White Oak River Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
White Oak River Game Land is 2,597 acres of public hunting land in Onslow County, a Three Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 40 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 17 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.
White Oak River Game LandOther NCWRC game landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,597 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Onslow County |
| Hunting days | Three Days per Week Area |
| Days by tract | Three Day per Week: 1,457 acres; Permit Only: 1,071 acres; Three Days per Week: 69 acres |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (2,597 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 40 (17 antlered bucks, 17 does) |
| Also on the game land | Restricted Firearms Zone: 969 acres; Waterfowl Impoundment: 102 acres |
| Target shooting | Prohibited on all tracts, by NCWRC's tract data |
| Nearest towns | Swansboro (3 mi), Peletier (4 mi) and Maysville (5 mi) |
What are the rules on White Oak River 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.
- White Oak River game land is a Three 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) Except as provided in Item
- (3) of this Rule, waterfowl in posted waterfowl impoundments shall be taken only on the following days:
- (a) the opening and closing days of the applicable waterfowl seasons;
- (b) Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Days; and
- (c) Tuesdays and Saturdays of the applicable waterfowl seasons.
- (3) Beginning on the first open waterfowl season day in October through the end of all waterfowl seasons, a permit is required for hunting posted waterfowl impoundments.
- (4) The Huggins Tract and Morton Tracts have the following restrictions:
- (a) access on Hargett Avenue and Sloan Farm Road requires a valid Hunting Opportunity Permit issued by the Wildlife Resources Commission pursuant to G.S. 113-264(d);
- (b) hunting is by permit only; and
- (c) the use of dogs for hunting deer is prohibited.
- (5) Wild turkey hunting is by permit only.
- (6) Target Shooting is prohibited.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0290, in effect since November 1, 2022. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on White Oak River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 40 deer on White Oak River Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 24 in 2024-25 and 31 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 40 | 17 | 6 | 17 |
| 2024-25 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 9 |
| 2023-24 | 31 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
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 White Oak River 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 White Oak River Game Land (4 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 2,597 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is White Oak River Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County | 2,595 | Southeastern | Oct. 17 | 2,378 |
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 White Oak River Game Land?
Highways within 5 miles: US 17, NC 24, NC 58 and NC 172. Nearest towns: Swansboro (3 miles), Peletier (4 miles), Maysville (5 miles) and Cedar Point (5 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Croatan Game Land (next to it), Rocky Run Game Land (6.3 miles), Stones Creek Game Land (17.2 miles) and Neuse River Game Land (19.6 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 White Oak River Game Land?
White Oak River Game Land is a Three Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0290). 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 White Oak River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 40 deer taken on White Oak River Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 17 antlered bucks, 6 antlerless males and 17 does. The two seasons before: 24 in 2024-25 and 31 in 2023-24.
What county is White Oak River Game Land in?
All of it is in Onslow County, by NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on White Oak River Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Onslow 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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