Second Creek Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Second Creek Game Land is 1,106 acres of public hunting land in Rowan County, listed as permit only in NCWRC's tract data. Hunters reported 16 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 9 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.
Second Creek Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,106 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County |
| Hunting days | Permit Only |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (1,106 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 16 (9 antlered bucks, 7 does) |
| Also on the game land | Waterfowl Impoundment: 10 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 1,106 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Cleveland (4 mi), Salisbury (7 mi) and China Grove (7 mi) |
What are the rules on Second Creek Game Land?
- Second Creek game land is hunting by permit only.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0274, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Second Creek Game Land?
NCWRC reports 16 deer on Second Creek Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 12 in 2024-25 and 32 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
| 2024-25 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 32 | 19 | 1 | 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 Second Creek 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 Second Creek Game Land:
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 1,106 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Second Creek Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County | 1,106 | Central | Nov. 14 | 3,203 |
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 Second Creek Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 70, NC 801 and NC 150. Nearest towns: Cleveland (4 miles), Salisbury (7 miles), China Grove (7 miles) and Landis (8 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Yadkin River Game Land (7.5 miles), Perkins Game Land (12.8 miles), Linwood Game Land (14.9 miles) and Uwharrie Game Land (27.1 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 Second Creek Game Land?
Second Creek Game Land is a Permit Only (15A NCAC 10D .0274).
How many deer are killed on Second Creek Game Land?
NCWRC reports 16 deer taken on Second Creek Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 9 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 7 does. The two seasons before: 12 in 2024-25 and 32 in 2023-24.
What county is Second Creek Game Land in?
All of it is in Rowan County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Second Creek Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Rowan 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.
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 Rowan County deer harvest