DMZ 38, New Jersey
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Bear, Turkey
- Group
- Zones 30–39
- Area
- 122 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 49
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, Bear, Turkey also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDMZ 38 covers the huntable portion of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County, one of New Jersey's most unique and restrictive deer hunting opportunities. Access requires both an NJ Zone 38 permit and a separate USFWS refuge hunt permit, with a very limited four-day concurrent shotgun and muzzleloader season in early November. This Earn-A-Buck zone also carries a 3-point antler restriction, making it a management-driven hunt focused on population control in a nationally significant wetland refuge 26 miles west of Manhattan.
Freshwater wetlands, shrub swamp, hardwood swamp, upland forest, and grassland meadows within the 7,853-acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Low-lying, flat to gently rolling, with extensive marshy areas and wooded swamp tracts. Located in the glaciated Passaic River basin of Morris County.
low
DEER: Zone 38 is an Earn-A-Buck zone - hunters must harvest an antlerless deer before taking an antlered buck (Sept 13-Oct 3 window, bow season; youth exempt). Antlered deer must have at least one antler with a minimum of 3 points. Season: Permit Shotgun and Permit Muzzleloader (concurrent), Nov 5-8, 2025. Youth hunt: Nov 1, 2025. Bag limit: 2 deer, only 1 may be antlered (with valid Antlered Buck Permit). Zone 38 permits sold until Oct 31, 2025. USFWS refuge permits go on sale September 2025 at greatswamp.recaccess.com. BEAR: Morris County falls within NJ Bear Management Zones 2, 4, and 5; black bear hunting is permitted in these zones with a $2 Bear Permit. Season runs in two segments (Oct and Dec). Whether bear hunting is open within the Great Swamp NWR boundary itself requires confirming with the refuge. TURKEY: Morris County is in NJ Turkey Hunting Area No. 4 (spring permit lottery, Jan-Feb application period). Spring turkey hunting in the broader Morris County area is available; specific turkey hunting at Great Swamp NWR is not documented - contact refuge for status. Fall turkey season is closed in NJ.
Extremely limited annual hunting opportunity - only a 4-day concurrent shotgun/muzzleloader season plus a 1-day youth hunt. Dual permit requirement (state + federal) and an Earn-A-Buck requirement filter out casual hunters. Deer densities are high due to minimal hunting pressure across most of the refuge. Unique setting in a nationally recognized wildlife refuge minutes from suburban NJ.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMZ 38— 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 38.
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.