Buffalo Cove Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Buffalo Cove Game Land is 7,030 acres of public hunting land in Caldwell and Wilkes counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 14 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 9 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.
Buffalo Cove Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 7,030 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Caldwell County, Wilkes County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (7,030 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 14 (9 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 7,030 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Blowing Rock (4 mi), Cedar Rock (7 mi) and Lenoir (8 mi) |
What are the rules on Buffalo Cove Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Buffalo Cove game land is a Seven Days per Week Area. The following shall apply:
- (1) The Deer With Visible Antlers Season begins on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day through January 1. Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken with archery equipment beginning the Saturday on or nearest September 10 through the day immediately preceding the Blackpowder Firearms Season described in this Rule. Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken with blackpowder firearms beginning two Saturdays preceding the first day of the open season for Deer With Visible Antlers described in this Rule through the second Friday thereafter.
- (2) Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken the first open Saturday of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (3) Horseback riding is prohibited except on designated trails May 16 through August 31 and horseback riding is prohibited from September 1 through May 15.
- (4) Target shooting is prohibited.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0209, in effect since October 1, 2024. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Buffalo Cove Game Land?
NCWRC reports 14 deer on Buffalo Cove Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 9 in 2024-25 and 7 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
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 Buffalo Cove 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 Buffalo Cove Game Land (6 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 7,030 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Buffalo Cove Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell County | 6,674 | Western | Nov. 28 | 1,668 |
| Wilkes County | 357 | Northwestern CWD Management Area | Nov. 14 | 3,328 |
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 Buffalo Cove Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 321, NC 268, US 221 and NC 90. Nearest towns: Blowing Rock (4 miles), Cedar Rock (7 miles), Lenoir (8 miles) and Boone (8 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Pisgah Game Land (next to it), Kerr Scott Game Land (8.5 miles) and Little Fork State Forest Game Land (10.8 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 Buffalo Cove Game Land?
Buffalo Cove Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0209). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Buffalo Cove Game Land?
NCWRC reports 14 deer taken on Buffalo Cove Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 9 antlered bucks, 1 antlerless male and 4 does. The two seasons before: 9 in 2024-25 and 7 in 2023-24.
What county is Buffalo Cove Game Land in?
Caldwell County (6,674 acres) and Wilkes County (357 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Buffalo Cove Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Caldwell County (Western zone) opens gun season Nov. 28 and Wilkes County (Northwestern CWD Management Area zone) opens gun season Nov. 14, 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 Caldwell County deer harvest Wilkes County deer harvest