DMZ 23, New Jersey
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey
- Group
- Zones 20–29
- Area
- 2,175 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 428
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for White-tailed Deer so far. Deer, Turkey also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDMZ 23 covers the heart of the New Jersey Pinelands across portions of Burlington, Atlantic, and Camden counties, with Wharton State Forest as the dominant public hunting ground. Under Regulation Set 0 — the state's most restrictive tier — hunters are limited to archery, permit muzzleloader, and permit shotgun seasons only; no six-day firearm season is open here. Deer densities are moderate in the pine-oak uplands and cedar swamp edges, and spring turkey permits are available through the NJDEP lottery for the Wharton area.
Pine-oak uplands, Atlantic white cedar swamps, pitch pine lowlands, and sandy river corridors typical of the NJ Pinelands; flat to gently rolling with interspersed bogs and streams including the Mullica River and Nescochague Creek
moderate
Deer: Regulation Set 0 — most restrictive NJ tier; open seasons are Fall Bow (Oct), Permit Bow (Nov), Permit Muzzleloader (Dec 1-2 and Dec 20-31), and Permit Shotgun; six-day firearm season NOT open in this zone; one antlerless deer of either sex per permit season; no antler point restrictions. Bear: Not applicable — DMZ 23 is in southern NJ Pinelands, well outside the black bear range (Sussex/Warren/Passaic/Morris counties). Turkey: Spring permit season available (Youth Hunt mid-April, General Season late April through May); permit lottery January-February; spring hunting restricted to bearded birds; no statewide fall turkey season; Wharton State Forest is designated public turkey hunting land.
Large contiguous public land base in Wharton State Forest; classic Pine Barrens setting with limited hunting pressure due to zone restrictions and remote terrain; spring turkey opportunity via NJDEP permit lottery; Pinelands-specific habitat produces deer adapted to sandy, low-nutrient environment
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMZ 23— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about DMZ 23.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: NJDEP official Deer Management Zones. Community info last updated 23d ago.