Bachelor Bay Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Bachelor Bay Game Land is 2,786 acres of public hunting land in Bertie and Washington counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 1 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 1 antlered buck among them (NCWRC). The Nature Conservancy 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.
Bachelor Bay Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,786 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Bertie County, Washington County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | The Nature Conservancy (2,786 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 1 (1 antlered buck, 0 does) |
| Also on the game land | Bear Management Area: 2,786 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 2,786 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Plymouth (next to it), Roper (5 mi) and Jamesville (8 mi) |
What are the rules on Bachelor Bay Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- (a) Bachelor Bay game land is a Seven Days per Week Area.
- (b) In this game land, deer of either sex may be taken all the open days of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0203, in effect since October 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Bachelor Bay Game Land?
NCWRC reports 1 deer on Bachelor Bay Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 1 in 2024-25 and 1 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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 Bachelor Bay 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 Bachelor Bay Game Land:
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy | 2,786 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Bachelor Bay Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie County | 2,175 | Northeastern | Oct. 17 | 3,085 |
| Washington County | 611 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 934 |
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 Bachelor Bay Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 64, NC 45, NC 32 and NC 308. Nearest towns: Plymouth (next to it), Roper (5 miles), Jamesville (8 miles) and Edenton (10 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Lower Roanoke River Wetlands Game Land (next to it), Bertie County Game Land (5.9 miles), Van Swamp Game Land (8.1 miles) and Chowan Swamp Game Land (9.4 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 Bachelor Bay Game Land?
Bachelor Bay Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0203). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Bachelor Bay Game Land?
NCWRC reports 1 deer taken on Bachelor Bay Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 1 antlered buck, 0 antlerless males and 0 does. The two seasons before: 1 in 2024-25 and 1 in 2023-24.
What county is Bachelor Bay Game Land in?
Bertie County (2,175 acres) and Washington County (611 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Bachelor Bay Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Bertie County (Northeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Washington 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.
Get a North Carolina hunt plan when they open
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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 Bertie County deer harvest Washington County deer harvest