Headwaters State Forest Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Headwaters State Forest Game Land is 6,208 acres of public hunting land in Transylvania County, a Six Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 13 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 10 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). NC Forest Service 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.
Headwaters State Forest Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 6,208 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Transylvania County |
| Hunting days | Six Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Forest Service (6,208 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 13 (10 antlered bucks, 3 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 6,208 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Rosman (3 mi), Brevard (9 mi) and Laurel Park (17 mi) |
What are the rules on Headwaters State Forest Game Land?
Six Days per Week Area: Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
- (a) Headwaters State Forest game land is a Six Days per Week Area.
- (b) On this game land, deer of either sex may be taken the first open day of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season .
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0234, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Headwaters State Forest Game Land?
NCWRC reports 13 deer on Headwaters State Forest Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 15 in 2024-25 and 8 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024-25 | 15 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
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 Headwaters State Forest 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 Headwaters State Forest Game Land:
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Forest Service | 6,208 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Headwaters State Forest Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transylvania County | 6,149 | Western | Nov. 28 | 763 |
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 Headwaters State Forest Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 276, US 178, US 64 and NC 215. Nearest towns: Rosman (3 miles), Brevard (9 miles), Laurel Park (17 miles) and Flat Rock (17 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Pisgah Game Land (3 miles), Dupont State Forest Game Land (3.6 miles), Toxaway Game Land (7.1 miles) and Nantahala Game Land (10.8 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 Headwaters State Forest Game Land?
Headwaters State Forest Game Land is a Six Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0234). Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Headwaters State Forest Game Land?
NCWRC reports 13 deer taken on Headwaters State Forest Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 10 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 3 does. The two seasons before: 15 in 2024-25 and 8 in 2023-24.
What county is Headwaters State Forest Game Land in?
All of it is in Transylvania County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Headwaters State Forest Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Transylvania County (Western zone) opens gun season Nov. 28, 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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