NEW JERSEY
DEER TRACKING
Find certified blood tracking dog teams and wounded-deer recovery help across the Garden State.
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Find a tracker in your area using the TRAKR app!
TRACKING LAWS* FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Know the rules before you track. These New Jersey laws help ensure ethical recovery, respect for landowners, and the future of our hunting rights.
New Jersey allows certified tracking dogs to be used to search for and recover deer lost by hunters, but the handler must be permitted by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife. State law otherwise prohibits using dogs to hunt, track, search for, or pursue wild deer. The legal exception applies specifically to a certified tracking dog on a lead being used by an authorized handler for wounded-deer recovery.
The dog must remain on a lead during the recovery. New Jersey law does not establish a specific minimum or maximum tracking-lead length, but physical restraint is required. A tracking dog may not be used for other deer-hunting purposes or to pursue healthy deer.
New Jersey requires the tracking team to meet formal certification requirements. NJDEP Fish & Wildlife may issue a Tracking Dog Permit to a handler who possesses a certified tracking dog. The current minimum certification is United Blood Trackers UBT-1 or an equivalent certification from another recognized tracking-dog organization. The handler must also possess a valid New Jersey hunting license for the current year.
NJDEP permits certified tracking-dog teams to conduct daytime or nighttime searches and recoveries during legal deer hunting seasons. Normal deer hunting hours remain one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset, so hunters should not assume that nighttime tracking extends normal deer shooting hours. If a wounded deer is found alive after legal hunting hours, the team should follow the conditions of the tracking permit and current NJDEP guidance regarding dispatch.
New Jersey firearm hunters must wear either a solid daylight-fluorescent-orange cap or an outer garment containing at least 200 square inches of fluorescent orange visible from all sides. Additional orange-display requirements apply to ground blinds during firearm deer seasons. Tracking teams should wear highly visible orange whenever conducting recoveries during active firearm seasons.
Using a tracking dog does not give a hunter or handler permission to enter neighboring property. NJDEP specifically states that when a wounded deer enters property where the hunter does not already have access, landowner permission must be obtained before retrieving the deer.
Thermal drones are not legal for wounded-deer recovery in New Jersey. Current hunting regulations prohibit drones and other unmanned aircraft from being used to hunt or trap wildlife and specifically state that they may not be used to harass, scout, drive, track, retrieve, or rally wildlife. Drone use is also prohibited on New Jersey Wildlife Management Areas.
* Disclaimer: The information provided by TRAKR is intended as a general summary of state tracking laws and regulations and is not legal advice. Because laws and regulations may change, hunters and trackers should always verify current statutes, regulations, and agency guidance before using dogs, drones, or other recovery methods in their state.
Average Deer Tracking Fees in New Jersey
Hunters searching for deer tracking services in New Jersey can find trained blood tracking dog teams to help locate wounded deer. Based on pricing information listed by New Jersey trackers in the TRAKR database, most tracking teams provide their services for free or operate primarily for tips or donations.
-
78% of New Jersey dog tracking teams offer free tracking services or operate primarily for tips or donations.
-
Among New Jersey dog tracking teams that list a fixed or calculable paid fee, the available rate is approximately $150. Because this figure is based on only one qualifying paid-rate listing, there is not yet enough data to establish a dependable statewide average.
-
Drone deer recovery is currently illegal in New Jersey. For that reason, drone recovery rates are not included in this New Jersey pricing analysis.
How New Jersey Deer Tracking Rates Were Calculated
These averages are based on rates and pricing instructions supplied by trackers through their TRAKR profiles.
The rates shown are estimates based on available information and do not represent fixed, required, or recommended prices. TRAKR does not set tracker fees and does not guarantee the accuracy or availability of any listed rate. Individual trackers independently determine their own pricing, service areas, travel charges, deposits, recovery fees, and other terms. New Jersey tracking pricing data last updated August 2026.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DEER TRACKING IN NEW JERSEY
New Jersey may be the most densely populated state in the country, but it also contains remarkably diverse white-tailed deer habitat. Deer occur throughout nearly all of the state outside its most heavily urbanized areas and inhabit hardwood forests, agricultural land, wetlands, suburban woodlots, brushy edges, pine forests, river corridors, and coastal habitats.
