While the Garden State is typically less known for its wildlife and outdoor activities, both hunters and anglers are sure to be pleasantly surprised by what this small state has to offer. For hunters, New Jersey has over 750,000 acres of public land. White-tailed deer are the main target of the state, however, other species include turkey, woodcock, rail, snipe, coot, duck, geese, pheasant, as well as numerous small game species. Hunting for black bear is legal in New Jersey, but as of August 2018 all state lands, including forests, parks, recreation areas, historic sites, natural areas, and wildlife management areas (WMA) have remained closed to black bear hunting, and the season has been shortened to two segments, A (in October) and B (in December), which together total only 12 days.
Fishermen can enjoy both freshwater and saltwater fishing in New Jersey. With miles of public streams and rivers, to over 400 publicly accessible lakes, reservoirs, and ponds, there is no shortage of options. Common catches, both freshwater and saltwater, in New Jersey include largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, black crappie, yellow perch, brook trout, striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass, northern kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and bluefin tuna.
