The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has announced that there will be no Special Area Deer Management Zone Permit Lottery as in past years. This is in response to a decrease in the demand for these permits.

Instead, permits will be available for limited time on a first come, first served basis beginning 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7 at any license agent or on-line. Permits for all other zones go on sale on Tuesday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m.

Removing the lottery will streamline the process, making it much more convenient for all hunters. Additional benefits include no longer having to wait to determe the status of an application. Hunters should note that most Special Area Permits will only be available for sale for a limited period of time. It is the hunter's responsibility to pay attention to all deadlines. Exceptions cannot be made.

Special Area Deer Management Zone Information:

Special Areas Deer Management Zones include federal military installations, certain state and county parks and national wildlife refuges. Special Area Zones include: 37, 38, 54, 56, 57, 58, 61, 64, 66 and 70. Some of these zones have specific qualifying criteria which hunters must meet before obtaining a permit. Certain zones are not open to the public. It is the hunter's responsibility to verify property access prior to purchasing a permit.

Permits for Atlantic County Park System (Zone 61), Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (Zones 56, 57, 58 and 70) and Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Zone 38) will be only be available until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Septmber 28.

Permits for Monmouth Battlefield State Park (Zone 64) will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 15.

Permits for Fort Dix (Zone 37), Picatinny Arsenal (Zone 54) and the Federal Aviation Administration's William J. Hughes Technical Center (Zone 66) will remain available until the season ends or the permit quota is reached.

Complete details will be available in the 2010 Hunting Issue of the Fish and Wildlife Digest, available the week of August 9 at license agents and this web site.