed illegal possession under the AHRS. It is unlawful to attempt to take or continue to hunt for more than the number of deer permitted. Should the hunter be unable to access the AHRS by the designated time, the deer shall be immediately reported by telephone to the nearest Division of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement regional headquarters and the harvest registered via the AHRS the next day. Within 48 hours of registering a deer with the AHRS and upon request from the Division, a hunter shall be required to produce the head of the deer harvested or produce records relating to the location of the head.
2. In Zones 3, 9, 13, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 47, and 63, it shall be illegal to kill, take, or attempt to take any antlered deer which does not have a minimum of three antler points on one side.