Alligator River Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Alligator River Game Land is 24,439 acres of public hunting land in Tyrrell County, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 40 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 18 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). NC Wildlife Resources Commission owns nearly all of it.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: 15A NCAC 10D as NCWRC adopted it. Harvest: NCWRC's game land reports, 2023-24 to 2025-26. Seasons: NCWRC's 2026-27 dates.
Alligator River Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 24,439 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Tyrrell County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (24,439 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 40 (18 antlered bucks, 19 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 24,439 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Columbia (5 mi), Creswell (14 mi) and Kitty Hawk (18 mi) |
What are the rules on Alligator River Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Alligator River game land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken all the open days of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (2) Bear may only be taken the first Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday of the November Bear Season and the second Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday of the December Bear Season.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0201, in effect since October 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Alligator River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 40 deer on Alligator River Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 31 in 2024-25 and 40 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 40 | 18 | 3 | 19 |
| 2024-25 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | 40 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
Source: NCWRC reported deer harvest by game land, 2023-24 to 2025-26; NCWRC 2024-25 deer harvest by game land; NCWRC 2023-24 deer harvest by game land. NCWRC's 2023-24 report calls antlerless males button bucks.
Who owns Alligator River Game Land?
Game lands are owned by NCWRC or by partners who open their land to public hunting under NCWRC's rules. NCWRC's tract data for Alligator River Game Land (8 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 24,439 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Alligator River Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrrell County | 24,425 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 479 |
Acres measured by FilledTag on NCWRC game land boundaries and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. Zones and dates: NCWRC hunting and trapping season dates, 2026-27. County harvest: NCWRC 2025-26 reported deer harvest by county.
How do you get to Alligator River Game Land?
Highways through the game land: US 64. Nearest towns: Columbia (5 miles), Creswell (14 miles), Kitty Hawk (18 miles) and Southern Shores (19 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Texas Plantation Game Land (next to it), Buckridge Game Land (3.3 miles), Dare Game Land (7.4 miles) and Lantern Acres Game Land (8.1 miles).
On Sundays on game lands, firearm hunting is not allowed between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., deer may not be taken with a firearm while being chased by dogs, and migratory game birds may not be hunted (15A NCAC 10D .0103).
Questions hunters ask
What days can you hunt Alligator River Game Land?
Alligator River Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0201). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Alligator River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 40 deer taken on Alligator River Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 18 antlered bucks, 3 antlerless males and 19 does. The two seasons before: 31 in 2024-25 and 40 in 2023-24.
What county is Alligator River Game Land in?
All of it is in Tyrrell County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Alligator River Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Tyrrell County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17, and it runs to January 1, 2027 (NCWRC 2026-27 season dates). The game land's hunting days still apply.
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Where these numbers come from
- Game land rules: NCWRC game land rules, 15A NCAC 10D. Designations, owners and tracts: NCWRC game land tracts.
- Deer harvest on the game land: NCWRC reported deer harvest by game land, 2023-24 to 2025-26. County harvest: NCWRC 2025-26 reported deer harvest by county.
- Boundary: NCWRC game land boundaries. Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Numbers are copied from NCWRC or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
North Carolina hunting All North Carolina game lands Tyrrell County deer harvest