Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land is 33,672 acres of public hunting land in Bladen County, a Three Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 132 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 64 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). NC Forest Service 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.
Bladen Lakes State Forest Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 33,672 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Bladen County |
| Hunting days | Three Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Forest Service (33,672 acres); NC Wildlife Resources Commission (11 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 132 (64 antlered bucks, 61 does) |
| Also on the game land | Restricted Firearms Zone: 28,741 acres; Safety Zone: 3,031 acres; Restricted Deer Hunting Zone: 1,525 acres; Archery Zone: 374 acres; Bear Management Area: 11 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 33,683 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Elizabethtown (2 mi), White Lake (2 mi) and Garland (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land?
Three Days per Week Area: Hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and New Year's Day, unless the game land's own rule allows other days.
- Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land is a Three 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) Except for blackpowder firearms, rifles larger than .22 caliber rimfire shall not be used.
- (3) On the Singletary Lake Tract, the use of dogs for hunting deer and bear is prohibited.
- (4) Wild turkey hunting on the Singletary Lake Tract is by permit only.
- (5) Camping is allowed on areas posted for camping as specified in Rule .0102 of this Subchapter.
- (6) The use of dogs for pursuing or taking foxes shall be prohibited from February 15 through August 1.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0205, in effect since August 1, 2026. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land?
NCWRC reports 132 deer on Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 125 in 2024-25 and 125 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 132 | 64 | 7 | 61 |
| 2024-25 | 125 | 56 | 11 | 58 |
| 2023-24 | 125 | 74 | 6 | 45 |
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 Bladen Lakes State Forest 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 Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land (9 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Forest Service | 33,672 |
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 11 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bladen County | 33,677 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,597 |
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 Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land?
Highways through the game land: NC 242, US 701 and NC 53. Nearest towns: Elizabethtown (2 miles), White Lake (2 miles), Garland (4 miles) and Dublin (5 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Suggs Mill Pond Game Land (1.2 miles), Whitehall Plantation Game Land (2.1 miles), Columbus County Game Land (10.6 miles) and Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (21.6 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 Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land?
Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land is a Three Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0205). Hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and New Year's Day, unless the game land's own rule allows other days.
How many deer are killed on Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land?
NCWRC reports 132 deer taken on Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 64 antlered bucks, 7 antlerless males and 61 does. The two seasons before: 125 in 2024-25 and 125 in 2023-24.
What county is Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land in?
All of it is in Bladen County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Bladen 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.
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