Columbus County Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Columbus County Game Land is 10,744 acres of public hunting land in Columbus and Brunswick counties, a Four Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 55 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 28 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.
Columbus County Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 10,744 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Columbus County, Brunswick County |
| Hunting days | Four Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (10,744 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 55 (28 antlered bucks, 25 does) |
| Also on the game land | Bear Management Area: 10,744 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 10,744 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Bolton (next to it), Lake Waccamaw (2 mi) and Carolina Shores (6 mi) |
What are the rules on Columbus County Game Land?
Four Days per Week Area: Hunting on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day, Veterans Day, Christmas, New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Columbus County game land is a Four Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken on all the open days of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (2) Deer hunting on the Campbell Tract shall be by permit only.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0220, in effect since October 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Columbus County Game Land?
NCWRC reports 55 deer on Columbus County Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 50 in 2024-25 and 72 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 55 | 28 | 2 | 25 |
| 2024-25 | 50 | 28 | 3 | 19 |
| 2023-24 | 72 | 31 | 2 | 39 |
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 Columbus County 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 Columbus County Game Land (11 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 10,744 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Columbus County Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus County | 9,609 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,921 |
| Brunswick County | 1,134 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,141 |
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 Columbus County Game Land?
Highways through the game land: US 74, US 76 and NC 214. Nearest towns: Bolton (next to it), Lake Waccamaw (2 miles), Carolina Shores (6 miles) and Clarkton (7 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Juniper Creek Game Land (next to it), Whitehall Plantation Game Land (7.4 miles), Bladen Lakes State Forest Game Land (10.6 miles) and Green Swamp Game Land (10.9 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 Columbus County Game Land?
Columbus County Game Land is a Four Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0220). Hunting on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day, Veterans Day, Christmas, New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
How many deer are killed on Columbus County Game Land?
NCWRC reports 55 deer taken on Columbus County Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 28 antlered bucks, 2 antlerless males and 25 does. The two seasons before: 50 in 2024-25 and 72 in 2023-24.
What county is Columbus County Game Land in?
Columbus County (9,609 acres) and Brunswick County (1,134 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Columbus County Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Columbus County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Brunswick 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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