Sandy Mush Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Sandy Mush Game Land is 2,862 acres of public hunting land in Buncombe and Madison counties, a Three Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 96 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 53 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.
Sandy Mush Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,862 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County, Madison County |
| Hunting days | Three Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (2,862 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 96 (53 antlered bucks, 38 does) |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Marshall (4 mi), Weaverville (5 mi) and Woodfin (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Sandy Mush 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.
- Sandy Mush game land is a Three Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken the first open Saturday of the applicable Deer with Visible Antlers season.
- (2) 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.
- (3) Dogs shall only be trained on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays and only as allowed in 15A NCAC 10D .0102(f).
- (4) Dove hunting is by permit only from the opening day through the second Saturday of dove season.
- (5) Target shooting is prohibited.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0273, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Sandy Mush Game Land?
NCWRC reports 96 deer on Sandy Mush Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 114 in 2024-25 and 95 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 96 | 53 | 5 | 38 |
| 2024-25 | 114 | 56 | 11 | 47 |
| 2023-24 | 95 | 59 | 5 | 31 |
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 Sandy Mush 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 Sandy Mush Game Land (6 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 2,862 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Sandy Mush Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 2,219 | Western | Nov. 28 | 1,626 |
| Madison County | 643 | Western | Nov. 28 | 1,963 |
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 Sandy Mush Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 25, US 70, NC 63 and NC 251. Nearest towns: Marshall (4 miles), Weaverville (5 miles), Woodfin (5 miles) and Mars Hill (9 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Pisgah Game Land (7.9 miles), Cold Mountain Game Land (20.7 miles), William H. Silver Game Land (23.8 miles) and Nantahala Game Land (27.8 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 Sandy Mush Game Land?
Sandy Mush Game Land is a Three Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0273). 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 Sandy Mush Game Land?
NCWRC reports 96 deer taken on Sandy Mush Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 53 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males and 38 does. The two seasons before: 114 in 2024-25 and 95 in 2023-24.
What county is Sandy Mush Game Land in?
Buncombe County (2,219 acres) and Madison County (643 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Sandy Mush Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Buncombe County (Western zone) opens gun season Nov. 28 and Madison 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 Buncombe County deer harvest Madison County deer harvest