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Permit-only
Permit-only game lands
17 game lands where every hunter needs a permit.
Photo: stefpet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
About these permit-only game lands
17 game lands are designated permit-only: nobody hunts them without a permit, usually drawn through the Permit Hunting Opportunities Program. Together they hold 89,773 GIS acres.
The Permit Hunt Book attaches 153 hunt items to these game lands. Applications cost $8 and run through Go Outdoors North Carolina, with deadlines between August 2026 and March 2027.
Some permit-only game lands also allow other uses on posted days; read each game land page for its specific rules before applying.
From lands.json (NCWRC digest, GIS and agency pages); checked October 25, 2026.
Permit-only game lands: the full list
| Property | Type | County | Acres | Days | Permit hunts | Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhorn | Game land | Orange | 491 | Permit only | 3 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| DuPont State Forest | Game land | Transylvania, Henderson | 11,949 | Permit only | 9 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Hill Farm | Game land | Stokes | 157 | Permit only | 7 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| J. Morgan Futch | Game land | Tyrrell | 598 | Permit only | 7 | Sep. 1, 2026, Oct. 1, 2026 |
| Johns River | Game land | Burke | 6,483 | Permit only | 27 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Lower Roanoke River Wetlands | Game land | Bertie, Martin | 31,620 | Permit only | 18 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| North Bend | Game land | Burke | 1,244 | Permit only | 6 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Rhodes Pond | Game land | Cumberland | 471 | Permit only | 0 | – |
| Roanoke Island Marshes | Game land | Dare | 1,873 | Permit only | 0 | – |
| Rocky Run | Game land | Onslow | 390 | Permit only | 6 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Second Creek | Game land | Rowan | 1,106 | Permit only | 8 | Sep. 1, 2026, Oct. 1, 2026 |
| Suggs Mill Pond | Game land | Bladen, Cumberland | 11,117 | Permit only | 17 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Tar River | Game land | Edgecombe | 154 | Permit only | 1 | Mar. 1, 2027 |
| Texas Plantation | Game land | Tyrrell | 1,503 | Permit only | 12 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Upper Roanoke River Wetlands | Game land | Northampton, Halifax… | 11,065 | Permit only | 14 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
| Voice of America | Game land | Beaufort | 2,818 | Permit only | 4 | Aug. 10, 2026, Oct. 1, 2026 |
| Whitehall Plantation | Game land | Bladen, Pender | 6,734 | Permit only | 14 | Aug. 10, 2026, Sep. 1, 2026 |
Permit-only game lands, record by record
DuPont State Forest
J. Morgan Futch
Johns River
Lower Roanoke River Wetlands
Second Creek
Suggs Mill Pond
Texas Plantation
Upper Roanoke River Wetlands
Voice of America
Whitehall Plantation
Permit-only game lands: photos from the field
What does permit-only mean on a game land?
You may hunt only with a permit issued for that game land, usually by drawing.
How do I apply?
Through Go Outdoors North Carolina online, by phone or at an agent; $8 per application.
Which permit-only game land is biggest?
By GIS acres the largest is Lower Roanoke River Wetlands Game Land.
Other photos on this page: Wildreturn (CC BY 2.0); born1945 (CC BY 2.0); don r faulkner (CC BY-SA 2.0).