Pungo River Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Pungo River Game Land is 350 acres of public hunting land in Hyde County, a Six Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 7 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 2 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.
Pungo River Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 350 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Hyde County |
| Hunting days | Six Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (350 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 7 (2 antlered bucks, 5 does) |
| Also on the game land | Bear Management Area: 350 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 350 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Belhaven (6 mi), Pantego (8 mi) and Bath (18 mi) |
What are the rules on Pungo River Game Land?
Six Days per Week Area: Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
- (a) Pungo River game land is a Six Days per Week Area.
- (b) On this game land deer of either sex may be taken all the open days of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0262, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Pungo River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 7 deer on Pungo River Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 14 in 2024-25 and 22 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 |
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 Pungo River 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 Pungo River Game Land (5 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 350 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Pungo River Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde County | 342 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 955 |
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 Pungo River Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 45 and US 264. Nearest towns: Belhaven (6 miles), Pantego (8 miles), Bath (18 miles) and Creswell (21 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Gull Rock Game Land (5.3 miles), Goose Creek Game Land (12.5 miles), New Lake Game Land (13.6 miles) and Van Swamp Game Land (16.2 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 Pungo River Game Land?
Pungo River Game Land is a Six Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0262). Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Pungo River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 7 deer taken on Pungo River Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 2 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 5 does. The two seasons before: 14 in 2024-25 and 22 in 2023-24.
What county is Pungo River Game Land in?
All of it is in Hyde County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Pungo River Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Hyde 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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