New Jersey Captive Hunting Statutes and Regulations

No Ban: Mammals permitted.

Statute

New Jersey statutes require that a license be obtained by any person "desiring to engage in the business of raising and selling game birds or game animals, or both, in a wholly enclosed area of which he is the owner or lessee, or to have in captivity game birds or game animals..." N.J.S.A. §23:3-29.

An additional license is also required to "operate a commercial pheasant, mallard, quail and partridge shooting preserve..." Id. at §23:3-29d.

Game birds or animals bred or raised in the wholly enclosed area "may be killed in any manner other than shooting, except in the case of deer, which may be killed by shooting, at any time and the carcasses sold for food." Id. at §23:3-31.

Regulation

The Fish and Wildlife Digest provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife contains a summary of rules and management information for wildlife in New Jersey. The Digest specifies that: "hunting for certain species of game birds is allowed on semi-wild and commercial shooting preserve lands that are properly licensed for the taking of such species. These species of game may be hunted on Sunday only on semi-wild or commercial shooting preserve lands...A person may legally hunt on semi-wild or commercial preserves for game species under license during the deer season, but no shot larger than #4 fine may be used...All game taken on semi-wild or commercial preserves must be properly tagged before transport...A one-day license may be issued for hunting on a licensed commercial shooting preserve. This license may be obtained at the shooting preserve and is valid only on the day issued for the species covered by the preserve's license."

A New Jersey Fish and Wildlife official stated that New Jersey does not regulate private game preserves for animals other than game birds. 

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