The goal of Chester Township’s controlled hunting program is to manage wildlife on Township owned park preserve and open space areas without excessively conflicting with park users or park neighbors. The specific objective of the controlled deer hunting program is to reduce the population of white-tailed deer on six Township-owned tracts totaling approximately 700 acres, to reduce agricultural crop damage, to reduce motorist collisions with deer, and to restore or improve forest health by reducing over browse of the forest understory. A multi-year controlled hunting program has been designed to decrease the deer herd on these lands to an average of 20 deer per square mile, in a program consistent with state regulations.
In the Township of Chester, we are fortunate to have many acres of preserved parkland. Some of our parkland is managed by Chester Township, some by Morris County, and some by the State of New Jersey. Separate management plans mean that schedules for hunting can differ from park to park.
| Parks | Hunting Dates | Notes |
| Township Parks | ||
|
Township Parks all follow same deer hunting dates. Township parks include: Evans Family Forest Preserve, Tiger Brook Park, MacGregor Preserve, Highlands Ridge Park, Parker Rd. Preserve, and Tannersbrook Preserve. Hunting is for white-tailed deer only, and requires a township permit.
|
Permit bow
Oct. 31–Dec. 24, 26–31, 2020 |
No hunting on Sundays, or on 11/26 and 11/27 (Thanksgiving Holiday), 12/25 (Christmas Day), and 1/1 (New Year’s Holiday). |
| Permit muzzleloader
12/7-12/2020 Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 14, 15, 19–24, 26–31, 2020; Jan. 1–Feb. 13, 2021 |
No hunting on Sundays, or on 12/25 (Christmas Day), and 1/1 (New Year’s Holiday). | |
| Six day firearm
12/7 – 12/12/2020 |
No hunting on Sundays | |
| Permit shotgun
12/7-12/2020 Dec. 16–18, 2020; Jan. 2–Feb. 13, 2021 |
No hunting on Sundays, or on 12/25 (Christmas Day), and 1/1 (New Year’s Holiday). | |
| Winter bow
1/1 – 2/20/2021 |
No hunting on Sundays | |
| County Parks | ||
|
Black River County Park (Kay Environmental Center, Bamboo Brook & Willowwood Arboretum, Knight Allen/Luce )
|
Fall bow
9/12 – 10/30/2020 |
Saturdays permitted
No hunting on Sundays |
| Permit bow
10/31 – 12/24/2020 12/26 – 12/31/2020 |
Saturdays permitted; No hunting on 12/25 (Christmas Day)
No hunting on Sundays |
|
| Winter bow
1/1 – 2/20/2021 |
Saturdays permitted
No hunting on Sundays |
|
| Firearm
12/7, 10, 17/2020 1/7, 1/14/2021 |
park and trails closed | |
|
Mount Paul Memorial County Park
|
Fall bow
9/12 – 10/30/2020 |
Saturdays permittedNo hunting on Sundays |
| Permit bow
10/31 – 12/24/2020 12/26 – 12/31/2020 |
Saturdays permitted; No hunting 12/25
No hunting on Sundays |
|
| Winter bow
1/1 – 2/20/2021 |
Saturdays permitted
No hunting on Sundays |
|
| State Parks | ||
| Hacklebarney State Park; Black River Wildlife Management Area | 9/12/2020 – 2/20/2021 | At Hacklebarney State Park, hunting allowed on 620-acre parcel of land separated from the day use area by the Black River. The hunting area is accessible from three parking areas on Pottersville Road. No hunting 12/25. No firearm hunting on Sundays; limited bow hunting is allowed on Sundays. |
For more information about the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Service’s hunting programs, click here.
For more information about Morris County Parks’ hunting schedule, click here.
******************************************
For information on New Jersey’s black bear hunt, including bear permit availability, and information on past years’ bear harvest results, visit:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.
For the state’s Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/
For more information on black bears, including black bear biology and behavior, and bear safety tips, visit: http://www.njfishandwildlife.