Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Hey guys.

I may transfer to the Charlotte / Fort Mill area at the boarder of North & South Carolina.

What is the deer hunting like in this area? Lots of hunters? Can I get some nice private land to toss arrows around on ??? and drive my neigbors crazy?:)

I would love to hear....if I can't hunt and have the grace I have in Michigan I won't go.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Michigan, I don't know about the Charlotte area, but I do know that there are plenty of deer in SC. NC is very well populated as well, but Im not sure about how easy it is to access private land. I can tell you this about the south, we are greedy with land, especially on the eastern seaboard. People just don't allow for strangers to hunt much. we have to join hunting clubs and pay 400,500-600$ a yr to hunt them, and then, we also hunt with dogs in Va, NC and SC, from Oct to Jan, in the eastern portions of these states, which may not suit your style, I don't know. Well Nc and Sc start their dog season in Oct. Va is mid Nov. Unless you have gobs of land, you just can't get away from the whole dog/deer tradition here in the south. And once the dogs are loose, they go nocturnal.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Interesting....If I can get out and harvest...I'll be happy either way...I can adapt....

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

That's just what we need down here...more yankees[:@]JK:D. The Fort Mill/Charlotte area has a fairly good deer population. Just south of there is the Sumter National Forest (in SC) which is 200,000+ acres of WMA. South Carolina, as you probably know has very liberal seasons (runs from August 15 to Jan 1 depending on where in the state you hunt) and limits (5 bucks/year). The quality of deer is not what you'll see in Michigan or anywhere up north for that matter but we do have numbers (too many does in my opinion). If you want to go private, Va. is right...expect to pay upwards of $700-$1000 per year for a decent lease.Good luck with the relocate.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

WOW what a bummer for me since all my immediate family including myself are planning to move to NC in a few years.

So you really can't escape the dogs, even in the Sumpter National Forest where there's 200,000 acres?

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I am just out of college but I really want to stay in the big populated deer states...I just cant leave the whitetails :(

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

You can't run deer with dogs down in the Charlotte area, it's too populated and illegal...

One of the best areas in the state, with the biggest bucks is near Charlotte...The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge...

Best of all...It's perfect for a bow hunter...It is open to the public and they have 4-5 drawn hunts a year, but before they open it for these hunts, you can bow hunt it like you own it...

More than likely, you will want to live 30-40 miles away from Charlotte as it is really growing and expanding...Will you be working in the city??? Or just need to be nearby???

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

You go down there and talk like that, "Harvest", most of those good ole boys will laugh at you and call you a sissy. LOL VAbowman pretty much nailed the land access issue. It takes some time to even get in a lot of clubs. They don't just accept newcomers on sight. You got to know someone or know someone that does. Once those friendships are forged they're steady. I've been gone from Georgia for 27 years and still have a couple farmers that will allow me to hunt their property free. When I was last down there they begged me to move back there and take care of some of their hog problems. LOL Many of my friends there still refer to me as that Damn Yankee, and then they laugh.[8D] I don't know about the Carolinas, but Georgia does have some public land and some pretty decent Wildlife Management areas. Check on the snake situation locally.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

If you come down this way during an open season.....let me know. I'll take you hunting. I'm about 1.5hrs from Charlotte.....and I know there are places in between that are usually looking for people to join the various leases.

We have an abundance of deer and turkeys in many NC/SC counties.....and SC has one of the most lengthy and liberal deer seasons I could imagine.

Good luck with your choice.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I moved to North Carolina 5 years ago and have just now gotten to where I have a couple of little spots to hunt. The land in our area is being consumed rapidly by logging and development. I moved here from Indiana which has alot of similarities to Michigan and let me tell you, your in for a heck of a shot. Went from looking at 180 class deer to now a really nice one in this area is 130-140 and body size is no comparison at all down here you hunt fawn sized bucks lol.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

dct....

If you have access to 130-140 class deer in NC.....you better count your blessings. I've never seen a deer in the wild in NC that would top 107". I'd like to change that this coming season......but I'm only cautiously optimistic.;)

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I have personally seen 1 and that was not while hunting. I know of two that were taken just to the South of here one scored 134+ and the other I believe was 141+. Now as for what I have seen and taken is more along the lines of what your talking maybe 100+ at best most would score in the 80 or 90 range I agree.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I posted this a while back in the South regional forum. There is a lot of public land in NC and if you do a little legwork there are some lightly pressured areas to be found as many people overlook public land to join clubs, which are relatively easy to find and join once you get in the area. Also there is public land bordering dog clubs that you would think would see a lot of pressure but considering many of the clubs only "group" hunt 2 times a week sometimes these areas serve as semi-sanctuaries and you can catch deer moving on the clubs off days.



Plenty of public land throughout the state and because of the clubs and many people not looking for or needing land you can usually find some areas that recieve relatively light pressure.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission


More specifically click on Hunting/Trapping then click on the maps link towards the top of the page.

-Maps (Here is a link)

Once on the page linked use themap below and click on the area you are interested in(the pic here will not link but the one on the site will). There are also some PDF files you can link to and gameland books available from the state. Also if you are active duty, retired, or DOD there are some Militray installments you can hunt, I don't think they are listed on the State site but some may be.




< Message edited by NEW61375 -- 3/19/2008 9:38:57 PM >

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I also googled hunt clubs Charlotte NC and there were several listings and if you can make contact with anyone from those clubs they could probably tell you a lot about the club situation in the area.

Google NC hunt clubs for lots more links.

