Deer hunting is an age-old tradition and popular past time in Haywood County. From far-stretching public game lands at Cold Mountain and Pisgah National Forest and state-owned land near the Little East Fork, locals have plenty of rugged terrain for hunting. But in recent years, finding deer to hunt has become more and more difficult.

Mark Rogers has hunted this area all of his life, but he’s watched as others move across the state line to find better deer populations.

“A lot go to South Carolina and Georgia to hunt because hunting deer here is a challenge,” Rogers said. “At the eastern end of North Carolina, a hunter might see more deer in a day than I’ll see all season.”

The only buck Rogers killed this year wandered into his backyard near Lake Logan.

But Rogers and several of his fellow ...