* Rifle season – Starts approximately the third week of October and runs through Jan. 1. We can accommodate short- and long-distance shooting. Stand sites are set in various places.

* Archery season – Begins in early September and runs for a month. Stand sites are set in various locations.

* Muzzleloader season – Short opportunity to kill deer lasts just two weeks in early October. Scopes and In-Lines are legal during this non-restricted period. Prime opportunity for close shots.

Hunters must be licensed, and are required to bring their own weapons and ammunition. A hunter orange coat/vest or cap, camouflage clothing and accessories, all-weather clothing, compass or GPS device, viewing equipment, cooler, bug repellent, camera/video equipment and accessories also should be brought along.

Licensing information can be accessed at:

Northampton County is the No. 1 county for deer harvest in North Carolina, and we aim to keep it that way. To help ensure fantastic hunting opportunities for generations to come, we ask our guests to please not shoot a middle-of-the-road 1 ½-year-old buck, especially considering some Whitetail Deer have been known to live up to 9 years.

To date, we are pleased to say that our clients have abided our request and willingly helped us to maintain our hunting policy. We are proud to cater to guests who are hunters, not killers.

Many of our guests find more enjoyment from observing a 4-pointer feed under their stand and walk on, than by killing him. It's a choice we have come to expect from our hunters because we value creating a safe, private, quality-oriented experience to see a beautiful buck. Our many repeat customers are testimony to our wildlife management's success.

On the flip side, however, there is a very liberal doe harvest. Currently, the State of North Carolina has permitted hunters to shoot up to 4 doe per license, and we continue to monitor our buck to doe ratio.

All hunting is done from elevated stands that are easy to access, safe and comfortable.

After each hunt your guide will clean your deer, with the venison allowed to "age" properly in our walk-in cooler until the last day of your stay. The animals will then be quartered and packed in your cooler for transport home.

The deer's kidneys then are evaluated for fat levels, helping us to ascertain the nutrition of the animal. The nutritional findings, combined with the information about the property location of where the animal was harvested, provide us tremendous insight into wildlife conditions and how we can improve the animal's habitat.