South Mountains Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
South Mountains Game Land is 22,583 acres of public hunting land in Rutherford, Burke, Cleveland and McDowell counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 64 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 38 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.
South Mountains Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 22,583 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Rutherford County, Burke County, Cleveland County, McDowell County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (22,583 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 64 (38 antlered bucks, 21 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 22,583 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Casar (3 mi), Morganton (4 mi) and Glen Alpine (6 mi) |
What are the rules on South Mountains Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- South Mountains Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) The Deer With Visible Antlers Season begins on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day through January 1. Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken with archery equipment beginning the Saturday on or nearest September 10 through the day immediately preceding the Blackpowder Firearms Season described in this Rule. Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken with blackpowder firearms beginning two Saturdays preceding the first day of the open season for Deer With Visible Antlers described in this Rule through the second Friday thereafter.
- (2) Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken the first open Saturday of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (3) Horseback riding is prohibited except on designated trails during the following dates:
- (a) January 2 through March 31;
- (b) May 16 through August 31;
- (c) Sundays only - April 1 through May 15; and
- (d) Sundays only - September 1 through January 1.
- (4) Target shooting is prohibited.
- (5) Camping is allowed on areas posted for camping as specified in Rule .0102 of this Subchapter.
- (6) The maximum period of consecutive overnight camping at any posted and designated camping area is 14 days within any 30-day period.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0276, in effect since August 1, 2026. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on South Mountains Game Land?
NCWRC reports 64 deer on South Mountains Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 56 in 2024-25 and 69 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 64 | 38 | 5 | 21 |
| 2024-25 | 56 | 40 | 3 | 13 |
| 2023-24 | 69 | 53 | 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 South Mountains 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 South Mountains Game Land (20 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 22,583 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is South Mountains Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County | 15,438 | Northwestern | Nov. 21 | 3,802 |
| Burke County | 3,417 | Western | Nov. 28 | 2,161 |
| Cleveland County | 2,811 | Northwestern | Nov. 21 | 3,948 |
| McDowell County | 922 | Western | Nov. 28 | 1,027 |
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 South Mountains Game Land?
Highways through the game land: NC 226. Nearest towns: Casar (3 miles), Morganton (4 miles), Glen Alpine (6 miles) and Drexel (7 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Johns River Game Land (6.6 miles), Pisgah Game Land (12.7 miles) and Buffalo Cove Game Land (24.6 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 South Mountains Game Land?
South Mountains Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0276). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on South Mountains Game Land?
NCWRC reports 64 deer taken on South Mountains Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 38 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males and 21 does. The two seasons before: 56 in 2024-25 and 69 in 2023-24.
What county is South Mountains Game Land in?
Rutherford County (15,438 acres), Burke County (3,417 acres), Cleveland County (2,811 acres) and McDowell County (922 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on South Mountains Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Rutherford County (Northwestern zone) opens gun season Nov. 21, Burke County (Western zone) opens gun season Nov. 28, Cleveland County (Northwestern zone) opens gun season Nov. 21 and McDowell 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
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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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