After you have checked out the current New Jersey hunting seasons, don’t forget all the other adventures New Jersey has to offer besides hunting. Visit its Arts and Culture, Attractions, and History.
Purchase a New Jersey hunting license here.
If you are a predator hunter check out these specific guides:
Hunting coyotes in New Jersey.
Primary Waterfowl Hunting Seasons.
2022-2023
North Zone
| Ducks | Oct. 15-Oct 22 and Nov. 12-Jan 12, 2023 |
| Scaup | Oct. 15-Oct. 22 And Nov. 12-Dec. 20 (1 bird) |
| Scaup | Dec 21-Jan 12 (2 birds) |
| Brant | Oct. 15-Oct 22 and Nov. 12-Dec.31 |
| Canada Goose | Nov. 24-Nov. 26 and Dec. 10-Jan 10. |
| Youth Waterfowl Day | Oct. 8 |
South Zone
| Ducks | Oct. 22 -Oct. 29 and Nov 19-Jan 19, 2023 |
| Scaup | Oct. 22-Oct. 29 and Nov. 19- Dec. 27 (1 bird) |
| Scaup | Dec. 21-Jan. 19 (2 birds) |
| Brant | Oct. 22-Oct. 29 and Nov. 19-Jan. 7 |
| Canada Goose | Nov. 24 – Nov. 26 and Dec. 17-Jan 17. |
| Youth Waterfowl Day | Oct. 15 |
Coastal Zone
| Ducks and Canada Goose | Nov. 10-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24 – Jan. 28, 2023 |
| Scaup | Nov. 10-Nov. 12 And Nov. 24- Jan. 5 (1 bird) |
| Scaup | Jan. 6-Jan. 28 (2 birds) |
| Brant | Nov. 10-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24-Jan 17 |
| Youth Waterfowl Day | Oct. 29 |
Special Waterfowl Seasons.
Youth Days
North Zone Oct. 8 South Zone Oct. 15 Coastal Zone Oct. 29
Statewide Veterans/Active Military Day: Nov. 5
Statewide Joint Youth and Veterans/Active Military Day: Feb. 4
Waterfowl daily bag limits during New Jersey hunting seasons.
Ducks: 6 ducks which may NOT include more than: 2 mallards (not more than 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 3 wood ducks, 1 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 4 sea ducks (but not more than 3 scoters, 3 long-tailed ducks, or 3 eiders [only 1 hen eider]), 1 fulvous or black-bellied whistling duck in aggregate, and scaup: 1 scaup/day for first 40 days in each zone; 2 scaup/day for last 20 days.
Coot: 15
Mergansers: 5 mergansers. Merganser limits are in addition to regular ducks.
Brant: 2
Canada geese (Regular season): 1, North and South Zones; 2, Coastal Zone;
Canada goose bag limits include cackling geese and white-fronted geese singly or in aggregate.
Youth and Veterans/Active Military Days: To include ducks, geese, brant, mergansers, coots, and gallinules. Bag limits are the same as those allowed in the regular season in each zone except for scaup which is 2 scaup per day.
SEA DUCKS
Season and bag limit part of regular duck season in each zone.
CANADA GOOSE
September Season (Statewide) Sept. 1 – Sept. 30
Daily bag limit: 15 Canada geese
Special regulations apply
NOTE: THESE SPECIAL REGULATIONS ONLY APPLY TO THE SEPTEMBER CANADA GOOSE SEASON
CANADA GOOSE
Special Winter Season (Two Distinct Zones) Jan. 18 – Feb. 15
Daily bag limit: 5 singly or in aggregate including cackling and white-fronted geese.
LIGHT GOOSE
Regular Season
Statewide: Oct. 15 – Feb. 15
Daily bag limit: 25, singly or in aggregate to include greater and lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese.
Conservation Order
Statewide: Feb. 16 – Apr. 8
Daily bag limit: None; includes greater and lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese
Special regulations apply during the Conservation Order.
WOODCOCK
North Zone: Oct. 15 – Oct. 29 Nov. 1 – Nov. 26
South Zone: Nov. 12 – Dec. 3 Dec. 15 – Jan. 3
Daily bag limit: 3
RAILS AND GALLINULE
Sept. 1 – Nov. 21
Daily bag limits: Sora and Virginia rails: 25 total or in aggregate; Clapper rail: 10
Gallinule: 1
SNIPE
Sept. 10 – Jan. 12 Daily bag limit: 8
CROWS (Mon., Thur., Fri., & Sat.) Aug. 8 – Dec. 3
Dec. 12 – Mar. 18
Daily bag limit: None
New Jersey Deer hunting seasons 2022-2023.
- Fall Bow, September 10 (Early Zones Only, Regulation Sets #4-8)
- Youth Deer Bow Hunt, September 24.
- Fall Bow, October 1 (Statewide)
- Permit Bow Season, October 29.
- Youth Deer Firearm Hunt, November 19.
- Permit Shotgun/Muzzleloader, November 21 (Varies by zone)
- Six-day Firearm Season, December 5-10.
- Winter Bow, January 1, 2023.
New Jersey Turkey hunting seasons.
New Jersey Wild Turkey Seasons
Fall: October 24, 2021 and October 26, 2021 -October 31, 2021
New Jersey Fox Hunting Seasons.
- Bow & Arrow Only Season from the 4th Saturday prior to the last Friday in October through the Friday following Election Day in November.
- Firearm or Bow Season from the Saturday after Election Day in November through March 15.
- Special Permit Coyote / Fox Season from January 1 (or Jan. 2 if Jan. 1 is a Sunday) through March 15.
New Jersey Coyote Hunting Seasons.
Bow-only season for coyote hunting in New Jersey.
The Bow-only season in New Jersey runs from October 2nd to November 5th.
Legal hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1/2 after sunset.
Your bow is restricted to 35 lbs. pull/peak wt. or crossbow (75 lbs pull wt.) using well-sharpened broadheads (min. 3/4” width).
You may hunt with an electronic predator caller and use a decoy. Bait (not permitted on National Wildlife Refuge) must be a min. 300’ when in a tree stand/ground blind.
Related: The secret calls your successful buddies use.
Bow or shotgun coyote hunting season in New Jersey.
The Bow or Shotgun season in New Jersey runs from November 6th to March 15th.
Legal hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Exception: On November 6th, hunting cannot begin until 8 a.m.
The bow restrictions are the same as Bow-only season. Your shotgun is restricted to 10-20 ga. using shot size up to #4 fine shot.
You may use an electronic caller and a decoy, but you must wear a SOLID Hunter Orange hat (no camo/logos) as part of the 200 sq.inch hunter orange requirement when hunting on certain WMAs.
Related: In new Jersey, you are hunting the eastern coyote. Learn how to hunt the big dawgs here.
Hunting coyotes in New Jersey during special permit season.
The Special Permit Season runs from January 1st to March 15th. There are different rules for day vs. night hunting activities.