Dare Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Dare Game Land is 46,055 acres of public hunting land in Dare and Hyde counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 20 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 9 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). US Air Force 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.
Dare Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 46,055 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Dare County, Hyde County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | US Air Force (46,055 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 20 (9 antlered bucks, 10 does) |
| Also on the game land | Bear Management Area: 41,459 acres; Safety Zone: 4,595 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 46,055 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Manteo (12 mi), Nags Head (16 mi) and Columbia (19 mi) |
What are the rules on Dare Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Dare game land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken the first open day of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season through the first Friday thereafter.
- (2) No hunting is allowed on posted parts of bombing range.
- (3) The use and training of dogs is prohibited from March 1 through June 30.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0224, in effect since October 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Dare Game Land?
NCWRC reports 20 deer on Dare Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 25 in 2024-25 and 29 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| 2024-25 | 25 | 14 | 1 | 10 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 11 |
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 Dare 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 Dare Game Land:
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| US Air Force | 46,055 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Dare Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dare County | 45,420 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 103 |
| Hyde County | 644 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 955 |
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 Dare Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 264. Nearest towns: Manteo (12 miles), Nags Head (16 miles), Columbia (19 miles) and Kill Devil Hills (20 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Buckridge Game Land (2.6 miles), Gull Rock Game Land (2.9 miles), Alligator River Game Land (7.4 miles) and New Lake Game Land (11.5 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 Dare Game Land?
Dare Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0224). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Dare Game Land?
NCWRC reports 20 deer taken on Dare Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 9 antlered bucks, 1 antlerless male and 10 does. The two seasons before: 25 in 2024-25 and 29 in 2023-24.
What county is Dare Game Land in?
Dare County (45,420 acres) and Hyde County (644 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Dare Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Dare County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Hyde 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
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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 Dare County deer harvest Hyde County deer harvest