NC Hunting Seasons & Public Land

North Carolina Hunting

North Carolina offers hunting from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the coastal plain, with white-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bear, and waterfowl across a wide variety of habitats and public game lands.

45 Seasons3 Species

Seasons by Species

Deer

GMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone 1MuzzleloaderSep 15Oct 31
Zone 1ArcheryOct 1Nov 30
Zone 1RifleNov 15Dec 15
Zone 2MuzzleloaderSep 15Oct 31
Zone 2ArcheryOct 1Nov 30
Zone 2RifleNov 15Dec 15

+ 21 more Deer seasons

Bear

GMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone 1RifleSep 1Sep 30
Zone 2RifleSep 1Sep 30
Zone 3RifleSep 1Sep 30
Zone 4RifleSep 1Sep 30
Zone 5RifleSep 1Sep 30
Zone 6RifleSep 1Sep 30

+ 3 more Bear seasons

Turkey

GMUWeaponSeasonHarvestPublic
Zone 1ShotgunApr 4May 24
Zone 2ShotgunApr 4May 24
Zone 3ShotgunApr 4May 24
Zone 4ShotgunApr 4May 24
Zone 5ShotgunApr 4May 24
Zone 6ShotgunApr 4May 24

+ 3 more Turkey seasons

Always verify season dates and regulations with the official state wildlife agency:

North Carolina Official Hunting Regulations →

View North Carolina on the map

See GMU boundaries, public land, and walk-in access areas for North Carolina on our interactive hunting map.

Hunting in Canada? Explore Crown Land Maps, Hunting Seasons, Licence Guide, and Regulations for Canadian provinces.