Working Paper 113 · Herd & HarvestNorth Carolina · 100 counties · Reported deer · October 2026 snapshot
North Carolina Deer Counties Ranked: Randolph Leads the 2025-26 Harvest
FDR Research Desk · Published FDR county analysis · Agency sources and methods linked below
Randolph led North Carolina's reported deer harvest in 2025-26 with 5,349 deer. Anson followed at 4,254 and Rockingham at 4,033. Watauga ranked forty-second by total, yet led the agency's separate antlered-bucks-per-square-mile column at 8.83. That change in order is the reason to keep both columns open when comparing counties.
KEY FINDINGS
- Randolph led reported harvest at 5,349 deer. Anson and Rockingham followed at 4,254 and 4,033.
- Cleveland appears near the top under both measures. It was fourth in total harvest at 3,948 and third in the agency's printed antlered-buck rate at 7.63.
- Watauga's 8.83 rate applies to antlered bucks. Its total reported harvest was 2,142 deer; the rate is not total deer per square mile.
North Carolina county finder
Where does your county rank?
Measured NCWRC county totals, 2025-26. Derived ranks; ties share rank. The secondary rate is the agency's printed antlered-buck rate, not total deer density.
10 of 100 entries shown
| State rank | County | Reported deer | Antlered bucks / sq. mi. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randolph | 5,349 | 4.1 |
| 2 | Anson | 4,254 | 4.27 |
| 3 | Rockingham | 4,033 | 4.62 |
| 4 | Cleveland | 3,948 | 7.63 |
| 5 | Rutherford | 3,802 | 4.59 |
| 6 | Union | 3,783 | 4.74 |
| 7 | Northampton | 3,683 | 3.38 |
| 8 | Halifax | 3,657 | 2.94 |
| 9 | Davidson | 3,527 | 5.11 |
| 10 | Stanly | 3,371 | 6.7 |
01County comparison
Randolph finished 1,095 deer ahead of Anson
The Wildlife Resources Commission's county table puts Randolph first by total. Anson, Rockingham, Cleveland and Rutherford form the next four. Randolph's lead over second-place Anson is a derived difference of 1,095 reported deer, a substantial gap within this particular season's count.
The next group is closer. Cleveland reported 3,948 deer and Rutherford 3,802, followed by Union at 3,783. Northampton, Halifax, Davidson and Stanly complete the first ten. These totals do not adjust for county size, hunter effort or the ground a particular hunter can access.
02County comparison
Cleveland stays near the top when the measure changes
Cleveland places fourth in total harvest at 3,948 and third in the agency's printed antlered-buck rate at 7.63 per square mile. Only Watauga at 8.83 and Alleghany at 8.22 exceed that rate. Cleveland's place near the top therefore survives a change from total deer to the area-adjusted antlered-buck measure.
Stanly provides another useful comparison. It is tenth by total with 3,371 deer and prints an antlered-buck rate of 6.7. Davidson is ninth by total at 3,527 with a rate of 5.11. The two counties sit next to each other in the total ranking, but Stanly has the higher printed buck rate. Antlered bucks are part of the harvest total, so the columns are related evidence, not independent confirmations.
03County comparison
Watauga leads one column from forty-second in the other
Watauga's reported 2,142 deer consist of 1,187 antlered bucks, 73 antlerless males and 882 antlerless females. Its 8.83 rate belongs specifically to the antlered-buck column. Calling that total deer per square mile would change the meaning of the agency result.
Alleghany has a similar split: thirty-third by total at 2,585, second by printed antlered-buck rate at 8.22. Gaston ranks forty-eighth by total at 2,019 but prints a rate of 7.15. Cabarrus is forty-seventh at 2,030 with a rate of 6.89. A top ten list based only on total harvest would omit every one of those counties.
04County comparison
Choose the column that fits the comparison
Randolph is the answer to which county reported the most deer. Watauga is the answer to which county led this report's printed antlered-buck rate. Cleveland is prominent under both measures. Those are three useful findings that would disappear inside a single unexplained best-county label.
The county finder keeps all 100 totals and printed rates together. The rate uses NCWRC's published basis; we have not replaced its denominator with Census land or converted it into total-deer density. Compare the county you can hunt with nearby alternatives, and keep the column heading attached when sharing the result.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
Measured county values come from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission's 2025-26 reported-harvest table, retrieved October 5, 2026. FDR derives ranks by sorting the printed total. Antlerless male remains distinct from antlered buck. The secondary rate is the agency's printed antlered bucks per square mile, with no new area calculation. All 100 county totals sum to 199,770 reported deer.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Measured NCWRC county totals, 2025-26. Derived ranks; ties share rank. The secondary rate is the agency's printed antlered-buck rate, not total deer density.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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