Mission Statement

The objective of the UBNJ Deer Management program for any Private, Township, County or State owned properties and the goal of the United Bowhunters of New Jersey members is to address the overpopulation of whitetail deer by reducing and maintaining the number of whitetail deer on these properties to a manageable healthy herd level so that their numbers do not impact injury, illness or damage to persons, property or habitats by way of our legal, ethical, safe and very effective hunting methods.

UBNJ Deer Management Program Overview

The United Bowhunters of New Jersey currently has a Deer Management Assistance Program and has been very involved with projects throughout New Jersey concerning the over population of whitetail deer. We work closely with the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife on all of our Bowhunting Deer Management Programs and are the only State Hunting Organization named in the NJ State Community Based Deer Management law. We are an alternative to sniper and net-bolt culling companies that cost thousands of dollars and cause public relation problems. UBNJ and its members are fully insured on all Hunts we administer as long as they are exclusive to UBNJ’s current individual membership. Our members are highly skilled bowhunters and pass safety & proficiency orientations that are mandatory for all our hunts.          

In the past UBNJ has worked with the Atlantic County Park System and was very instrumental in establishing the current deer management program that has been in place for approximately 20 years. We are currently involved with numerous Townships and Agencies that have an overpopulation of deer. PSE&G nuclear plant in Salem County; the New Jersey Conservation Foundation Burden Hill Preserve in Quinton Twp., Salem County; Princeton Township Park Lands Mercer County; Mountain Lakes Twp. lands; Blair Creek Preserve, Warren County and numerous others are just a few that utilize UBNJ members to hunt the over abundance of deer in their areas.

 We recently entered into agreements with and or were instrumental in the planning set up and administration of management hunts with multiple conservation organizations across the State: New Jersey Conservation Foundation, NJ Natural Lands Trust, Nature Conservancy, Ridge & Valley Conservancy and the NJ Audubon Society.        

The UBNJ has entered into a deer management agreement with the National Audubon Society specifically of NJ since the 2006 – 2007 archery deer seasons. The UBNJ will be permitted to archery hunt multiple properties totaling approx. 1500 acres of the Societies 3000 plus acres owned in NJ. These lands were closed to hunting prior and the program will be expanded to the additional acreage in the years to come.

 Here are some of the highlights of our program:

• Developed 30 Rules and Regulations with a zero tolerance objective. These are above and beyond NJ’s Hunting laws
• Firearm Identification Card required for all hunters
• Hunt Managers and Monitors for each location to manage process
• Reports on all deer harvests by location
• Minimum of one mature antlerless deer must be taken as first deer
• Donation of venison to food banks
• Hunt from an elevated position only
• Mandatory Hunter proficiency testing

In closing, while it is certainly possible for a property owner to find a bowhunter who is skilled, experienced and ethical, it is not easy to be confident in your choice until you can assess results. When choosing the United Bowhunters of New Jersey and their Deer Management program, you are choosing an organization that trains and qualifies bowhunters specifically for private and corporate owned deer management hunting. We verify member safety training and experience; test their shooting skills; interview each bowhunter individually, asking questions based on bowhunting ethics, skills and knowledge; require each bowhunter to attend an orientation that sensitizes them to the unique problems of hunting within these settings; provide insurance and written agreements to reduce any misunderstanding; and finally, UBNJ continues to monitor the performance of each bowhunter and the satisfaction of the property owner.  And all of this is FREE to the property owner. UBNJ is a unique bowhunting organization that promotes shared skills & experiences through team effort and herd management vs. trophy buck hunting.

For further information on how UBNJ can help with your deer management problems, you can contact the UBNJ Deer Management Program Director Jack Spoto at (973) 820-3364 or one of the Region VP.