The 16,704-acre Caswell Game Land has always had a reputation as a top producer of deer. Good road access contributes to hunter success.

In Durham, Granville and Wake counties, Butner-Falls of the Neuse Game Land is an excellent public land for deer hunting. Some of the best access is by boat along the shoreline of Falls Lake, but there are also good road access points.

In District 6, Anson County was tops, with a harvest of 3,448 or 7.7 deer per square mile. In second place was Montgomery County, with a harvest of 2,334 (5.6 per square mile).

The Pee Dee River Game Land in Anson, Montgomery, Richmond and Stanly counties has 6,829 acres of excellent deer hunting along the riverbanks. The Uwharrie National Forest has 50,189 acres in Davidson, Montgomery and Randolph counties. Bowhunters and gun hunters take lots of deer from Uwharrie by stalking and by hunting from portable tree stands.

In District 7, Wilkes County led the harvest with a total of 3,956 or 7.0 deer per square mile, followed by Alleghany County with 2,201 or 15.2 deer per square mile.

NORTH CAROLINA TOP COUNTIES BY DISTRICT
County	Harvest Per Square Mile
District 1
Currituck	7.5
Bertie	6.7
District 2
Pender	4.7
Duplin	4.2
District 3
Northampton	10.2
Halifax	9.8
District 4
Bladen	4.1
Columbus	3.5
District 5
Caswell	8.1
Granville	7.6
District 6
Arson	7.7
Montgomery	5.6
District 7
Alleghany	15.2
Davie	7.2
District 8
Rutherford	4.1
Burke	3.0
District 9
Polk	4.0
Madison	1.1

A combination of agricultural lands and timberlands creates excellent deer habitat in these counties. Most of the deer hunting is done on private lands, with stalking and still-hunting from tree stands the preferred hunting methods. During the early seasons, hunting at orchards is productive.

The Thurmond Chatham Game Land in Wilkes and Alleghany counties is the top draw for public-land deer hunters in District 7. The Thurmond Chatham Game Land has one section that is wedged between two state parks that do not allow hunting and that area of the game land is known for producing lots of deer and some of the better quality deer. Parts of the game land are rugged and therefore difficult to access. But the steep terrain helps hunters who are in good physical shape get away from competition for excellent hunting.

In District 8, Rutherford County had the highest harvest, with 1,613 or 5.1 deer per square mile. Burke County was in second place, with 1,068 or 3.0 deer per square mile.

South Mountains Game Land in Burke, Cleveland, McDowell and Rutherford counties has 20,697 acres of excellent deer hunting. The either-sex season is the conservative season. High hunting pressure keeps the herd in check. However, there are still plenty of deer taken by still-hunters at the game land. In Burke County, the Pisgah National Forest offers excellent deer hunting, especially at the lower elevations where clearcuts make excellent deer habitat. Planted openings and logging roads also create excellent opportunities for still-hunting and stand-hunting. Pisgah extends over 515,271 acres in the mountainous terrain of Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties, giving hunters access to plenty of public hunting land with a good deer herd.

In District 9, Polk County led the harvest with a total of 657 deer or 4.0 per square mile, followed by Madison County, with a harvest of 413 or 1.1 deer per square mile.

Polk County is something of an anomaly for the western region, with lower elevations that allow some agriculture and some river bottomlands that create good deer habitat. Green River Game Land in Henderson and Polk counties has 14,477 acres of good deer habitat by mountain region standards. Access to some of the terrain is difficult, but there are enough entry points for good stalking and stand-hunting. A system of forest roads creates good access to many areas of the Pisgah National Forest in Madison County.

Next Month:
FINDING TROPHY BUCKS