The Fish and Game Council adopted amendments to the 2007-2008 Game Code at their May 8, 2007 meeting. The amendments become effective five days after they are published in the NJ Register which should occur in August, 2007. The following changes will be in effect for upcoming seasons. Please refer to the 2007 hunting edition of the Fish and Wildlife Digest, due out in August, for specific season dates and other information.

BEAVER & OTTER: The late check-in for pelts is extended from seven to 20 days.

FALCONRY: Kestrels are eliminated from apprentice possession.

WOODCHUCK HUNTING: The use of rifles is excluded from all State Parks, Forests, and Recreation Areas.

OPOSSUM & RACCOON HUNTING: Hunting season dates which were omitted in Code have been restored (October 1 to March 1).

DEER HUNTING:
1 - Antler point restrictions are removed from Deer Management Zone 6 only.

2 - The Earn-A-buck regulation is reduced in Regulation Set 8 (Zones 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 36, 41, 49, 50 and 51) to the first three weeks of the Fall Bow season only. Bank-A-Doe is thereby eliminated.

3 - Regulation Set 8's (Zones 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 36, 41, 49, 50 and 51) early, antlerless-only days of the Permit Shotgun and Permit Muzzleloader seasons are moved from Thanksgiving week to the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after Thanksgiving; the Permit Bow season is added to the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.

4 - Antlered Bag Limit/ Permit Season Changes

The total legal antlered deer bag limit per individual remains the same, at six deer. The number of antlered deer a hunter is allowed to harvest with each hunting license remains the same. Bow license holders are allowed to harvest an antlered deer in both the Fall Bow and Winter Bow seasons; firearm license holders are still allowed to harvest two antlered deer during the Six-day Firearm season or harvest one antlered deer during Six-day Firearm and one antlered deer during the Permit Shotgun season beginning the Wednesday after the Six-day Firearm Season. If a second antlered deer is not taken during the Six-day Firearm Season, a Shotgun Permit holder may purchase a Bonus Shotgun Permit to harvest an antlered deer during the shotgun permit season following the Six-day Firearm season. A supplemental tag to allow a hunter to bag a second antlered deer during the Six-day Firearm season will be issued at the deer check station when a hunter checks in the first deer. This supplemental tag will be valid only for the Six-day Firearm season.

Bow, Muzzleloader, and Shotgun zone-specific permits are now for the harvest of antlerless deer only. If a hunter wishes to pursue and harvest an antlered deer during any of these permit seasons, they must purchase an additional Bonus Bow, Bonus Muzzleloader, or Bonus Shotgun permit (cost $28). Hunters may only purchase a Bonus Shotgun permit for an antlered deer if they did not harvest two antlered deer during the Six-day Firearm season. These Bonus permits are not zone specific and can be used in any zone for which the hunter already has an antlerless zone permit. The Bonus permit may NOT be used in a zone in which the hunter does not already possess an antlerless zone permit. Hunters may only purchase one Bonus permit per season.

5 - Special Areas Information

A new special area zone is added (Zone 68) in Woodland Township, Burlington County for the Franklin Parker Preserve, a property co-owned and managed by the NJ Conservation Foundation and the NJ Div. of Parks and Forestry.

The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge's Zone 58 is split into two separate zones. The existing Zone 58, north of Route 72 will keep its designation; south of Route 72 is now Zone 70. Zone 57's season structure is changed.

Monmouth Battlefield State Park (Zone 64) adds the Six-day Firearm and Winter Bow seasons; the Permit Shotgun season is moved to coincide with the Six-day season.

Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (Zone 59) is incorporated into the surrounding Zone 63; Supawna Meadows will be open only during all bow seasons and is closed to firearm deer hunting.