CarpenterPreserveRequest hunt informationNow booking this hunting season
$3,500 per hunter
Base guided-hunt price · Trophy fees may apply
When: Regular package: three hunts over two days. See the opening-weekend package below.
What’s included: Guided fair-chase hunting. Confirm meals and lodging for your selected package; harvest is not guaranteed.
Quality deer hunting
Managed habitat. Carefully hunted.
From rolling ridges to sheltered river bottoms, Carpenter’s varied terrain brings feeding areas and protective cover into close reach. Our approach pairs that habitat with thoughtful herd management, carefully selected stand locations and limited hunting pressure.
Our goal is a healthy herd and mature bucks, with a hunting experience rooted in patience, local knowledge and respect for the land.
Quality forage, secure cover and time enable whitetails to reach their potential. Bucks scoring 200 inches have been taken in the area.
Here at Carpenter Preserve, our current weight records are a 154.5-pound doe and a 230-pound buck. To date, our highest grossing buck harvested is 169 4/8 inches. Let’s set the next record together.
Full Deer Hunt — $3,500 per hunter
Hunters & nonhunting guests
| Your party | Base package total |
|---|---|
| One hunter | $3,500 |
| One hunter + one nonhunting observer | $4,000 |
| Two hunters | $7,000 |
The $500 observer fee includes accompanying the hunter, meals and the package’s included overnight stay. Please call 704-906-6074 to add an observer and confirm accommodations when booking.
Observers may accompany the hunt but may not hunt or harvest game. Anyone who hunts, including guests who take turns shooting, pays the full $3,500 hunter rate. Any applicable trophy fee is charged to the hunter who harvests the buck.
Includes three hunts over two days: an afternoon hunt on your arrival day, followed by a morning and evening hunt the next day.
Opening day: check in Friday, October 30, from 2–4 p.m.; hunt Saturday, October 31, morning and afternoon. Regular packages: check-in at 2:00 p.m. on your first day; please arrive one hour before your hunt begins.
Includes the opportunity to harvest one guide-approved mature buck. An additional trophy fee applies to harvested bucks scoring 150 inches or more, as listed below. This is a fair-chase hunt; a buck sighting or harvest is not guaranteed.
Ample doe harvest is available at no additional charge, within legal limits and the preserve’s management plan.
We carefully limit bookings to support an annual management goal of four or five mature bucks and 40 to 50 does, adjusted to the herd each season.
Meal and lodging arrangements are confirmed separately when booking.
Trophy Fees
Added to the $3,500 base hunt price when a qualifying buck is harvested. Only the fee for your buck’s score applies; fees are not cumulative.
| Gross antler score | Additional trophy fee |
|---|---|
| Under 150 inches | No trophy fee |
| 150–159⅞ inches | $2,000 |
| 160–169⅞ inches | $4,000 |
| 170–179⅞ inches | $6,000 |
| 180–189⅞ inches | $8,000 |
| 190–199⅞ inches | $10,000 |
| 200 inches and above | $12,000 |
Trophy fees are based on gross green antler score, measured after recovery with no deductions. The scoring method is agreed before booking.
The base hunt price remains payable regardless of success.
For regular packages, arrive Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. for an afternoon hunt, followed by morning and afternoon hunts the next day. The October 30 arrival follows the opening-day package above. Overlapping parties are welcome, with alternate lodging when the Dunlap House is booked. No Sunday hunting.
“Caught in the Act of Passing”
See the Hunter?View deer photographs
The neighborhood
Over 16,000 acres managed for wildlife.
You don’t need to fly to the Midwest. Here in the Rocky River and Pee Dee River basin, Carpenter Preserve and neighboring properties encompass over 16,000 acres managed for wildlife. That shared commitment extends well beyond our own property lines.
The rivers help shape this landscape: wooded bottoms meet fields and rolling uplands, bringing food, water and sanctuary together.
Book your deer hunt
Full Deer Hunt · $3,500 per hunter
Before your day afield
Plan your hunt with John.
Discuss your preferred dates, party size and package with John before you reserve. Each hunt page explains the guided experience, equipment, meals and lodging available with its packages.
Call John at 704-906-6074 or send a hunt inquiry.
Explore our original photographs and field recordings throughout the site for a look at the preserve, the dogs and the habitat.
Common questions
What should I bring?
Ask John about clothing, footwear and any equipment or license requirements for your specific hunt. Quail packages include shotgun use, shells and a hunting license. Rabbit packages include shotgun use and shells. Confirm deer equipment and license requirements before arrival.
Can I stay overnight?
Selected quail packages include an overnight stay. Deer lodging and meal arrangements depend on the package. Explore accommodations and confirm your arrangements before booking.
How do reservations and payment work?
Select a package to view its booking calendar. Full payment is due at booking. If you need help choosing a package or date, contact John first.
What if I need to cancel or weather is a concern?
Cancellations at least 30 days before your hunt receive a 50% refund. Cancellations under 30 days are nonrefundable. If the preserve cancels, choose a full refund or reschedule. Contact John to discuss weather concerns before traveling.