Click here to see a complete list of season dates and bag limits
The complete PDF of hunting and trapping regulations, maps of all game lands managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and information on hunting and safety classes visit www.ncwildlife.org. Hunting/fishing/trapping licenses are available at the Web site, by calling 1-888-248-6834 (Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) or from a local Wildlife Service Agent.

BEAR

(Daily limit 1; Season limit 1)

Western Bear Season

Through Nov. 22 and 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)

Eastern Bear Season

Nov. 10-Jan. 1
Counties: Bladen, Carteret, Cumberland, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Sampson);
Dec. 1-20
Counties: Brunswick, Columbus);
Nov. 10-15 and Dec. 15-27
Counties: Beaufort, Camden, Chowan, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Jones, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, Washington); Nov. 10-15 and Dec. 15-17
Counties: Hertford, Halifax east of U.S. 301; Martin, Northampton east of U.S. 301);
Nov. 8-15 and Dec. 15-27
Counties: Bertie, Currituck, Gates, Perquimans);
Nov. 10-15
Counties: Greene, Lenoir, Pitt).

BOBCAT

(No limits)

Through Feb. 28
Bobcat season is closed in Haywood County on the Harmon Den and Sherwood Bear Sanctuaries)

BOAR

(Daily limit 1; Possession limit 1; Season limit 2)

Through Nov. 22 and Dec. 15-Jan. 1
in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swaim counties. (In the rest of the state, feral hogs are not considered to be wild boars and the NCWRC does not regulate them)

DEER

(Daily limit 2; The big-game hunting license authorizes a season limit of 6. All 6 can be antlerless for all areas of the state. Season limit for antlered deer in the Eastern Deer Season is 4. Season limit for antlered deer in the Central, Northwestern, and Western deer seasons is 2.)

Note: Persons hunting deer during a deer firearms season must wear hunter orange.

Eastern Deer Season

Through Jan. 1 (gun). Bow and arrow season is over.

Central Deer Season

Through Nov. 7 (bow and arrow); Nov. 8–14 (muzzleloading); Nov. 15-Jan. 1 (gun)

Northwestern Deer Season

Through Nov. 14 (bow and arrow); Nov. 15–21 (muzzleloading); Nov. 22-Dec. 20 (gun)

Western Deer Season

Through Nov. 22 (bow and arrow); Nov. 24-Dec. 13 (gun). Muzzleloading season is over.

Urban Season

Jan. 10-Feb.14 (bow and arrow only; Participating municipalities: Elkin (835-9800), Locust (704-888-5260), Middlesex (252-235-5767), Midland (7-4-888-2232), Morganton (828-438-5228), Smithfield (919-989-1076), Stanfield (704-888-2386), Stokesdale (643-4011), Summerfield (643-8655), Washington (252-975-2549)

GROUSE

(Daily limit 3; possession limit 12; no season limit)

Through Feb. 28

PHEASANT

(Daily limit 3; possession limit 6; season limit 30)

Nov. 22-Feb. 1 (Male pheasant only)

RABBIT

(No limits; includes box traps)

Nov.22-Feb. 28 (Bobcat season is closed in Haywood County on the Harmon Den and Sherwood Bear Sanctuaries)

RACCOON and OPOSSUM

(Raccoon Daily limit 3; no possession or season limits; Opossum no limits)

Through Feb. 28 (No raccoon or opossum hunting in Haywood County on the Harmon Den and Sherwood Bear Sanctuaries)

QUAIL

(Daily limit 6; possession limit 12; no season limit)

Nov. 22-Feb. 28

SQUIRREL

Gray and Red

(Daily limit 8; no possession or season limits)

Through Jan. 31

Fox

(Daily limit 1; possession limit 2; season limit 10)

Through Dec. 31 (Counties: Anson, Alleghany, Ashe, Bladen, Brunswick, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne)

WATERFOWL

(Shooting hours: ½ hour before sunrise to sunset; Conventional bag: 6 ducks with no more than 4 scoters, 4 mallards with no more than 2 hen mallards, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 black or mottled duck (season closed until December 13), 1 pintail, or 1 fulvous tree duck. Prior to January 2 the daily bag limit for scaup is 1, with a daily bag of 2 for the remainder of the season. The season on canvasbacks and harlequin ducks is closed. Possession limits are twice the daily bag unless otherwise noted. Other limits: 15 light geese (Includes snow & blue geese & Ross’ geese), no possession limit; 3 brant; 5 mergansers (2 hooded mergansers); 7 sea ducks (In special sea-duck areas only). In other areas sea ducks are part of the regular duck bag limit. No more than 4 scoters per day may be taken in either season; 15 coots; 5 dark geese (Includes Canada geese & white-fronted geese) in the Resident Hunt Zone, 5 in the Southern James Bay Zone and 1 per season (permit holders only) in the Northeast Hunt Zone)

Ducks, Mergansers and Coots

Nov. 8-29 and Dec. 13-Jan. 24 (Black and mottled ducks closed until Dec. 13)

Sea Ducks

Through Jan. 31

Dark geese

Nov. 8-29 and Dec. 13-Feb. 7 (Resident Population Hunt Zone); Nov. 8-Dec. 31 (Southern James Bay Hunt Zone); Dec. 22-Jan. 24 (Northeast Hunt Zone, by permit only — 1,000 will be issued)

Light geese

Nov. 8-Feb. 28

Brant

Nov. 8-29 and Dec. 13-Jan. 24

Tundra Swan

Nov. 8-Jan. 31 (By permit only — 5,000 will be issued)

Youth Waterfowl Day

Jan. 31, 2009 (Youth must be 15 or younger and accompanied by licensed adult; adult cannot duck hunt)

WEBLESS GAME BIRDS

(Shooting hours: ½ hour before sunrise to sunset)

Dove

Nov. 24-Nov. 29 and Dec. 12-Jan. 10 (Daily bag 15; possession limit 30)

King and Clapper Rails

Through Nov. 8 (Daily bag 15; possession limit 30)

Sora and Virginia Rails

Through Nov. 8 (Daily bag 25; possession limit 25)

Gallinule and Moorhens

Through Nov. 8 (Daily bag 15; possession limit 30)

Woodcock

Jan. 2-Jan. 31 (Daily bag 3; possession limit 6)

Common Snipe

Nov. 14-Feb. 28 (Daily bag 8; possession limit 16)

WILD TURKEY

(Daily limit 1; possession limit 2; annual limit 2, only one of which may be taken during the winter either-sex season)

Jan. 12-17 (Winter either-sex season (private lands only). Counties: Alleghany, Caswell, Granville, Person, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes)

April 4, 2009 (Youth Day)

April 11-May 9, 2009 (Statewide spring season, male or bearded turkey only)

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