I grew up deer hunting the piedmont and charlotte areas and after a few visits home in the last month got back into deer hunting and the itch followed me down here. Been reading up on the game lands regulations and maps but thought might be able to get some advice here.
Anybody hunt holly shelter or green swamp without dogs? I got a good climber, 12 guage, 270 win, black powder and PSE bow, but dont know where to find a deer to shoot. Any help would be appreciated.
Also have a freezer full of flounder and trout fillets to trade for permission to hunt some private land with deer.
Theres quite a few of deer at juniper creek game lands and lots of different access. I road hunt it........by bicycle 😀 go on a sat and they will be running dogs and deer will be on the move. I'd be more than happy to take you hunting sometime and I'm sure theres other members on here that would do the same...just let me know
scott
Game lands in Green Swamp are full of deer but there will be dogs from neighboring land wandering over there. And if you do take one it will look like it is on a diet of briars and pine cones (which it is). If you can drive to the Green Swamp, just as close are the game lands at Lake Waccamaw. If I were going to hunt game lands, that is where I would hunt. Off of Hwy 214 (Old Hwy 74) between Bolton and Lake Waccamaw. I have seen some nice deer come out of there. I know guys that are in multiple hunting clubs and still hunt the game lands there.
Good Luck.
If you have a boat try the Cape Fear gamelands, some of it is accesible from the Castle Hayne area, but the better spots are gotten to by boat. It is a 6 day a week area, and maximum season, have some friends that do really well there, not alot of pressure.
I agree with PLAN9. You need to find isolated gamelands that are difficult to reach for the lazy hunters. There are disrespectful idiots everywhere and they tend to congretate at Holly Shelter. I made the mistake many years ago of scouting out a location on a dead end road in Holly Shelter and getting there way before sunrise. I was sitting in edge of field in my climbing stand hoping for action. The "action" started around 7:30am when several truckloads of dog hunters drove around my truck on this dead end road and turned their dogs loose in the field I was hunting and one of the idiots walked the field and stood under the tree where I was sitting. Needless to say, no good hunting that day. Should have called game warden to report harassment. Haven't hunted there again and never will. There is good hunting along NE Cape Fear River.
It depends on where you are in Holly Shelter. I believe there are some areas closed to dog hunters and being about 65,000 acres large there are some areas where you probably will not see a dog.
Also, there will inevitably be more dog hunting going on on Saturdays. Try hunting one of the other day Mondays or Wednesdays as it is a 3 day a week game land still (I think). I know its hard for Mon-Fri. 9 to 5'ers.
Call in sick from the deer stand maybe?
Furthermore, I would definetely check out areas of Angola Bay especially in the back or northern reaches and the CapeFear River Wetlands gamelands. They are nearby and offer some secluded areas that dog hunter don't want to deal with. It'll take a hike in and some scouting but dudes have killed nice 8 and 10 points back there.
Best of luck!
thanks for all the input, i have scouted holly shelter, angola bay, and juniper creek and have hunted 2 areas of holly shelter. Saw 2 does one day and nothing the next trip. Thanksgiving was a zoo at holly shelter but still enjoyable.
thanks for all the input, i have scouted holly shelter, angola bay, and juniper creek and have hunted 2 areas of holly shelter. Saw 2 does one day and nothing the next trip. Thanksgiving was a zoo at holly shelter but still enjoyable.
I HAVE A SMALL LEASE IN EDGECOMBE COUNTY....I HAVE GROOMED IT BY TRYING TO ESTABLISH A MORE NATURAL BALANCE OF BUCK AND DOE RATIO...
I KNOW THE FEELING YOU HAVE NOT HAVING A PROPER PLACE TO HUNT...IT SUCKS....
WELL MY SMALL FARM LEASE IS LOADED WITH DEER....YOU WILL SEE DEER EVERY MORNING AND EVERY EVENING AND EVEN MIDDADY IF YOU GIVE IT A FAIR CHANCE....
IF PROPER AND SAFE STILL HUNTING IS YOUR GAME, THEN I WOULD BE HAPPY TO OFFER YOU A PLACE TO HUNT FOR A DAY....WITH PLENTY OF DEER...AND PLEASE SHOOT THE COYOTES AND BOBCATS...
WAHOONBOX-
I never tracked down any bobcats, but I’ve shot quite a few coyotes. I had a friend who had a ranch in Northern Arizona who had problems with coyotes attacking his sheep. I would spend a weekend there every now and then plinking off coyotes.
I’ve let a few go just because I couldn’t get a clear shot on them. My friend told me that if I injured any of his sheep or cattle, he would do the same to me! I took it from my friend as a joke, but his dad on the other hand, who was a 70 year old Navajo man and didn’t like white guys, probably would shoot me!
Some time in the late spring when no one is hunting for big game on your land, give me shout if you want a few dead coyotes. It gives me an excuse to get away from things here for awhile.
I grew up deer hunting the piedmont and charlotte areas and after a few visits home in the last month got back into deer hunting and the itch followed me down here. Been reading up on the game lands regulations and maps but thought might be able to get some advice here.
Anybody hunt holly shelter or green swamp without dogs? I got a good climber, 12 guage, 270 win, black powder and PSE bow, but dont know where to find a deer to shoot. Any help would be appreciated.
Also have a freezer full of flounder and trout fillets to trade for permission to hunt some private land with deer.
I just moved to Ivanhoe and just got a new muzzle loader and can't find anywhere close by to hunt without a special permit. I don't drive so that kind of complicates things, but I do drive a 35 mph scooter and that's what I will be hunting with. You would think living this far out in the country, finding a place to hunt would be easy.
hunting on the river in the game lands are you floating or pulling up on the bank? never hunted the game lands but might do it a little in Holly Shelter here at the end of the season thanks for the help John
Double check local laws. Some areas do not allow taking of deer with aid of boat or floating object.
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Regs/Documents/Local-Laws.pdf
pg 78 for Pender
called the wildlife agent at HS and boy was that a great call!!! should have called my wife instead he basically told me nothing but to make sure I have my game land license. I hoped to get some advice on how to hunt it instead of just pulling down the road and start hunting. oh well might go Sat and plan to ware a lot of orange. sorry to rant not sure what I was expecting by calling wildlife