DMZ 9, New Jersey
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zones 90–99
- Area
- 846 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 380
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, Bear also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedDMZ 9 covers portions of Morris and Somerset counties in the New Jersey Highlands and Piedmont transition zone, offering hunters mixed hardwood ridges, river bottoms, and suburban-edge deer habitat. The zone falls under Regulation Set 7 with a 3-point antler restriction on one side, and provides solid public land access through Black River WMA, Hacklebarney State Park hunting parcels, and Morris County Park Commission properties. Bear, deer, and turkey are all present, making this one of the more diverse multi-species zones in the state.
Highlands ridges and Piedmont valleys in Morris and Somerset counties; mixed oak-hardwood forest on higher elevations, river bottom flats along the Black River and its tributaries, farm woodlots and suburban-edge cover throughout; elevation ranges roughly 200-900 feet
moderate to high
Deer: Regulation Set 7 — Fall Bow Sept 13-Oct 31 2025 (antlerless-first requirement Sept 13-Oct 3), Permit Bow Nov 1-Nov 22 2025, Six-Day Firearm Dec 8-13 2025 (shotgun/muzzleloader only — no rifles), Permit Muzzleloader and Permit Shotgun Dec 2025-Feb 14 2026, Winter Bow Jan 1-Feb 21 2026; antler point restriction requires at least 3 points on one side of rack for antlered harvest; antlerless permits zone-specific per season; DRS Multi-Zone Bow Permit available for Reg Set 7 zones. Bear: BMZ 4 and 5 overlap — black bear permits available via lottery, one bear per hunter maximum, 75 lb minimum. Turkey: Turkey Hunting Area 9 — spring gobbler season via permit lottery (Periods A-E), bearded birds only; fall turkey seasons also available.
Antler point restriction zone (3 points minimum on one side) encourages quality buck harvest; overlaps NJ Bear Management Zones 4 and 5 making bear tags available; Turkey Hunting Area 9 covers this geography with spring permit lottery; Black River WMA provides reliable public access with on-site archery range; suburban deer density is high but much of that land is private
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about DMZ 9— 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 9.
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.