October 5, 2020
Updated October 29, 2020
The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising the public that amendments for the 2020-2021 Game Code, approved for proposal by the Fish and Game Council at their July 17, 2019 and June 9, 2020 meetings, have been posted on the NJDEP website. The Game Code includes regulations governing hunting and trapping in the state; amendments may include adjustments to season dates, bag limits, or the means by which game and furbearers may be taken and possessed.
The Notice of Rule Proposal was published in the October 5, 2020 NJ Register, which commenced a 60-day comment period. Oral comments may be made at the Wednesday, November 4, 2020 public hearing to be held electronically via GoToMeeting:
Register For Game Code Virtual Public Hearing
Virtual Public Hearing User Guide (pdf, 630kb)
Please see Notice of Rule Proposal for more information, including a link to the proposed amendments.
To submit online comment on the Game Code Proposals please use the link below:
Submit Comments
Written comments may be submitted online or via regular mail to:
2020 Game Code Comments
NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife
Mail Code 501-03
PO Box 420
Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
Comments must be submitted by December 4, 2020.
Note that the comment period is ONLY to opine on proposed amendments, NOT to submit new ideas for changes. New ideas will not be considered for this amendment cycle.
Proposed amendments to the 2020-2021 Game Code include the following:
- Changes to deer regulations to prevent CWD from entering New Jersey, and to enable an improved response if discovered in the State or within 20 miles from its borders, including a ban on deer carcasses from any jurisdiction, a ban on deer-derived lures and deer semen, a ban on the importation of live cervids, and the ability to change regulations within a disease surveillance area in an effort to contain the disease.
- Closure of the ruffed grouse season
- Separation of the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy from the Game Code.
- Remove King Rail from the list of game species in advance of it being listed as a State-endangered species.
- Reduction in the bag limit for common gallinule.
- Introduction of a Regulation Set Permit for those deer management zones within Regulation Sets 7 and 8.
- The inclusion of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge into existing deer management zones.
A copy of the full proposal can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/20201005a.pdf on the DEP website.
For information regarding the revision of N.J. hunting and fishing regulations visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/codechange.htm.
