Juniper Creek Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Juniper Creek Game Land is 20,481 acres of public hunting land in Brunswick and Columbus counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 81 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 33 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). NC Wildlife Resources Commission 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.
Juniper Creek Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 20,481 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Brunswick County, Columbus County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (20,481 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 81 (33 antlered bucks, 39 does) |
| Also on the game land | Bear Management Area: 9,566 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 20,481 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Shallotte (7 mi), Bolton (8 mi) and Lake Waccamaw (9 mi) |
What are the rules on Juniper Creek Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- (a) Juniper Creek Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area. The following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken on all the open days of the Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (2) Camping is allowed on areas posted for camping as specified in Rule .0102 of this Subchapter.
- (3) Bear shall not be harvested on Sunday.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0241, in effect since August 1, 2026. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Juniper Creek Game Land?
NCWRC reports 81 deer on Juniper Creek Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 88 in 2024-25 and 73 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 81 | 33 | 9 | 39 |
| 2024-25 | 88 | 40 | 11 | 37 |
| 2023-24 | 73 | 32 | 5 | 36 |
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 Juniper 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 Juniper Creek Game Land (4 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 20,481 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Juniper Creek Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 14,055 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,141 |
| Columbus County | 6,423 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,921 |
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 Juniper Creek Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 211 and NC 130. Nearest towns: Shallotte (7 miles), Bolton (8 miles), Lake Waccamaw (9 miles) and Bolivia (10 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Columbus County Game Land (next to it), Green Swamp Game Land (next to it), Whitehall Plantation Game Land (14.8 miles) and Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (18.2 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 Juniper Creek Game Land?
Juniper Creek Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0241). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Juniper Creek Game Land?
NCWRC reports 81 deer taken on Juniper Creek Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 33 antlered bucks, 9 antlerless males and 39 does. The two seasons before: 88 in 2024-25 and 73 in 2023-24.
What county is Juniper Creek Game Land in?
Brunswick County (14,055 acres) and Columbus County (6,423 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Juniper Creek Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Brunswick County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Columbus 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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