DMZ 51, New Jersey
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey
- Group
- Zones 50–59
- Area
- 3,779 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 889
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 51 covers the coastal corridor of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, stretching from the Raritan Bay shoreline south through the Barnegat Peninsula and Pine Barrens fringe. The zone carries a Regulation Set 8 designation — the most liberal in New Jersey — offering archery hunters an earn-a-buck requirement only during the first three weeks of Fall Bow, with unlimited antlerless opportunity thereafter across bow, shotgun, and muzzleloader seasons. Public access is solid for suburban coastal NJ, with Allaire State Park, Manasquan River WMA, Manahawkin WMA, and Upper Barnegat Bay WMA all open to deer hunting without additional access permits.
Coastal plain and Pine Barrens fringe; mix of sandy upland forest, agricultural fields, freshwater marsh, and barrier island lowlands. Monmouth County holds more developed suburban farmland edges while Ocean County transitions into Pinelands scrub-oak and cedar swamp.
Moderate. Suburban proximity drives pressure on Allaire and Manasquan River WMA; Manahawkin and Upper Barnegat Bay WMA see lighter use due to marshy terrain. Overall deer numbers are managed downward near denser residential areas.
Deer: Fall Bow Sept. 13 – Oct. 31, 2025 (earn-a-buck Sept. 13 – Oct. 3); Permit Bow Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025 (closed Dec. 25); Winter Bow Jan. 1 – Feb. 21, 2026; Six-Day Firearm Dec. 8–13, 2025; Permit Shotgun and Permit Muzzleloader run December through mid-February with zone-specific permits. Unlimited antlerless harvest; 1 antlered buck per season (2 during Six-Day). Turkey: Spring permit draw only, no fall season statewide. Bear: Not present — zone outside NJ bear range.
Regulation Set 8 is the most liberal deer regulation set in NJ — hunters can take unlimited antlerless deer across all permit seasons. Earn-a-buck applies only Sept. 13 – Oct. 3 during Fall Bow (must harvest one antlerless deer before pursuing an antlered buck). After Oct. 3 that restriction lifts. Six-Day Firearm (Dec. 8–13, 2025) allows two antlered deer. Multi-zone permits available for Set 8 hunters. No bear hunting — zone is well south of NJ bear range (Sussex/Warren/Passaic/Morris counties). Spring turkey hunting available via permit draw; Monmouth and Ocean Counties fall within permit turkey areas.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMZ 51— 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 51.
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.