Page 79 - 2013-14-PHO

Game Land: Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Acreage: Listed Below

Tracts (acreage): Cowan’s Ford Refuge (800) A + B, Rural Hills

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve (1,400) A, B, C McDowell Nature Preserve (1,082) A, B, C

General Location: Cowan’s Ford Refuge and Latta Plantation NP, northwestern Mecklenburg Co., McDowell NP, southwestern Mecklenburg Co.

Closest Municipalities: Cowan’s Ford Refuge and Latta Plantation NP, Huntersville and Charlotte. MCDowell NP, Lake Wylie, S.C. and Charlotte, N.C. (Lodging available in municipalities)

County: Mecklenburg

GPS Coordinates: N/A

Camping Allowed: No. This applies to each hunt area.

Closest Boat Access Area: Cowan’s Ford Refuge and Latta Plantation NP, Neck Rd. Boat Access on Mountain Island Lake. MCDowell NP, Copperhead Island Boat Access on Lake Wylie.

Mandatory: There is a mandatory orientation the Sunday prior to the hunt date for each hunt area.

General Terrain Characteristics:

• Cowan’s Ford Refuge: Habitat includes pine, hardwoods, and mixed forest, fields of prairie grasses and utility corridors. Terrain is rolling, and in some areas is quite steep. The deer popula-tion is high. Other than for the deer hunt and special tours, traffic on Cowan’s Ford is restricted to Neck Road and the observation platform that overlooks two waterfowl impoundments and a large field of native prairie grasses. For the deer hunt, Cowan’s Ford is divided into two hunt zones. There are also zones at Rural Hills. You must stay within your assigned zone. • Latta Plantation NP: The habitat at Latta is generally more forested than Cowan’s Ford and the terrain is somewhat flatter. In addition to forest, there are utility corridors and a prairie restoration area. Also within the nature preserve are the Carolina Raptor Center and Historic Latta Plantation, a restored 18th-century plantation house. Latta is divided into three hunt zones. You must stay within your assigned zone.

• McDowell NP: Southern portion of about 500 acres is almost entirely forested with mature hardwoods. Although the terrain varies, most of it is very steep. The habitat on the north-ern portion includes mixed pines and hardwoods, some mature hardwoods, fields of prairie grasses and a utility corridor. Terrain varies from flat to very steep. For the hunt, the pre-serve is divided into three zones. You must stay within your assigned zone. Vehicles are allowed along Four Horse Rd. and designated areas on the utility corridor.

Special Equipment Needs: In addition to normal hunting gear, the following items may be helpful: • Four wheelers are allowed between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and again after dark, for game retrieval only.

Deer:

• Limit on antlered deer is one. • There is no limit on antlerless deer.

Game Land: Mountain Island Educational State Forest Acreage: 1,050

Tracts: N/A

General Location: Killian Farm Road, Stanley N.C.

Closest Municipalities: Huntersville (Lodging available in municipalities)

County: Gaston and Lincoln

GPS Coordinates: N/A

Camping Allowed: No

Closest Boat Access Area: N/A

Game Land Map: N/A

General Terrain Characteristics: Habitat includes bottomland hardwood and upland-pine and mixed-hardwood forests.

Game Land: Nicholson Creek Acreage: 1,027

Tracts: N/A

General Location: 2.5 miles northeast of Raeford on Fort Bragg Boundary.

Closest Municipalities: Raeford (Lodging available in municipalities)

County: Hoke

GPS Coordinates (NAD 83): 35° 1’ 57.57” N 79° 12’ 31.67” W

Camping Allowed: No

Closest Boat Access Area: There is one pond with a primitive boat ramp on this property.

Game Land Map: Refer to www.ncwildlife.org

General Terrain Characteristics: Upland pine ridges, open fields, thick pocosin drainages.

Special Equipment Needs: In addition to normal hunting gear, the following items may be helpful: • GPS, binoculars, compass, topographical map, blind.

75 Refer to the N.C. Inland Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Regulations Digest for regulations and local laws.