Chatham Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Chatham Game Land is 2,671 acres of public hunting land in Chatham County, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 68 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 35 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). Duke Energy Progress 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.
Chatham Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,671 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | Duke Energy Progress (2,671 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 68 (35 antlered bucks, 28 does) |
| Also on the game land | Safety Zone: 553 acres |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Broadway (6 mi), Sanford (9 mi) and Holly Springs (10 mi) |
What are the rules on Chatham Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Chatham game land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken the first open day of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season through the second Friday thereafter.
- (2) Horseback riding, including all equine species, is allowed seven days per week from May 16 through August 31, and on Sundays only September 1 through May 15.
- (3) The use of bicycles is restricted, except for hunters engaged in the act of hunting during the open days of the seasons for game birds and game animals.
- (4) Target shooting is prohibited.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0216, in effect since August 1, 2024. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Chatham Game Land?
NCWRC reports 68 deer on Chatham Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 57 in 2024-25 and 61 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 68 | 35 | 5 | 28 |
| 2024-25 | 57 | 24 | 3 | 30 |
| 2023-24 | 61 | 29 | 2 | 30 |
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 Chatham 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 Chatham Game Land:
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress | 2,671 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Chatham Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | 2,672 | Central | Nov. 14 | 2,481 |
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 Chatham Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 1 and NC 42. Nearest towns: Broadway (6 miles), Sanford (9 miles), Holly Springs (10 miles) and Pittsboro (11 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Harris Game Land (next to it), Lee Game Land (next to it), Jordan Game Land (3 miles) and Rhodes Pond Game Land (26.5 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 Chatham Game Land?
Chatham Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0216). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Chatham Game Land?
NCWRC reports 68 deer taken on Chatham Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 35 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males and 28 does. The two seasons before: 57 in 2024-25 and 61 in 2023-24.
What county is Chatham Game Land in?
All of it is in Chatham County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Chatham Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Chatham County (Central 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.
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