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Portions of Duke Forest to Close for Hunting Season

Pre-selected groups permitted to hunt deer from Sept. 29 to Dec. 19

As part of its annual deer management program, in coordination with the state Wildlife Resources Commission, Duke Forest will close three of its divisions during weekdays through the fall for hunting.

The Durham, Korstian and Blackwood divisions of the Forest will be closed to all public access Monday to Friday from Sept. 29 to Dec. 19. All divisions of the Forest will be open on Saturdays and Sundays and on Nov. 27 and 28 for Thanksgiving. The Edeburn (formerly Eno), Hillsboro, and Dailey divisions will not be impacted by the deer management program and remain open throughout the fall.

“Hunting remains a necessary tool for reducing the negative impacts of overabundant deer on the Forest,” said Sara Childs, director of Duke Forest. “Overgrazing by deer changes the way the forest grows, which affects its overall health, and it can disturb research experiments or make them significantly more expensive to establish.”

See this map for an overview of division locations.

This is the seventh hunting season for Duke Forest. During the season, signs will be posted at all gated entrances to the Forest and staff will issue citations to any unauthorized visitors.

Hunting is only allowed for pre-selected groups; it isn’t open to the general public. The Durham and Korstian divisions will be hunted with bow and arrow only while the Blackwood Division will have both bow and gun hunting. For safety reasons, visitors need to observe all posted signs and seek alternate locations for recreation.

Duke community members with upcoming or ongoing work in the Forest should contact Duke Forest staff as soon as possible to discuss arrangements. Staff can be contacted by phone at (919) 613-8013 or email at dukeforest@duke.edu. Additional updates will be posted on the Duke Forest website.