Sandhills Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Sandhills Game Land is 65,235 acres of public hunting land in Richmond, Scotland, Moore and Hoke counties, a Three Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 228 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 174 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.
Sandhills Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 65,235 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County, Scotland County, Moore County, Hoke County |
| Hunting days | Three Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (65,230 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 228 (174 antlered bucks, 53 does) |
| Also on the game land | Field Trial Grounds: 9,579 acres; Safety Zone: 541 acres |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Hoffman (next to it), Wagram (next to it) and Foxfire (next to it) |
What are the rules on Sandhills Game Land?
Three Days per Week Area: Hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and New Year's Day, unless the game land's own rule allows other days.
- Sandhills Game Land is a Three Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Hunting is prohibited on the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds from the Wednesday on or nearest October 18 through March 31 except as follows:
- (a) Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken with archery equipment on the open days of the archery season through the fourth Friday before Thanksgiving Day; with blackpowder firearms and archery equipment the open days of the blackpowder firearms season through the third Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day; and only deer with visible antlers may be taken with all lawful weapons from the second Saturday before Thanksgiving Day through the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day;
- (b) dove may be taken on open days from the opening day of the dove season through the third Saturday thereafter;
- (c) gray and fox squirrel may be taken on open days from the second Saturday before Thanksgiving Day through the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day;
- (d) rabbit may be taken on open days from the second Saturday preceding Thanksgiving Day through the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day;
- (e) waterfowl may be taken on open days during waterfowl season;
- (f) wild animals and wild birds may be taken as part of a Disabled Sportsmen Program Permit Hunt; and
- (g) raccoon and opossum may be taken on open days from sunrise Monday on or nearest October 15 through the last day of February.
- (2) Antlered or Antlerless deer may be taken with archery equipment on open hunting days from the Saturday on or nearest to September 10 to the fourth Friday before Thanksgiving Day.
- (3) Antlered or Antlerless deer may be taken with blackpowder firearms or archery equipment on open hunting days from the fourth Saturday preceding Thanksgiving Day through the Wednesday of the second week thereafter.
- (4) Antlered deer may be taken with all lawful weapons on open hunting days from the second Saturday before Thanksgiving Day through the third Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, except on the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds.
- (5) Antlerless deer hunting during the All Lawful Weapons Season is by permit only.
- (6) Antlered deer may be taken with blackpowder firearms or archery equipment, except on the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds, on open hunting days from the third Monday after Thanksgiving Day through January 1.
- (7) In addition to the regular hunting days, waterfowl may be taken on the opening and closing days of the applicable waterfowl seasons.
- (8) Wild turkey hunting is by permit only.
- (9) Horseback riding on field trial grounds from the Wednesday on or nearest October 18 through March 31 is prohibited unless participating in authorized field trials. Horseback riding is allowed on the remainder of the Sandhills Game Land seven days per week on roads that are open to vehicular traffic and gated roads and trails posted for equestrian use.
- (10) Camping is allowed on areas posted for camping as specified in Rule .0102 of this Subchapter.
- (11) Target shooting is prohibited, except at the John F. Lentz Hunter Education Complex.
- (12) Swimming is prohibited in the lakes.
- (13) Fox squirrel hunting is by permit only.
- (14) Hunting deer with dogs is by permit only.
- (15) Training dogs for the purpose of pursuing or chasing deer is prohibited.
- (16) An individual convicted of a wildlife or trespass violation while hunting deer with dogs shall not be eligible to receive a permit for hunting deer with dogs the season following conviction.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0271, in effect since August 1, 2026. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Sandhills Game Land?
NCWRC reports 228 deer on Sandhills Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 229 in 2024-25 and 180 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 228 | 174 | 1 | 53 |
| 2024-25 | 229 | 172 | 6 | 51 |
| 2023-24 | 180 | 142 | 4 | 34 |
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 Sandhills 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 Sandhills Game Land (38 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 65,230 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Sandhills Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond County | 33,564 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,270 |
| Scotland County | 27,026 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 1,215 |
| Moore County | 4,612 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 3,360 |
| Hoke County | 49 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 646 |
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 Sandhills Game Land?
Highways through the game land: US 15 and US 501. Nearest towns: Hoffman (next to it), Wagram (next to it), Foxfire (next to it) and Pinebluff (next to it).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Rockfish Creek Game Land (4.5 miles), Pee Dee River Game Land (8.1 miles), Uwharrie Game Land (8.4 miles) and Nicholson Creek Game Land (10 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 Sandhills Game Land?
Sandhills Game Land is a Three Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0271). Hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and New Year's Day, unless the game land's own rule allows other days.
How many deer are killed on Sandhills Game Land?
NCWRC reports 228 deer taken on Sandhills Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 174 antlered bucks, 1 antlerless male and 53 does. The two seasons before: 229 in 2024-25 and 180 in 2023-24.
What county is Sandhills Game Land in?
Richmond County (33,564 acres), Scotland County (27,026 acres), Moore County (4,612 acres) and Hoke County (49 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Sandhills Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Richmond County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17, Scotland County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17, Moore County (Southeastern zone) opens gun season Oct. 17 and Hoke 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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