Official Site of The State of New Jersey
The Division of Fish and Wildlife has introduced a plan for landowners in specified Deer Management Zones (DMZ) to better cope with undesirable deer densities on their properties. It is the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) and will utilize current hunting season regulations to remove additional antlerless deer. DMAP became available with the 2009-10 deer seasons.
DMAP is for landowners or administrative agencies/organizations that can not adequately manage the deer population on their property within the available deer season structure in those deer management zones with restricted bag limits. An example of this situation would be a farm suffering extensive damage which is surrounded by land with a more conservative deer season structure. County parks or suburbanized communities within conservative Deer Management Zones may want to use the program as an alternative to hiring culling agents under a Community Based Deer Management Permit.
DMAP is valid ONLY in Deer Management Zones in Regulation Sets 0, 1, 2, and 3 (Zones 1, 3, 4, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 30, 34, 43, 45, 46, 55, and 65 ONLY) where antlerless bag limits are restricted.
The Deer Management Assistance Program is not available in DMZs with unlimited antlerless bag limits. Applicants experiencing agricultural, ecological or property damage caused by deer, or high numbers of deer-vehicle collisions in zones with antlerless bag limits of one or two deer may request assistance from the Division through the DMAP.
Under the program the Division will sell special site-specific DMAP antlerless permits to hunters listed on the DMAP property application to enable them to harvest additional antlerless deer during the permit seasons. Permits may be purchased by the named hunter(s) at select Fish and Wildlife offices or by mail after the landowner’s/manager’s application is approved. Hunters may not submit a program application, only landowners/managers.
Hunters must be chosen by the program applicant and listed by name on the application. Fish and Wildlife does not match hunters with landowners/managers. DMAP permits are NOT available at license agents. DMAP permits may be paid for by check or money order for the exact amount ONLY, made payable to the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife. Cash and credit cards are NOT accepted.
Assistance through the DMAP program will only be available to those applicants who can demonstrate that all existing avenues of management under current regulations are being utilized and deer management goals cannot be met. It shall be the applicant’s responsibility to obtain participating hunters to utilize the DMAP permits.
ach DMAP permit will be allow for the harvest of two additional antlerless deer only, in the season open at time of harvest, on the specified property only. DMAP hunters must have a current and valid hunting license and season permit. Farmers and their immediate family will be issued one DMAP permit without charge. Current season bag limits must have already been filled on the season permit before a hunter can use the special DMAP permit.
Eligible properties may include county, municipal or private lands. The application shall describe the nature and extent of the damage incurred and include a site map with block and lot numbers. Proposed properties must include a contiguous area of 10 acres or more. The application must include the stated problem, the desired management goal and information on past measures taken to meet the goal, including deer harvest information for the last three years. The regional deer biologist will review the application, work with the applicant to develop a management plan and make a recommendation for approval if applicable.
Qualified applicants participating in DMAP receive a limited number of permits, based on acreage. The applicant selects hunters, who then purchase the available permits from the Division. Permits are issued at a rate of one for every 10 acres. DMAP permits will cost $28 each ($12 for youth hunters). Up to two DMAP permits may be issued per hunter. Unused DMAP permits may carry over to the next permit season for that hunting year.
The applicant shall complete an annual Harvest Record which shall include the number of deer harvested, sex of deer, tooth or jawbone of harvested deer, number of antler points, antler beam diameter, weights, and female reproductive data. Failure to submit a Harvest Record will result in disqualification of the applicant or participating hunter from the DMAP program.
See the DMAP regulations and application links below for more details.
