North Carolina Hunting Season Dates

We are not accepting reservations for hunting in North Carolina during the 2009 season unless we are able to find some experienced guides. If you would like to apply for a position as a hunting guide, please click the link on the left to "employment."

Information on hunting in North Carolina will be forthcoming. Please check back for update.

DEER HUNTING SEASONS

Note: Seasons for Game Lands may differ. See the Game Lands

section for specific Game Land rules.

Note: See maps on pages 45–48 for counties and either-sex

season dates.

Deer bag limits are located on page 43.

Eastern Deer Season

Bow and Arrow: Sept. 13 – Oct. 10

Muzzleloading: Oct. 11 – 17

Gun: Oct. 18 – Jan. 1

Central Deer Season

Bow and Arrow: Sept. 13 – Nov. 7

Muzzleloading: Nov. 8 – 14

Gun: Nov. 15 – Jan. 1

Northwestern Deer Season

Bow and Arrow: Sept. 13 – Nov. 14

Muzzleloading: Nov. 15 – 21

Gun: Nov. 22 – Dec. 20

Western Deer Season

Bow and Arrow: Sept. 8 – Oct. 4

and Oct. 13 – Nov. 22

Muzzleloading: Oct. 6 - 11

Gun: Nov. 24 – Dec. 13

Urban Season

Bow and Arrow: Jan. 10, 2009 –

Feb. 14, 2009

Participating Municipality Information Number

Elkin 336-835-9800

Locust 704-888-5260

Middlesex 252-235-5767

Midland 704-888-2232

Morganton 828-438-5228

Smithfield 919-989-1076

Stanfield 704-888-2386

Stokesdale 336-643-4011

Summerfield 336-643-8655

Washington 252-975-2549

WILD BOAR SEASONS

Daily limit 1; Possession limit 1; Season limit 2

In the following counties: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson,

Macon, Swain

Oct. 13 – Nov. 22

Dec. 15 – Jan. 1

In the other 94 counties of the state, feral hogs are not considered

to be wild boars, and the Commission does not regulate them.

2008-2009 HUNTING SEASON DATES

BEAR HUNTING SEASONS

Daily limit 1; Season limit 1

Western Bear Season

Oct. 13 – Nov. 22

Dec. 15 – Jan. 1

West of the boundary formed by I-77 from the Virginia state line to

I-40 and I-40 west to N.C. 18 south to the South Carolina state

line.

Note: Further game land restrictions may apply. See the Game

Lands section for specific game land rules.

Eastern Bear Seasons:

Nov. 10 – Jan. 1

In the following counties:

Bladen

Carteret

Cumberland

Duplin

New Hanover

Onslow

Pender

Sampson

Dec. 1 – 20

Brunswick

Columbus

Nov. 10 –15 and Dec. 15 – 27

In the following counties:

Beaufort

Camden

Chowan

Craven

Dare

Hyde

Jones

Pamlico (use of dogs for hunting bear is prohibited here.)

Pasquotank

Tyrrell

Washington

Nov. 10 – 15 and Dec. 15 – 17

In the following counties and parts of counties:

Hertford

Halifax (that part east of U.S. 301)

Martin

Northampton (that part east of U.S. 301)

Nov. 8 – 15 and Dec. 15 – 27

Bertie

Currituck

Gates

Perquimans

Nov. 10 – 15

Greene

Lenoir

Pitt

38 Please note: For the convenience of the reader, major regulation changes appear in RED. HUNTING REGULATIONS &

INFORMATION

WILD TURKEY SEASONS

Daily limit 1; Possession limit 2

Annual limit 2 (only one of which may be harvested during the

winter either-sex season)

Winter Either-Sex Season (private lands only)

Jan. 12 – 17, 2009

Alleghany Rockingham

Ashe Stokes

Caswell Surry

Granville Watauga

Person Wilkes

Only one turkey may be harvested during the winter season.

Note: For information on permit hunts for select Game Lands, refer to

the Game Lands section.

Youth Day (male or bearded turkey only)

April 4, 2009

Statewide Spring Season (male or bearded turkey only)

April 11 – May 9, 2009

SMALL GAME AND OTHER SEASONS

SQUIRREL

Gray and Red (statewide) Oct. 13 – Jan. 31

Daily limit 8; No possession or season limit

Fox Squirrel Oct. 13 – Dec. 31

Daily limit 1; Possession 2; Season 10

In the following counties:

Anson

Alleghany

Ashe

Bladen

Brunswick

Cumberland

RABBIT (includes box-traps)

Nov. 22 – Feb. 28

Daily limit 5; No possession or season limit

QUAIL

Nov. 22 – Feb. 28

Daily limit 6; Possession 12; Season, no limit

GROUSE

Oct. 13 – Feb. 28

Daily limit 3; Possession 6; Season 30

BOBCAT

Oct. 13 – Feb. 28

No limits

Exceptions: the bobcat season is closed in Haywood County

on the Harmon Den and Sherwood Bear Sanctuaries

GROUNDHOG, NUTRIA, COYOTE AND SKUNK (striped)

There is no closed season or bag limit.

SMALL GAME AND OTHER SEASONS (continued)

PHEASANT

Nov. 22 – Feb. 1 (male pheasant only)

Daily limit 3; Possession 6; Season 30

RACCOON AND OPOSSUM

OCT. 13 (at sunrise) – Feb. 28

Opossum; No bag limits

Raccoon Daily limit 3; No possession or season limit

Exceptions: These portions of the following counties are closed

to raccoon and opossum hunting:

Haywood: Harmon Den and Sherwood Bear Sanctuaries

FOX

Nov. 22 – Jan. 1

Daily limit 2; Season 10

This season applies as follows:

In those counties and parts of counties east of I-77 where local

laws do not prohibit the taking of foxes or that do not have

established fox seasons (see page 63 for local laws).

In Caldwell and Mitchell counties, foxes may be taken by

firearms or bow and arrow only. Foxes taken during this

hunting season shall not be bought or sold.

Jan. 3 – 24

Daily limit 2; Season 10

Foxes may be taken in the counties, listed below by legal

weapons and may be sold after being properly tagged (refer

to page 8 for more information on fox tags):

Caswell Macon

Clay Stokes

Graham Tyrrell

Hunters must possess fox tags prior to harvesting foxes during this

season. There is no open weapons hunting season in any other

county except where provided by local laws (see page 63).

Year Round

Must be taken with dogs only; no limits

EXTENDED SEASON FOR TAKE BY FALCONRY

Oct. 13 – Feb. 28 (Applies only to rabbits and gray and red squirrels)

Outside of Regular Season Dates:

Squirrels: Daily limit 4; Possession limit 8

Rabbits: Daily limit 3; Possession limit 6

Regular species bag limits apply during regular seasons.

BEAVER

There is an open season for taking beaver with firearms or bow

and arrow during any open season for the taking of wild animals,

provided that permission has been obtained from the owner or

lessee of the land on which the beaver is being taken.

CONTROLLED HUNTING PRESERVES

Oct. 1 – Mar. 31

No limits.

This applies to domestically raised birds (mallard ducks and

upland game birds) only.

No wild turkey may be taken.

2008-2009 HUNTING SEASON DATES

Duplin

Edgecombe

Greene

Harnett

Hoke

Johnston

Jones

Lenoir

Moore

New Hanover

Onslow

Pender

Pitt

Richmond

Sampson

Scotland

Wayne

HUNTING REGULATIONS & INFORMATION

Please note: For the convenience of the reader, major regulation changes appear in RED. 39

If you have any questions about licenses, permits, season dates, limits, rates or booking