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New Jersey offers sportsmen and women more than 500,000 acres of state-owned public
open space providing a diversity of habitats from hardwood ridges and rolling
hills to pine forests and salt marsh. This total includes more than 358,000 acres in 122 Wildlife Management Areas, specifically managed to enhance wildlife populations and provide for wildlife-oriented recreation.
Hunters
can enjoy more than a hundred days of deer hunting, including seasons for bow,
shotgun and muzzleloading rifle. Multiple bag limits are the rule in most zones.
The 2019-20 deer harvest was 45,650. In addition, some of the best waterfowl hunting
on the East coast is found in the Garden State. Snow geese, brant, black duck,
mallard, bufflehead and a variety of other waterfowl species provide extensive
hunting opportunities, especially on the coastal marshes. The wild turkey, reestablished in the late 1970s, continues to thrive
throughout the state with the population now estimated at 20,000 - 23,000 with
an annual harvest of approximately 3,000 birds.
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"Take a Kid Hunting" youth hunts provide unique opportunities. |
