Elk Knob Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Elk Knob Game Land is 721 acres of public hunting land in Watauga County, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 11 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 6 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). Len Moretz 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.
Elk Knob Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 721 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Watauga County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | Len Moretz (721 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 11 (6 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 721 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Boone (7 mi), Beech Mountain (12 mi) and West Jefferson (12 mi) |
What are the rules on Elk Knob Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- (a) Elk Knob game land is a Seven Days per Week Area.
- (b) At this game land deer of either sex may be taken the first open day of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season through the first Friday thereafter.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0227, in effect since October 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Elk Knob Game Land?
NCWRC reports 11 deer on Elk Knob Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 15 in 2024-25 and 16 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
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 Elk Knob 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 Elk Knob Game Land:
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| Len Moretz | 721 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Elk Knob Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga County | 721 | Northwestern | Nov. 21 | 2,142 |
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 Elk Knob Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 194, NC 88 and US 421. Nearest towns: Boone (7 miles), Beech Mountain (12 miles), West Jefferson (12 miles) and Seven Devils (12 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Three Top Mountain Game Land (6.9 miles), Pisgah Game Land (11.8 miles), Pond Mountain Game Land (13.4 miles) and Buffalo Cove Game Land (14.6 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 Elk Knob Game Land?
Elk Knob Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0227). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Elk Knob Game Land?
NCWRC reports 11 deer taken on Elk Knob Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 6 antlered bucks, 1 antlerless male and 4 does. The two seasons before: 15 in 2024-25 and 16 in 2023-24.
What county is Elk Knob Game Land in?
All of it is in Watauga County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Elk Knob Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Watauga County (Northwestern zone) opens gun season Nov. 21, 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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