Yadkin River Game Land: hunting rules, deer harvest and access
Yadkin River Game Land is 11,636 acres of public hunting land in Rowan, Davidson, Stanly, Davie and Montgomery counties, a Seven Days per Week area by NCWRC's rule for it. Hunters reported 203 deer on it in the 2025-26 season, 100 antlered bucks among them (NCWRC). NC Wildlife Resources Commission owns 4,889 acres 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.
Yadkin River Game LandOther NCWRC game landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 11,636 acres (NCWRC) |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County, Davidson County, Stanly County, Davie County, Montgomery County |
| Hunting days | Seven Days per Week Area |
| Owner | NC Wildlife Resources Commission (4,889 acres); Alcoa Power Generating Inc (4,430 acres); Cube Hydro Carolinas (1,628 acres) |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 203 (100 antlered bucks, 88 does) |
| Also on the game land | Archery Zone: 544 acres |
| Target shooting | Not prohibited on 10,948 acres, by NCWRC's tract data; posted rules apply |
| Nearest towns | Spencer (next to it), Badin (next to it) and Richfield (next to it) |
What are the rules on Yadkin River Game Land?
Seven Days per Week Area: Hunting every day of the open seasons.
- Yadkin River game land is a Seven Days per Week Area, in which the following applies:
- (1) Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken on the open days of the applicable Deer With Visible Antlers Season.
- (2) On the Lick Creek Tract, deer and bear hunting is archery only.
Source: 15A NCAC 10D .0293, in effect since August 1, 2024. Game land rules apply on top of the county's season dates.
How many deer are taken on Yadkin River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 203 deer on Yadkin River Game Land in the 2025-26 season. That compares with 177 in 2024-25 and 201 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Antlerless males | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 203 | 100 | 15 | 88 |
| 2024-25 | 177 | 78 | 5 | 94 |
| 2023-24 | 201 | 114 | 15 | 72 |
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 Yadkin 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 Yadkin River Game Land (4 named tracts):
| Owner | Acres |
|---|---|
| NC Wildlife Resources Commission | 4,889 |
| Alcoa Power Generating Inc | 4,430 |
| Cube Hydro Carolinas | 1,628 |
Source: NCWRC game land tracts.
Which county is Yadkin River Game Land in?
| County | Acres of the game land in it | Deer season zone | Gun season opens, 2026 | County deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County | 4,590 | Central | Nov. 14 | 3,203 |
| Davidson County | 3,998 | Central | Nov. 14 | 3,527 |
| Stanly County | 992 | Central | Nov. 14 | 3,371 |
| Davie County | 723 | Northwestern | Nov. 21 | 1,222 |
| Montgomery County | 637 | Central | Nov. 14 | 2,984 |
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 Yadkin River Game Land?
Highways through the game land: I-85 and US 52. Nearest towns: Spencer (next to it), Badin (next to it), Richfield (next to it) and East Spencer (2 miles).
The closest other game lands with a page here: Linwood Game Land (next to it), Uwharrie Game Land (next to it), Perkins Game Land (1 miles) and Second Creek Game Land (7.5 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 Yadkin River Game Land?
Yadkin River Game Land is a Seven Days per Week Area (15A NCAC 10D .0293). Hunting every day of the open seasons.
How many deer are killed on Yadkin River Game Land?
NCWRC reports 203 deer taken on Yadkin River Game Land in the 2025-26 season: 100 antlered bucks, 15 antlerless males and 88 does. The two seasons before: 177 in 2024-25 and 201 in 2023-24.
What county is Yadkin River Game Land in?
Rowan County (4,590 acres), Davidson County (3,998 acres), Stanly County (992 acres), Davie County (723 acres) and Montgomery County (637 acres), measured on NCWRC's boundary.
When is deer gun season on Yadkin River Game Land in 2026-27?
The county's zone sets the dates: Rowan County (Central zone) opens gun season Nov. 14, Davidson County (Central zone) opens gun season Nov. 14, Stanly County (Central zone) opens gun season Nov. 14, Davie County (Northwestern zone) opens gun season Nov. 21 and Montgomery 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 Davidson County deer harvest Stanly County deer harvest