Mayo Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Mayo Game Land is 5,101 acres of public hunting land in Person County, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 67 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 36 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). Duke Energy Progress 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.
Mayo Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 5,101 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Person County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | Duke Energy Progress (5,101 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 67 (36 antlered bucks, 23 does) |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Roxboro (5 mi), Milton (15 mi) and Stovall (15 mi) |
What are the rules on Mayo Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Mayo Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken the first open day of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season through the second Friday thereafter.
- (2) Waterfowl shall be taken only on:
- (a) Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays applicable waterfowl seasons;
- (b) Christmas and New Year's Days; and
- (c) the opening and closing days of the applicable waterfowl seasons.
- (3) Target shooting is prohibited.
- (4) Placement of docks, piers, and personal property for more than 24 consecutive hours on the shoreline or lakebed of Mayo Lake is prohibited.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0249, in effect since January 1, 2026. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Mayo Game Land?
NCWRC reports 67 deer on Mayo Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 27 in 2024-25 and 33 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 67 | 36 | 8 | 23 |
| 2024-25 | 27 | 15 | 0 | 12 |
| 2023-24 | 33 | 20 | 3 | 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 Mayo 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 Mayo Game Land (2 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress | 5,101 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Mayo Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person County | 5,083 | Central | Nov. 14 | 2,604 |
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 Mayo Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 49, US 501, NC 96 and US 158. Nearest towns: Roxboro (5 miles), Milton (15 miles), Stovall (15 miles) and Oxford (17 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Hyco Game Land (2.8 miles), R. Wayne Bailey - Caswell Game Land (14.9 miles), Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land (17 miles) and Vance Game Land (23.2 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 Mayo Game Land?
Mayo Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0249). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Mayo Game Land?
NCWRC reports 67 deer taken on Mayo Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 36 antlered bucks, 8 antlerless males and 23 does. The two seasons before: 27 in 2024-25 and 33 in 2023-24.
What county is Mayo Game Land in?
All of it is in Person County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Mayo Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Person County (Central zone) opens gun season Nov. 14, 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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