Vance Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Vance Game Land is 853 acres of public hunting land in Vance County, a Six Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 82 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 43 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). US Army Corps of Engineers 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.
Vance Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 853 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Vance County |
| Hunting days | Six Days per Week Area |
| Owner | US Army Corps of Engineers (853 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 82 (43 antlered bucks, 35 does) |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 853 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Henderson (3 mi), Middleburg (5 mi) and Stovall (8 mi) |
What are the rules on Vance Game Land?
Six Days per Week Area: Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
- Vance game land is a Six Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Deer of either sex may be taken all the open days of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (2) The use of dogs, centerfire rifles, and handguns for hunting deer is prohibited on the Nutbush Peninsula tract.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0287, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Vance Game Land?
NCWRC reports 82 deer on Vance Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 90 in 2024-25 and 72 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 82 | 43 | 4 | 35 |
| 2024-25 | 90 | 36 | 3 | 51 |
| 2023-24 | 72 | 36 | 3 | 33 |
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 Vance 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 Vance Game Land (2 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| US Army Corps of Engineers | 853 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Vance Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vance County | 853 | Northeastern | Oct. 17 | 1,398 |
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 Vance Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: NC 39, I-85, US 158 and US 1. Nearest towns: Henderson (3 miles), Middleburg (5 miles), Stovall (8 miles) and Oxford (9 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Shocco Creek Game Land (13.5 miles), Embro Game Land (14.5 miles), Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land (21.5 miles) and Mayo Game Land (23.2 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 Vance Game Land?
Vance Game Land is a Six Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0287). Hunting Monday through Saturday during the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Vance Game Land?
NCWRC reports 82 deer taken on Vance Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 43 antlered bucks, 4 antlerless males and 35 does. The two seasons before: 90 in 2024-25 and 72 in 2023-24.
What county is Vance Game Land in?
All of it is in Vance County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Vance Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Vance County (Northeastern 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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