New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

For more information contact:
Paulette Nelson at (609) 292-9173

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife would like to remind resident disabled veterans and youth hunters, 15 years of age or under, of special opportunities for obtaining unclaimed NJ Spring Wild Turkey Season permits beginning April 15. These new opportunities are the result of license and permit fee adjustment legislation passed in December.

Disabled veterans in possession of a current free Division-issued Disabled Veteran Hunting License will receive their first turkey permit free. Additional permits may be purchased at $21 each.

Youth hunters who have not received a permit in the mail-in first lottery will be guaranteed a permit for any zone and week. Young hunters must bring a previous year's license or their Hunter Education Course Completion Card in order to obtain a turkey permit. The cost is $12.

In addition, if a youth hunter's parent or legal guardian is selected for the same Turkey Hunting Area (zone), but for a different time period (week A through E) than the youth, they may take the youth hunting with them during their time period and the youth's permit will still be valid. When hunting with a parent or legal guardian during a time period not designated on the youth's permit, the youth must be under the direct supervision of the licensed adult hunter. Direct supervision is defined as both the youth permittee and the parent/guardian set up together at the same location, hunting as a unit and not hunting independently of each other for different birds. The season bag limit is one turkey.

Qualified disabled veterans who do not possess a free Division-issued Disabled Veteran Hunting License may obtain one by bringing a copy of their DD214 and their hospital access card or any other formal documentation with proof of disability and discharge to one of the five Division offices listed below. To qualify, one must be a resident of New Jersey who has honorably been discharged, or released under honorable circumstances, from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and has been declared by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability of any degree.

The following Division offices issue Disabled Veteran Hunting Licenses:

Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center, nine miles west of Hackettstown on Rt. 46, Oxford, in Warren County.

Northern Region Law Enforcement Office, westbound Rt. 78 take exit 13 to Rt.173; eastbound Rt.78 take exit 12 to Rt.173, Hampton, in Hunterdon County.

Southern Region Law Enforcement Office, one mile south of Rt. 73 on Blue Anchor Rd., in Sicklerville, Camden County.

Assunpink Wildlife Management Area Office, exit 11 off Rt. 195, head north, at second intersection turn right, follow road until it forms a T. The office is a white house directly ahead. Located in Robbinsville, in Monmouth County.

Nacote Creek Research Center, two miles north of Smithville on Rt.9, in Atlantic County.