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Northeast

Uniform statewide

Peak rut dates in New Jersey.

New Jersey's rut peaks early — November 5–15 — with surprisingly little zone variation across the state.

Peak breeding window: Nov 4 – Nov 13 → Nov 8 – Nov 17

Rut phases by zone

Pre-rut, peak, post-rut, late.

Peak Breeding column is highlighted — that's when most does are in estrus.

  • Zone

    Southern (Pine Barrens / Coastal)

    Peak breeding

    Nov 4 – Nov 13

    Pre-rut

    Oct 22 – Nov 3

    Post-rut

    Nov 14 – Nov 27

    Late rut

    Dec 2 – Dec 15

  • Zone

    Central New Jersey

    Peak breeding

    Nov 6 – Nov 15

    Pre-rut

    Oct 24 – Nov 5

    Post-rut

    Nov 16 – Nov 29

    Late rut

    Dec 4 – Dec 17

  • Zone

    Northern New Jersey

    Peak breeding

    Nov 8 – Nov 17

    Pre-rut

    Oct 26 – Nov 7

    Post-rut

    Nov 18 – Dec 1

    Late rut

    Dec 6 – Dec 19

What drives the rut here

New Jersey's whitetail rut peaks slightly earlier than most surrounding northeastern states, clustering in the first half of November. The Pine Barrens and southern zones peak first, with the more forested northern zones running a few days later. NJ Fish & Wildlife publishes rut data through its annual deer harvest analysis.

Sources

Data sourced from NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Wildlife Management deer-program reports.

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

Last verified June 10, 2026

Writers and biologists are welcome to cite these windows. Link to this page so readers get the current numbers — agencies revise, and we keep up.

Always verify with the official agency before basing planning decisions on this page. Peak windows shift year to year.

Get rut intel for your specific land.

State-wide windows are a starting point. Bield: Hunt logs every sit, observation, and condition on your property — and turns three seasons of your data into patterns no generic calendar can match.

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Rut timing in nearby states · Northeast

All states with published data