Hunting in North Jersey / Bergen County

Any North Jersey hunter will tell you that theres nowhere to hunt in the North Eastern area of the state. A common misconception is that there is no hunt-able public land and that restrictions and regulations prohibit hunting in the area. 

While this is mostly true for much of the North Eastern parts of the state, particularly Bergen County and areas bordering New York City. This pretty much boils down to the obvious issue with hunting in a densely populated area. While Bergen County towns probably hold some of the highest percentage of white tail deer per capita in the state, the townships, understandably so do not want to front the liability for any accidents causes by interactions between hunters and the general public.

Culling programs:

Some townships have historically offered deer culling programs through the United Bowhunters of New Jersey, many of those programs have since shut down. Saddle River Township had recently voted to reinstate their culling program for the 2024/2025 season. However some townships such as River Vale have continually voted against it. Some long standing programs still exist, such as the Morris County Parks White Tail Deer hunting program which offers hunters access to select parks in their County park system to hunt during the regular season. 

Public Land in the Bergen County area:

 You can hunt in area's right on the border of Bergen county. The only true public land in Bergen County is in the area of Ringwood State park in Ringwood, NJ. While hunting for game such as White Tail deer and Turkey are legal in the allotted confines of the state park, the area can be difficult to hunt due to its mountainous terrain and thick brush areas. 

Another hunting spot located very close to Ringwood State Park is Longpond Iron Works State park and the Monksville Reservoir. Longpond Ironworks covers very large swaths of land that includes plenty of flatter land with good cover and healthy trees. 

In summary, there are places to hunt in Bergen County and I believe more will open up as the laws shift in the hunters favor.