Needmore Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Needmore Game Land is 5,237 acres of public hunting land in Swain and Macon counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 86 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 60 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.
Needmore Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 5,237 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Swain County, Macon County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (5,093 acres); Mainspring Conservation Trust (144 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 86 (60 antlered bucks, 24 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 5,237 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Franklin (4 mi), Bryson City (5 mi) and Highlands (10 mi) |
What are the rules on Needmore Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Needmore Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Horseback riding is prohibited except on designated trails May 16 through August 31, and all horseback riding is prohibited from September 1 through May 15.
- (2) On posted dove fields, dove hunting on the opening day of dove season is by permit only.
- (3) No antlerless deer shall be taken during the Deer With Visible Antler season.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0252, in effect since February 1, 2025. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Needmore Game Land?
NCWRC reports 86 deer on Needmore Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 103 in 2024-25 and 62 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 86 | 60 | 2 | 24 |
| 2024-25 | 103 | 63 | 3 | 37 |
| 2023-24 | 62 | 46 | 4 | 12 |
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 Needmore 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 Needmore Game Land (18 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 5,093 |
| Mainspring Conservation Trust | 144 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Needmore Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County | 3,579 | Western | Nov. 28 | 386 |
| Macon County | 1,659 | Western | Nov. 28 | 1,232 |
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 Needmore Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 28, US 23, US 441 and US 74. Nearest towns: Franklin (4 miles), Bryson City (5 miles), Highlands (10 miles) and Dillsboro (12 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Nantahala Game Land (next to it), Pisgah Game Land (18.1 miles), Toxaway Game Land (21.4 miles) and William H. Silver Game Land (22.3 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 Needmore Game Land?
Needmore Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0252). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Needmore Game Land?
NCWRC reports 86 deer taken on Needmore Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 60 antlered bucks, 2 antlerless males and 24 does. The two seasons before: 103 in 2024-25 and 62 in 2023-24.
What county is Needmore Game Land in?
Swain County (3,579 acres) and Macon County (1,659 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Needmore Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Swain County (Western zone) opens gun season Nov. 28 and Macon 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.
Get a North Carolina hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for North Carolina are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, North Carolina included.
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 Swain County deer harvest Macon County deer harvest