The Outstanding Deer Program annually presents awards for the top qualifying New Jersey deer harvested during the prior year’s hunting seasons.

Qualifying deer harvested during earlier years, with proper documentation, may be entered only for inclusion on the All-time Outstanding Deer List.

Entries can be submitted using the forms below.

Program Rules:

All aspects of the Boone and Crockett Club’s official scoring system are used for this program.

1. No entry fee. Properly licensed hunters, including non-residents, are eligible.

2. Deer must be taken in accordance with the laws and regulations of the State of New Jersey.

3. Entry deadline: All entries must be received by December 1 for the previous year’s hunting season. No exceptions.

4. A 60-day drying period (at normal room temperature with all flesh and membranes removed) is required before scoring. Split or repaired skulls and shed antlers are not eligible.

5. Entry forms (with basic instructions) are available at the bottom of this page for these categories:

Typical and Non-typical White-tailed Deer

200 Pound Buck (180 for youths)

135 Pound Doe (125 for youths)Hunters should first perform a “rough” score measurement to determine if the deer meets the minimum score (see table above) prior to scheduling with an official measurer.

To be entered in the non-typical category, deer must have at least one inch of abnormal antler material which is any point not arising off the top of the main beam. Qualified bucks may be entered in either Antler Category, Weight Category or both.

An entry form (scoresheet, plus hunter and harvest information) can be printed from the list below. Be sure to include a field photo of the hunter and deer.

6. Antlers must be scored by an official measurer certified by either the Boone and Crockett Club or Pope & Young Club. Scoring is by appointment only. A list of official measurers is available. Best to have the rack measured before it is mounted for easier transporting and quicker measuring. Don’t wait!

7. Antlered Category – Entry requirements:

a. Field photo of the hunter with their deer on day of harvest showing a clear view of the rack. All photographs become the property of New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, for any use. Mark the back of the photo with the hunter’s name and address.

b. Completed score form signed by an official measurer.

c. State type of sporting arm used to harvest the deer (vertical bow, crossbow, shotgun, muzzleloader)

8. Weight Category, 200 Pound Buck – Entry requirements:

a. Field photo of the hunter with their deer on day of harvest. All photographs become the property of New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, for any use. Mark the back of the photo with the hunter’s name and address.

b. Completed 200 Pound Buck entry form (180 lbs. for youths) signed by the weighmaster, plus the weight slip from the facility operating the certified scale showing the deer’s field-dressed weight (all organs removed). Deer entered in the 200 Pound Buck category must be weighed on a certified scale and must be witnessed by both the weighmaster and another person other than the applicant. The weighmaster is the person who routinely operates the certified scale. NJ Fish and Wildlife reserves the right to question any witness and examine the scale used for the certified weight. Do not use a truck scale; their large increments may not show a deer’s true weight.

c. State type of sporting arm used to harvest the deer (vertical bow, crossbow, shotgun, muzzleloader)

For certified scale information, see the list of certified scales below.

9. Weight Category, 135 Pound Doe – Entry requirements:

a. Field photo of the hunter with their deer on day of harvest. All photographs become the property of New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, for any use. Mark the back of the photo with the hunter’s name and address.

b. Completed 135 Pound Doe entry form (125 lbs. for youths). Eligible does entered in this category do not require a certified scale but a certified scale is preferred. Field dressed deer (all organs removed) may be weighed at a NJ Fish and Wildlife regional field office with a deer biologist (call ahead for availability) who must witness and record the weight on your entry form or on state letterhead to serve as a weight slip. If outside of business hours or a deer biologist is not available, use a certified scale as for 200 Pound Buck entries detailed above. Fish and Wildlife reserves the right to question any witness and examine the scale used for the weight. Do not use a truck scale; their large increments may not show a deer’s true weight.

c. State type of sporting arm used to harvest the deer (vertical bow, crossbow, shotgun, muzzleloader)

10. Youth Division: The Outstanding Deer Program Youth Division is for hunters ages 10-16 with entry requirements reduced by 10 points (inches) for all Antler categories and a reduction in the Weight categories by 10 or 20 pounds for doe and buck, respectively.

Annual Competition and Awards

Qualified deer harvested during the current hunting seasons (Sept. through Feb.) must have the entry submitted by the following December 1 to be eligible for display at the following year’s Garden State Deer Classic where an awards ceremony will take place.

Antlered Division Awards are presented in the for deer with the largest rack scored under the Boone and Crockett Club measuring system as follows: 1^st , 2^nd and 3^rd places for Typical Archery (also Velvet), Muzzleloader, Shotgun and Crossbow (also Velvet) categories; 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd places for Non-typical Archery (also Velvet), Muzzleloader, Shotgun and Crossbow (also Velvet) categories.

Weight Division Awards are presented in the for the top three heaviest deer with a certified field dressed weight of 200 pounds or more (180 pounds for youths) in the Archery, Muzzleloader, Shotgun and Crossbow categories, and for does 135 pounds or more (125 pounds for youths) in the Archery, Muzzleloader, Shotgun and Crossbow categories.

Note: All deer meeting minimum qualifications will be added to the Outstanding Deer Program All-Time List and need not be a place-winner of the annual competition. See All-time Outstanding Deer List.

Outstanding Deer Taken in Prior Years (Antler Division Only)

Outstanding deer taken prior to the current hunting season and meeting the minimum scores in the Antlered Category are eligible for inclusion on the New Jersey Outstanding Deer All-Time List, provided the legal, New Jersey harvest can be authenticated. Authentication may be based upon, but not limited to, the following:

1. Submission of the Confirmation Number, legal possession seal number or other authentication (may be cross checked)
2. Verification from records maintained by NJ Fish and Wildlife’s Deer Research Project
3. Newspaper clippings.
4. Photographs taken at the time of harvest.
5. Signed statement by the hunter or person submitting the application.
6. Signed statement of individual(s) attesting to the legality of the harvest.

Applications and authentication will be reviewed by the program coordinator. Potential All Time record deer taken in a prior year must be authenticated beyond all reasonable doubt.

All-time Outstanding Deer List

New Jersey Fish and Wildlife maintains a list of all deer which meet the minimum scores designated by the Program coordinators. The list is updated after results of the annual competition are finalized.

**Applications submitted after the deadline (December 1), unresolved incomplete applications, or deer taken in prior years will be included only on the All-Time List (once the application is complete) and are not eligible to participate in the annual Garden State Deer Classic. The Deer Classic honors only those deer taken during the previous hunting season. Entry forms are available below.

Please direct any questions to NJDeerClassic@njdepwptest.net

Send entries to:

135 Pound Doe Club Entry Form
200 Pound Club Entry Form
Typical Deer Entry Form (pdf, 458kb)
Non-typical Deer Entry Form (pdf, 211kb)

List of Official Measurers (pdf, 70kb)
List of Certified Scales (pdf, 115kb)