Meck Hunt Club

The Mecklenburg Hunt Club has 5000+ acres with good habitat and ample game only a short drive from Charlotte, NC. Our hunters and sportsman enjoy affordable ...


NC Hunt Club Membership, Hunting Club South Carolina

Join the premier North Carolina and South Carolina deer hunting club! ... Tony S – Member from Charlotte, NC. Here finally are the pictures you have been ...

PIEDMONT HUNT CLUB, INC. NEWSLETTER


Upstate SC Hunting club has some openings.... - ArcheryTalk

Upstate SC Hunting club has some openings.... Hunting Land for Sale or Lease. ... Location: Charlotte, NC. Posts: 6427. iTrader: Check/Add Feedback ...

north carolina deer hunting deer quail whitetail , whitetaildeer ...

Based in the Charlotte, NC area. A new and unique approach to a hunting club. ... Located near Rocky Mount, NC -"REAL" food plots unlike what other clubs ...

north carolina hunt clubs

north carolina deer hunting clubs. ... The Central Carolina Outdoor Club, Inc. (CCOC) is the exclusive Charlotte-area franchise of the American Wildlife ...

north carolina hunt clubs

The following are clubs which have openings or opportunities as listed. If interested in listing your hunt club on this site also, please click the ...

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

There are plenty of public land places in both states as well as Va, now you willl have to do your homework, but the best thing is to get into a club with at least 3,000 ac to hunt. That is a fairly small amount of land when considering the dog situation, but some clubs have upwards of 20,000-30,000 ac too.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

VA VGDIF site. Loads of public land in the form of WMA's and 100's of 1000's of acres in the form of Stateand National forest land.

This is straight tothe hunting section: (on the bottom right corner of the page there is section you can register(just need an e-mail address & password)to use called Find Game. Very easy to search specific areas or areas close to where you may live.

Hunting

and this is to the home page:

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries


I am a member of two clubs in VA and one small club in NC(hunt as guest at some bigger ones some seasons). But in addition to that in the past 4 or 5 seasons I have been slowly hunting lots of public land in both states. I have had great success in VA at finding lightly pressured hunting areas (especially for bow season) and all it took was some internet surfing to find aerials and topos and some legwork as far as scouting during the off season and then getting out there during hunting season and seeing what kind of pressure is there. I have found some good spots inEastern NC as well but I hunt mostly in VA.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Sorry Michigan I just realized you asked about NC & SC (not VA), I should have reread the thread title.:D

I would recommend theSC state sitefor info on the publicland if you call and talk to someone usually they can tell you some info on hunting pressure and some of the least pressured areas.If you google SC Hunt clubs orput the specific areain SC and huntclub behind it you could probaly get pointed in the right direction as far as some leases.

Nate

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

New we have to wait til oct 4th for bow season!!!!!! I can't wait that long!!!!!

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I feel your pain. Unfortunately I have been slowly chipping away at my vacation time with sick kids and dental appointments for them. I have used like 67 hours in the past 3 months so that might hurt me a little this season, but good Lord willing I'll find a way.:D

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Ive got a 4 day hunt planned for my brother's farm in Pulaski Co. the first week of bow!! I love going up there!!

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Michigan,

Here are a couple of NC bucks from the last couple of seaons:




Love the chocalate rack on this buck:



This one would have been one of my bigger bucks from NC had he not been broke up:





Yes that's buck shot, not mine though.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I hunt ENE of there near Lynchburg, Bedford, Rustburg. It is one of my favorite areas in VA to hunt.

There is nearly 8,000 acres just sw ofPulaski open to the public, I might visit it when I am in Lynchburg towards the end of October.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

You can't hunt with dogs in the Fort Mill, Rock Hill area of SC. Pretty much east of Lancaster county can dog drive and bait. West of there is no dogs and no baiting.

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I have 2 options:

There is the Freighliner Truck Plant in Mt. Holly NCnear Charlotte?

Our the new Daimler Truck Plant going up in Fort Mill, SC......

Southern Boys!! ---I'm a Yankee...But you'll like me....I will adapt well and respect my new friends....!!!

Take me under your wing!

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

you gotta be calm though, we like it slow and easy, wait a minute...that doesn't sound right does it??.....

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

VA - You didn't expect me to sit back and let this go bye - now did ya?:)

Sounds like your trying to back into something with some sort of question??!!!

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

I moved 20 minutes north of Charlotte (Huntersville) about 5 years ago. I spent my first two years hunting public land. I saw a fair amount of game, but often ran into other hunters. I joined a hunting club and have been a member the last three years. We've got some decent bucks, plenty of does, hogs, turkey, fox, coyote, and a dove field. We have two parcels of property 1.5 and 2 hours from my house. My best deer (an 8pt) was taken on this property. Occasionally, I still hunt some of the public game land close to home. I've taken 3 small bucks and a doe on the game lands. There is no shortage of deer. You can take 6 a year per hunter. I live in a subdivision in Huntersville (about 1000 houses). Last year I shot a huge Doe (first deer with a bow) in the easement 400 yards behind my house. I'm originally from NH, and as someone mentioned earlier, the deer are smaller than up North.The deer don't need to weight 200+ lbs to get through winter here. But there are some big deer here. A 160 class deer was killed by a car in Mecklenberg County (Charlotte) two years ago.

O ya, its about 80 degrees on opening day of bow season.... HOT!

RE: Deer Hunting North & South Carolina
 

Actually, we could kill unlimited does this year...I killed 8...:D