Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land is 7,548 acres of public hunting land in Pender and New Hanover counties, listed as seven days per week in NCWRC's tract data. Hunters reported 45 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 19 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.
Cape Fear River Wetlands Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 7,548 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Pender County, New Hanover County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (7,548 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 45 (19 antlered bucks, 21 does) |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Northwest (4 mi), Navassa (4 mi) and St. Helena (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land?
Seven Days per Week: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
NCWRC's tract data lists 7,548 acres as Seven Days per Week. Its codified rules have no section of their own for this game land, so the general game land rules apply.
Source: NCWRC game land tracts; NCWRC game land rules, 15A NCAC 10D.
How many deer are taken on Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land?
NCWRC reports 45 deer on Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 42 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 45 | 19 | 5 | 21 |
| 2024-25 | 42 | 16 | 2 | 24 |
| 2023-24 | 37 | 16 | 2 | 19 |
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 Cape Fear River Wetlands 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 Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (9 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 7,548 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pender County | 6,578 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 3,271 |
| New Hanover County | 970 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 183 |
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 Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: I-40, NC 210, US 421 and I-140. Nearest towns: Northwest (4 miles), Navassa (4 miles), St. Helena (4 miles) and Burgaw (5 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Holly Shelter Game Land (1.2 miles), Sutton Lake Game Land (2.7 miles), Angola Bay Game Land (6.9 miles) and Whitehall Plantation 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 Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land?
Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land is a Seven Days per Week. Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land?
NCWRC reports 45 deer taken on Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 19 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males and 21 does. The two seasons before: 42 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2023-24.
What county is Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land in?
Pender County (6,578 acres) and New Hanover County (970 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Pender County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and New Hanover 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
Hunt plans for North Carolina are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, North Carolina included.
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 Pender County deer harvest New Hanover County deer harvest