DMZ 26, New Jersey
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey
- Group
- Zones 20–29
- Area
- 2,340 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 544
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 26 covers southern Atlantic County in the heart of New Jersey's Pine Barrens, centered on the Mullica River corridor and overlapping portions of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Hunters have access to six Wildlife Management Areas including Absecon, Hammonton Creek, and Makepeace Lake WMAs, with deer populations supported by vast coastal plain pine-oak forest. Zone-specific antlerless permits are required for all permit seasons, and Forsythe NWR sections require an additional federal lottery permit.
Coastal plain pine-oak forest and Atlantic white cedar lowlands of the Pine Barrens; Mullica River and Great Egg Harbor River drainages; flat sandy terrain with dense scrub understory; some tidal marsh edges near Forsythe NWR
moderate
Deer: Regulation Set 2 — one deer (either antlered or antlerless) per permit season (bow, shotgun, muzzleloader); Six-Day Firearm season Dec 8-13 2025; zone-specific antlerless permit required for all permit seasons; no Sunday hunting in state parks and forests; Forsythe NWR hunters must enter lottery (applications open July 14, deadline Aug 11, $2/entry capped at $8). Turkey: Zone falls within NJ Turkey Hunting Area 16, which includes Absecon WMA, Hammonton Creek WMA, Bass River State Forest, and Edwin B. Forsythe NWR (spring only); spring permit available by lottery (Jan-Feb application) or OTC from late March; only bearded birds in spring. Bear: Not applicable — DMZ 26 is in Atlantic County, far outside New Jersey black bear range which is confined to the northern counties (Sussex, Warren, Passaic, Morris).
Forsythe NWR lottery hunts offer a quality experience with controlled pressure; WMAs provide free walk-in access across thousands of Pine Barrens acres; Mullica River corridor holds good deer numbers; zone is well south of suburban sprawl for shotgun/archery without dense orange-vest crowds
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMZ 26— 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 26.
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.