Dan River Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Dan River Game Land is 1,705 acres of public hunting land in Rockingham County, a Three Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 30 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 16 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.
Dan River Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,705 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Hunting days | Three Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (1,705 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 30 (16 antlered bucks, 11 does) |
| Also on the game land | Safety Zone: 27 acres |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Wentworth (3 mi), Eden (4 mi) and Stoneville (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Dan River 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.
- Dan River game land is a Three Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer hunting is by permit only.
- (2) Wild turkey hunting is by permit only.
- (3) Horseback riding is prohibited except on those areas posted for equestrian use. People age 16 or older horseback riding on this game land must possess a Game Lands license.
- (4) Target shooting is prohibited.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0223, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Dan River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 30 deer on Dan River Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 37 in 2024-25 and 39 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 30 | 16 | 3 | 11 |
| 2024-25 | 37 | 20 | 0 | 17 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 21 | 1 | 17 |
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 Dan River 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 Dan River Game Land (2 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 1,705 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Dan River Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | 1,704 | Central | Nov. 14 | 4,033 |
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 Dan River Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 87, NC 770, NC 14 and NC 700. Nearest towns: Wentworth (3 miles), Eden (4 miles), Stoneville (5 miles) and Mayodan (9 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: R. Wayne Bailey - Caswell Game Land (21 miles), Hill Farm Game Land (30.9 miles), Hyco Game Land (39.7 miles) and Buckhorn Game Land (42 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 Dan River Game Land?
Dan River Game Land is a Three Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0223). 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 Dan River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 30 deer taken on Dan River Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks, 3 antlerless males and 11 does. The two seasons before: 37 in 2024-25 and 39 in 2023-24.
What county is Dan River Game Land in?
All of it is in Rockingham County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Dan River Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Rockingham 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.
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 Rockingham County deer harvest