Monday - Friday
8:30 - 4:30
P: (908) 534-4051
F: (908) 534-5909
509 Route 523
Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889
Monday - Friday
8:30 - 4:30
P: (908) 534-4051
F: (908) 534-5909
509 Route 523
Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889
Deer Management Program Now Accepting Applications for the 2026-2027 Season!
Hunting Club Bids Open
pdf Hunting Club Notice to Bid, due June 24, 2026 at 11:00 am(1.31 MB)
Deer Management Program Information
The Readington Township Deer Management Program is accepting applications for the upcoming 2026-2027 NJ deer hunting season to help manage Readington's overpopulated deer herd. Applications are due June 12th at 4:30 pm.
Questions? Please call Amanda at 908-534-4051 Ext 269 or email
Readington's deer management program is currently accepting applications for the upcoming 2026–27 NJ deer hunting seasons to help manage Readington's overpopulated deer herd.
- Help manage the herd
- Quota based hunting
- Maintain healthy habitats
- Promote forest regeneration
- Mitigate tick-borne disease spread
- Reduce deer/vehicle collisions
- Venison donations through Hunters Helping the Hungry
- Safe/vetted community hunters
- Balance & maintain ecosystem health
Applications Due June 12th!
General Requirements
- At least 18 years old
- $100 application fee
- Complete and submit application to Readington Twp.
- Criminal & Fish and Wildlife background check
- $1MM insurance coverage policy per hunter
Download a PDF version of the Deer Management Program flyer.
The deer management fact sheet can be found below.
Deer Management Fact Sheet
Readington Township has historically managed deer through hunting on certain Township properties. Due to lack of awareness and hunter involvement, over time, Readington's deer herd has grown to environmentally unsustainable levels. In 2019, the Readington Deer Management Program was created to actively manage the deer on Township-owned properties. Since then, the program has begun to effectively lower deer populations within Readington to more environmentally sustainable levels while increasing awareness on deer management methods, public safety, and community involvement.
Readington hunters are encouraged to donate deer harvests to Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH), a local 501(c)(3) organization that supplies local community food pantries with venison. From 2022–2026, Readington's program hunters donated 225 deer, which equates to approximately 6,750 lbs of venison and over 27,000 servings!
Hunters in the program consist of volunteer community members from Readington, Hunterdon County, and New Jersey. Through application and bid fees, this program provides a safe, effective deer management strategy at zero cost to our Township. If interested in helping with the deer overpopulation issue, please contact Readington's Wildlife Advisory Subcommittee.
Current Readington deer density estimates = 103 deer per sq. mile (2023). Healthy ecosystems can support 10–15 deer per sq. mile.
Almost 2,000 acres of Township Open Space are actively hunted from September through February as part of the program.
Since 2015, hunting clubs and vetted individual hunters have harvested more than 2,600 deer as part of the RDMP.
All hunting clubs and individual hunters are vetted through the Readington Police Department.
All program hunters are required to complete an annual safety orientation prior to the start of each hunting season.