Best way to find out the answer you seek is to go to ncwildlife.org . Navigate thru the hunting section of the website to find the publications icon. Click there to look for the Permit Hunt Booklet. This booklet will tell you if the game land you intend to hunt is hunted by permit only. If it is included in this booklet, you have to apply for a permit which depending on the game land may or may not be hard to obtain. Permitted hunts usually require a code to enter the locked gate. Then you must have the permit and photo id on your person while hunting to be legal. If drawn, you could access from your property. All the permit hunts I've been on did not require you to check in. There are a couple across the state that are more regulated. The booklet will give all the info you need. If the game land is not located in this booklet, then you should be able to access during any hunting season. Wouldn't hurt to get a reg's booklet as this will tell you local laws, hunt dates and bag limits. Good hunting and let me know if I can help you in any way. :\:D/

Thank you for the quick reply. I have been going up to the montains since I was a kid. I constanly see trucks parked on the side of the road in Game land areas. Are these hunters parking on the wayside and walking in to their hunting area? I don't recall ever seeing a check point or check in for hunters. I will be spending time on the state site today. I will probably make some calls too. I am starting now, for next year. I want to do this as right as possible in order to have a good hunt. I will be up there in Feb. to do a few things around the house. I will ask at the store as well....I also plan to start scouting and develop a plan. I cant seem to find any guides in my area. I would hire a guide next year, but I don't want a "canned hunt" with huge trophy fees. I would rather not see a deer than just buy one and knock it down....

captkhowell

Are these State Game Lands or National forest land? National forest land can be accessed anytime by anyone. Deer harvested can be reportd by calling an 800 number, you don't have to go to a check station.

As for guides in the mtns of nc, I don't know of any except what you mentioned. I imagine deer numbers are too low and hunting too hard for guided hunt. Don't know about deer numbers where you are in Florida, but you will probably find lower numbers of deer in the mtns. Here in eastern nc, we have anywhere from 20/sq mile to 45-50/ sq mile. In general, the mtns will have anywhere from 10/ sq mile down to 2/ sq mile.

What part of the mtns or which county are you in? I've hunted some of the Pisgah National forest, up around the Wilson Creek area not far from Linville George. Also hunted some wilderness area in the SW part of the state. If you are up around Maggie Valley in Sept, you can check out some elk we have now.

Just some thoughts to pass along. Good hunting.

We are just outside of Robbinsville. Our home borders the Nantahala Game Land. We are off of 129, very close to the Santeetlah dam. I know that the gentlman that owns the tract of land that we bought from 10 years ago, goes up every hunting season. He stays by the gate to prevent errant hunter from going up on our property. Thats tels me there "should" be something to hunt......Is there a way to post picks here? I can load a topo map of the area I want to hunt.

Yep there is a way.
Go HERE to learn how.

Yea, pretty country up there. Backpacked Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness and the Snowbird Mtns. Decent fishing there too. I've seen more turkeys than deer when I've hunted there. Shot a nice buck up there a couple of years ago. Too far to drive to hunt since I picked up some good hunting land in the east. You can find some good bucks in out of the way places, but it may be better for you to hunt close to your land if it has food sources. Good bear and boar hunting there in Graham County. But to answer your earlier question, the Nantahala is designated a national forest therefore you can pretty much park/hunt anywhere as long as you don't block any roads/gates. Good hunting to you.

Depends on how dense the laurel thickets are in/around your land. My experience has been to walk/scout the main trails in the JK-Slickrock wilderness not far from you. I have always hunted higher up in the wilderness. Great country if you like to backpack. I know some guys who take a day pack with emergency/overnight supplies and hunt the trails all day, spent the night where they are at dark, get up and hunt their way out the next day. I usually walk the main trails until I find good sign or beech/oak benches, then cut off the trail and scout. Cross country hunting can be extremely difficult in places up there. I would carry a quality GPS @ all times. Real easy to get turned around. If you can find an oak/beech flat around your land without much pressure from others, you should see deer. Food and pressure are the key up there. With a little scouting, you should be able to find an isolated place to hunt. Good hunting to you.

Thanks for the help!!!! Hey, do you go to or work at ECU?? My sister is an asscociate proff there.....

No, I graduated in '91. What does she teach? I received an Economics degree.

My sister started ther about two or three years ago. She does something with special needs education...

BTW.... I cant find the EDIT button. Since I got a very good bit of information, I would like to pull down the map that I have attatched....