Green Swamp Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Green Swamp Game Land is 18,577 acres of public hunting land in Brunswick County, a Six Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 92 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 33 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). The Nature Conservancy owns 15,449 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.
Green Swamp Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 18,577 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Brunswick County |
| Hunting days | Six Days per Week Area |
| Days by tract | Six Days per Week: 17,890 acres; Three Days per Week: 427 acres; Permit Only: 261 acres |
| Owner | The Nature Conservancy (15,449 acres); NC Wildlife Resources Commission (3,128 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 92 (33 antlered bucks, 55 does) |
| Also on the game land | Bear Management Area: 15,449 acres; Archery Zone: 901 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 18,577 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Southport (3 mi), Bolivia (3 mi) and Boiling Spring Lakes (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Green Swamp Game Land?
Six Days per Week Area: Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
- Green Swamp game land is a Six 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) On that portion north of Big Macedonia Road, east of Makatoka Road, south of Little Macedonia Road, and west of Green Swamp Road, hunting and trapping is by permit only.
- (3) Pursuing or chasing deer or bear with dogs for the purposes of training or hunting is prohibited on that portion of the game land that is north of Big Macedonia Road, east of Makatoka Road, south of Little Macedonia Road, and west of Green Swamp Road.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0231, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Green Swamp Game Land?
NCWRC reports 92 deer on Green Swamp Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 64 in 2024-25 and 29 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 92 | 33 | 4 | 55 |
| 2024-25 | 64 | 36 | 3 | 25 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | 19 | 0 | 10 |
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 Green Swamp 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 Green Swamp Game Land (6 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy | 15,449 |
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 3,128 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Green Swamp Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 18,575 | 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 Green Swamp Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 17, NC 211, NC 133 and NC 87. Nearest towns: Southport (3 miles), Bolivia (3 miles), Boiling Spring Lakes (4 miles) and St. James (5 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Juniper Creek Game Land (next to it), Columbus County Game Land (10.9 miles), Sutton Lake Game Land (14.8 miles) and Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (15.6 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 Green Swamp Game Land?
Green Swamp Game Land is a Six Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0231). Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Green Swamp Game Land?
NCWRC reports 92 deer taken on Green Swamp Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 33 antlered bucks, 4 antlerless males and 55 does. The two seasons before: 64 in 2024-25 and 29 in 2023-24.
What county is Green Swamp Game Land in?
All of it is in Brunswick County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Green Swamp Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: 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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