NOTE: Deer Must Still Be Physically Tagged Although harvest reporting is done via the web or phone, hunters are still required to immediately fill out the Harvest Report stub that is part of the license or permit. The Harvest Report stub should remain attached to the license and is not to be used as a tag. Hunters are required to tag the deer before transporting it. The tag must include the hunter's CID#, harvest location, antler points if applicable, and confirmation number if registered. Make your own tag or use the Deer Harvest Report Card, found on page 25 in the 2019 Hunting & Trapping Digest and here (pdf, 120kb). Hunters making their own tag or using the Deer Harvest Report Card can use clear packing tape to laminate the tag, and cut a small hole for affixing to the deer. Using a fine point permanent marker will create a durable, waterproof tag. The tag may be pinned or tied to the deer's ear or leg. Cut slit in skin between hock tendon and leg bone above the ankle joint to fasten the tag with sturdy string or a zip tie. Check often that the tag has remained attached while dragging out the deer.

NOTE: Hunters are required to tag all deer upon harvest and before transporting deer.
Hunters may use the Deer Harvest Report Card (pdf, 120kb) or make their own.
See page 30 in the 2020-21 Hunting and Trapping Digest for more information.

Automated Harvest Report System FAQs

There are two ways to report deer:

• call the toll-free number: 855-I-HUNT-NJ (855-448-6865)
• online at: www.nj.wildlifelicense.com.

To report your deer the following information is needed:

• Conservation ID Number (CID#).
• Harvest Number from license or permit (click for example)
• Deer Management Zone (DMZ).
• Deer Management Unit (DMU) (optional)
• County
• Township (optional)
• Deer Information (gender, antler points if adult male)
• Property Information (federal, state, county, municipal or private)

Know your hunting location details before you go hunting to speed the harvest report process. Keep this information with you while hunting to report a deer from the field via phone or mobile device.

Upon harvesting a deer the harvest information should be entered on the license or permit and a tag affixed to the deer. The tag should include the hunter's CID#, date and zone of harvest, antler points and confirmation number if applicable. All hunters, including youth hunters and farmers, can print and use the Deer Harvest Report Card (pdf, 120kb) to record harvest information. The card is also on page 25 in the 2020-21 Hunting and Trapping Digest

DMZ information can be found on the Deer Zone Map or with the DMZ Boundary Descriptions. Hunters should use the NJ Hunting and Trapping Explorer for complete location information before heading afield.

USING THE NJ HUNTING & TRAPPING EXPLORER FOR HARVEST LOCATION INFORMATION Identifying your hunting location information is easy with the NJ Hunting and Trapping Explorer To learn about the new features and how to use them, see the NJ Hunting and Trapping Explorer User Guide (pdf, 215kb). Hunters are encouraged to use the viewer to obtain the information necessary to report a deer with the AHRS and help Fish and Wildlife's deer management efforts. Note that the Explorer is for reference only. All state, county, municipal and federally-owned open space shown is not necessarily open for hunting. Consult the property owner for any restrictions. Federal and municipal open space is not identified on the map.

Each deer reported through the AHRS is assigned a Confirmation Number as a permanent record. This number should be recorded in the space on your license or permit (click for example) and on the tag affixed to the deer. This number should be retained as long as venison or any parts or mount of the deer remain in a hunter's possession.

Hunters may report a deer without the Deer Management Unit and township information. However, Fish and Wildlife strongly requests that hunters make every effort to report this information as it is a valuable decision-making tool for developing deer management strategies and hunting season regulations. If this harvest information is determined after reporting a deer, please call the regional deer biologist listed below.

If a deer is taken to a butcher or taxidermist, it should be labeled with its Confirmation Number. If transporting more than one deer, or while at a hunting camp with multiple deer, each deer should be tagged with its unique Confirmation Number to verify legal harvest.

FOR ASSISTANCE

Contact the biologist for the county where the deer was harvested in. If leaving a voicemail, providing an e-mail address will expedite a response. Callers MUST provide their CID#, Confirmation Number (if available), reason for call, and DAYTIME phone number.

North: 609-259-7954
   (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties)
South: 609-748-2043
   (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties)

NOTE: Upon request from a state conservation officer and within 48 hours after reporting a deer harvest, a hunter may be required to produce the head of the deer, or to direct a law enforcement officer to the butcher or taxidermist who has possession of the head.

YOUTH HUNTER INFORMATION

Youth hunters with a Youth Hunting License do not need a Harvest Number to report a deer harvested on Youth Hunting Days and non-permit seasons. (All permits will have a Harvest Number.) Youth hunters should utilize the Deer Harvest Report Card (pdf, 120kb) to record information about their hunting area information prior to hunting, and to record the Confirmation Number assigned upon reporting a deer via the AHRS. All deer must be tagged upon harvest with the printed or a handmade card.

FARMER INFORMATION

All hunters with "Farmer" status MUST have a Conservation ID Number (CID#), obtained free at license agents or online at www.NJ.WildlifeLicense.com.

Farmers who receive free Farmer Deer, Bear or Turkey Permits, or have purchased a fishing or hunting license since 2006, already have a CID# which appears on the licenses/permits. The CID# must be used to report deer via the Automated Harvest Report System.

Farmers hunting their property without a license do not need a Harvest Number to report a deer harvested on non-permit seasons (all permits will have a Harvest Number). Farmers should utilize the Deer Harvest Report Card (pdf, 120kb) to record information about their hunting area information prior to hunting, and to record the Confirmation Number assigned upon reporting a deer via the AHRS.

Occupant Farmers that have not taken advantage of the free Farmer Permit Program for Deer and Turkey may not yet have a Conservation ID Number. Occupant Farmers who do not have a CID# must create a customer profile to generate a CID# and print a CID card through the online license site at www.NJ.WildlifeLicense.com.

Occupant Farmer instructions for creating a customer profile and obtaining a CID Number:

1. Go to the internet license sales site (safe and secure website) at www.NJ.WildlifeLicense.com
2. Click 'Start Here' button at bottom of page
3. Select Social Security Number to log in.
4. Input the required personal information.
5. Scroll down to the selection buttons and click on 'Print Identification Card'. An identification card with a 9-digit Conservation ID Number (CID#) will appear for printing. The CID# is a unique lifetime number that will appear on all future licenses and permits and must be used for all future harvest reporting.