Lantern Acres Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Lantern Acres Game Land is 1,831 acres of public hunting land in Tyrrell and Washington counties, a Six Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 40 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 15 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.
Lantern Acres Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,831 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Tyrrell County, Washington County |
| Hunting days | Six Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (1,831 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 40 (15 antlered bucks, 23 does) |
| Also on the game land | Waterfowl Impoundment: 189 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 1,831 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Creswell (2 mi), Columbia (7 mi) and Roper (13 mi) |
What are the rules on Lantern Acres Game Land?
Six Days per Week Area: Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
- Lantern Acres 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) Wild turkey hunting is by permit only.
- (3) The use of dogs for hunting deer on the Godley Tract is prohibited.
- (4) Hunting on posted waterfowl impoundments from October 1 through February 14 is by permit only.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0244, in effect since August 1, 2025. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Lantern Acres Game Land?
NCWRC reports 40 deer on Lantern Acres Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 41 in 2024-25 and 42 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 40 | 15 | 2 | 23 |
| 2024-25 | 41 | 16 | 4 | 21 |
| 2023-24 | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 |
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 Lantern Acres 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 Lantern Acres Game Land (2 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 1,831 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Lantern Acres Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrrell County | 1,604 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 479 |
| Washington County | 228 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 934 |
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 Lantern Acres Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 64 and NC 94. Nearest towns: Creswell (2 miles), Columbia (7 miles), Roper (13 miles) and Edenton (19 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: New Lake Game Land (6.2 miles), Buckridge Game Land (7.5 miles), Alligator River Game Land (8.1 miles) and Texas Plantation Game Land (13 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 Lantern Acres Game Land?
Lantern Acres Game Land is a Six Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0244). Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Lantern Acres Game Land?
NCWRC reports 40 deer taken on Lantern Acres Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 15 antlered bucks, 2 antlerless males and 23 does. The two seasons before: 41 in 2024-25 and 42 in 2023-24.
What county is Lantern Acres Game Land in?
Tyrrell County (1,604 acres) and Washington County (228 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Lantern Acres Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Tyrrell County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Washington 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 Tyrrell County deer harvest Washington County deer harvest