Goose Creek Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Goose Creek Game Land is 10,376 acres of public hunting land in Beaufort and Pamlico counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 32 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 12 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). NC Wildlife Resources Commission owns 8,208 acres 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.
Goose Creek Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 10,376 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Beaufort County, Pamlico County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Days by tract | Seven Days per Week: 8,326 acres; Permit Only: 2,135 acres |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (8,208 acres); PCS Phosphate Company Inc (2,135 acres); Weatherly Margaret J (72 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 32 (12 antlered bucks, 18 does) |
| Also on the game land | Waterfowl Impoundment: 1,254 acres; Safety Zone: 15 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 10,461 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Vandemere (next to it), Mesic (2 mi) and Stonewall (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Goose Creek Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Goose Creek Game Land is a Seven 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) Except as provided in 15A NCAC 10D .0103(e), waterfowl in posted waterfowl impoundments shall be taken only on the following days:
- (a) the opening and closing days of the applicable waterfowl seasons;
- (b) Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Days; and
- (c) Tuesdays and Saturdays of the applicable waterfowl seasons.
- (3) Beginning on the first open waterfowl season day in October, through the end of all waterfowl seasons, waterfowl hunting is by permit only on the following waterfowl impoundments: Pamlico Point, Campbell Creek, Hunting Creek, Spring Creek, Smith Creek, and Hobucken.
- (4) On Spring Lake, Pamlico Point, and Campbell Creek Waterfowl Impoundments, all activities, except waterfowl hunting on designated waterfowl hunting days and trapping during the trapping season, are restricted to the posted Scouting-only Zone during the period November 1 through March 15.
- (5) Camping is allowed on areas posted for camping as specified in Rule .0102 of this Subchapter.
- (6) Hunting and vehicular access on the Parker Farm Tract is restricted from September 1 through January 1 and April 1 through May 15 to individuals that possess a valid hunting opportunity permit.
- (7) Pursuing or chasing deer or bear with dogs for the purposes of training or hunting is prohibited on the Beaufort County portion north of N.C. 33, except for that portion east of Smith Creek and south of Campbell Creek.
- (8) Bear shall not be harvested on Sunday.
- (9) Hunting for deer, bear, and turkey on the Bates-Bay Tract is by permit only.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0229, in effect since August 1, 2026. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Goose Creek Game Land?
NCWRC reports 32 deer on Goose Creek Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 38 in 2024-25 and 61 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 32 | 12 | 2 | 18 |
| 2024-25 | 38 | 19 | 2 | 17 |
| 2023-24 | 61 | 19 | 5 | 37 |
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 Goose Creek 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 Goose Creek Game Land (20 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 8,208 |
| PCS Phosphate Company Inc | 2,135 |
| Weatherly Margaret J | 72 |
| NC Department of Transportation | 46 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Goose Creek Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County | 6,044 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,746 |
| Pamlico County | 4,419 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 1,063 |
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 Goose Creek Game Land?
Highways through the game land: NC 33 and NC 304. Nearest towns: Vandemere (next to it), Mesic (2 miles), Stonewall (4 miles) and Aurora (4 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Gull Rock Game Land (4.1 miles), Light Ground Pocosin Game Land (7 miles), Pungo River Game Land (12.5 miles) and Carteret County Game Land (13.4 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 Goose Creek Game Land?
Goose Creek Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0229). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Goose Creek Game Land?
NCWRC reports 32 deer taken on Goose Creek Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 12 antlered bucks, 2 antlerless males and 18 does. The two seasons before: 38 in 2024-25 and 61 in 2023-24.
What county is Goose Creek Game Land in?
Beaufort County (6,044 acres) and Pamlico County (4,419 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Goose Creek Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Beaufort County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Pamlico 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.
North Carolina hunting All North Carolina game lands Beaufort County deer harvest Pamlico County deer harvest