NJDEP news release masthead

October 18, 2002

NJ PERMIT BOW DEER SEASON OPENS OCT. 26

For more information contact:
Permit Hotline at 609-292-9192

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife reminds hunters that the 2002 New Jersey permit bow season for deer will open statewide on October 26. Bag limit and season length varies by zone. Hunting hours are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.

All bows must have a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds at the archer's draw length, except compounds, which must have a minimum peak draw weight of 35 pounds. All arrows used for deer hunting must be fitted with a well-sharpened metal head with a minimum width of ¾ inches.

Hunters should review current regulations in the August hunting issue of the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Digest before going afield. Special attention should be paid to the deer hunting Regulation Sets found on pages 29 through 32, which provide information on bag limits and special conditions.

Hunters should note that unlike last year, the permit bow season is now closed during the first three days of the early permit shotgun season and muzzleloader season in November. However, it will be open for the Thanksgiving segment, Thursday-Saturday.

Permits will be available on a continuing basis throughout the season. A list of license agents selling deer permits, zone descriptions, and season dates and bag limits for zones available at license agents, is available in the Digest and on the Division's website at www.njfishandwildlife.com.

To purchase a permit at a license agent, a hunter must present his/her valid 2002 hunting license and $28 for each permit. Youth hunters must present their valid youth hunting license and $12 for each permit. Hunters do not need to fill out applications for permits, nor do they need to submit stubs from their licenses. In addition, hunters are reminded that although they can purchase multiple permits during the permit bow season, the season bag limit is one buck.

All 2002 hunting licenses include tear-off antlered buck stubs. A hunter who takes an antlered buck must date, initial and attach a buck stub along with a transportation tag to the deer before transporting it to the deer check station. Upon checking the deer, the buck stub and the transportation tag must be surrendered to the check station operator. Conservation officers have noticed that some hunters are leaving their buck stubs attached to transportation tags completed for antlerless deer. Hunters should carefully examine both sides of their license when completing and detaching transportation tags for antlerless deer to ensure they do not detach a buck stub from the license until needed to tag a buck.


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