Northern New Jersey includes steep hardwood ridges, rocky terrain, wetlands, agricultural valleys, and large forested areas. Central portions of the state contain a mixture of farms, woodlots, suburban cover, river bottoms, and fragmented habitat. Southern New Jersey includes the extensive pine forests, cedar swamps, wetlands, and thick understory associated with the Pine Barrens.
These conditions can make wounded-deer recovery surprisingly difficult. Blood may disappear beneath hardwood leaves, pine needles, sandy soil, standing crops, thick brush, or wetland vegetation. Residential development, roads, fences, property boundaries, and small parcels can further complicate recovery even when the deer has traveled only a short distance.
New Jersey Fish & Wildlife specifically encourages hunters to contact a certified tracking team when a trail becomes difficult. Agency guidance recommends marking the last blood, avoiding walking directly on the trail, backing out after finding an empty bed or bumping the deer, and avoiding grid searches that can destroy visual and scent evidence needed by the tracking dog.
A certified tracking dog can continue following the scent associated with a specific wounded deer when conventional blood trailing is no longer effective.
New Jersey Tracking Dog Regulations
The primary statutory authority is N.J.S.A. 23:4-46 — Use of dogs to track wild deer.
Why New Jersey Allows Tracking Dogs
New Jersey law recognizes that using a controlled, certified dog to recover a specific wounded deer is fundamentally different from using dogs to hunt or chase healthy deer.
For decades, New Jersey law broadly prohibited using dogs to track deer. In 2018, legislation amended N.J.S.A. 23:4-46 to create a specific exception for permitted handlers using certified tracking dogs on leads for wounded-deer recovery.
The change gives hunters an additional opportunity to recover deer when conventional tracking fails while maintaining strict control over how dogs are used. NJDEP describes certified tracking dogs as an important recovery tool and encourages hunters to use them when conditions make deer difficult to locate.
Certification and Training
New Jersey has one of the more structured tracking-dog qualification systems in the United States.
NJDEP Fish & Wildlife requires the handler to obtain a Certified Tracking Dog Permit, and the dog must successfully complete an approved blood-tracking proficiency test before being permitted.
Current published requirements identify United Blood Trackers UBT-1 or American Blood Trackers Association ABTA Started as the minimum certification standard. A photograph of each certified dog must accompany the application, and the handler must possess a valid New Jersey hunting license.
The certification requirement is important because New Jersey does not simply allow any hunter to bring a personal dog into the woods after losing a deer. Both the handler's permit and the dog's certification are part of the legal framework authorizing the recovery.
Interesting Facts About Tracking in New Jersey
-
New Jersey law historically prohibited using dogs to track deer for any reason.
-
The Legislature changed that law through P.L. 2017, Chapter 302, which was approved on January 16, 2018.
-
The law created a specific exception allowing NJDEP-permitted handlers to use certified tracking dogs for wounded-deer recovery.
-
A hunter cannot legally use an uncertified personal dog simply because a deer has been wounded.
-
NJDEP now operates an interactive Certified Tracking Dog Locator that allows hunters to find permitted handlers serving their county.
-
Thermal drones cannot legally be used to track or retrieve wounded deer under current New Jersey regulations.
TRAKR in New Jersey
At this time, New Jersey does not have an official statewide TRAKR Network.
Hunters can still use the TRAKR app to submit a tracking request and connect with available New Jersey-certified tracking dog handlers who provide service in their area.
Because New Jersey requires both an NJDEP-issued tracking permit and an approved certification for the tracking dog, hunters should verify that any handler they select meets current NJDEP Fish & Wildlife requirements.
If you're a New Jersey certified tracking dog handler interested in helping hunters recover wounded deer, TRAKR is actively expanding across the United States and welcomes experienced recovery teams interested in helping build an official New Jersey network.