North Carolina Hunting Seasons

Hunting Seasons

See our comprehensive list of hunting seasons for animals of all types and all areas of North Carolina. We’ve made it easier than ever to find the dates you can hunt, length of the season, what type of hunting is allowed and other important details. Plus, check out hunting resources and direct links to North Carolina state resources.

North Carolina Deer Hunting Seasons 2025-2026

Youth Deer Season (Statewide)

September 27–28, 2025 (statewide youth days; hunters under 16 only, any legal weapon)
October 4–5, 2025 (western mountains youth days)

Archery Season (Mountain and Piedmont counties)

September 13 – October 17, 2025

Archery Season (Coastal Plain counties)

September 6 – September 12, 2025; September 13 – October 17, 2025

Muzzleloader Season (Statewide)

October 18 – October 31, 2025

Firearms Season (Mountain)

November 15 – January 1, 2026

Firearms Season (Piedmont & Coastal)

October 18, 2025 – January 1, 2026 (dates vary by county/zone)

North Carolina Turkey Hunting Seasons 2025-2026

Fall Turkey (Select Counties)

November 1–30, 2025 (gun/archery; most western counties)

Spring Youth Turkey

April 4–5, 2026

Spring General Turkey

April 11 – May 9, 2026

Regulations vary by county in North Carolina. Visit the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for county-specific season dates.

Unlock the Great Outdoors

Why limit yourself to public land when there is private land to explore.

Interactive North Carolina Hunting Season Discovery

Use the forms below to filter by game, type of hunting, time of year, bag / tag limits and much more. We’ve gone through the state of North Carolina Hunting Seasons’s hunting season data and simplified it so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Please note, that information realated North Carolina state hunting is subject to change so be sure to check the state resources linked below the table before heading out to hunt.

Season :

Season Begins :

Season Ends :

Hunting Type :

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Season	Season Begins	Season Ends	Game	Hunting Type	Type Details	Zone	Bag / Tag	Other Info	Season Length
	October 15, 2025	January 2, 2026	Bear	General	None	Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Moore, Richmond, Scotland, Vance, Wake and Warren counties	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	80
	October 17, 2025	November 19, 2025	Bear	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	34
	November 12, 2025	January 2, 2026	Bear	General	None	Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Granville, Guilford, Lee, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties.	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	52
	November 12, 2025	November 27, 2025	Bear	General	None	Zone 1.	N/A	See regulations for specific counties	16
	November 12, 2025	November 20, 2025	Bear	General	None	Zone 2, Zone 3	N/A	See regulations for specific counties	9
	November 14, 2025	January 2, 2026	Bear	General	None	Zone 5. Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson and Sampson counties.	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	50
	November 19, 2025	December 18, 2025	Bear	General	None	Zone 4. Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Northampton, Pitt, Wayne and Wilson counties.	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	30
	November 19, 2025	January 22, 2026	Bear	General	None	Alexander, Catawba, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Stokes and Yadkin counties.	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	65
	December 10, 2025	December 25, 2025	Bear	General	None	Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3.	N/A	See regulations for specific counties	16
	December 12, 2025	January 2, 2026	Bear	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	22
	October 17, 2025	February 28, 2026	Bobcat	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	No limits.	Check state DNR for more details.	135
	January 1, 2025	December 31, 2025	Coyote	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	No limit.	Check state DNR for more details.	365
	September 10, 2025	October 2, 2025	Deer	Archery	None	Western Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	23
	September 10, 2025	November 4, 2025	Deer	Archery	None	Northwestern Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	56
	September 10, 2025	October 28, 2025	Deer	Archery	None	Central Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	49
	September 10, 2025	September 30, 2025	Deer	Archery	None	Northeastern and Southeastern Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	21
	September 24, 2025	September 24, 2025	Deer	General	Youth	Not specified. Check state resources.	N/A	On this day, youth under the age of 18 may use any legal weapon to hunt deer of either-sex. Refer to the Regulations Digest for a description of legal weapons. Youth ages 16 and 17 must be properly licensed to hunt deer.	1
	October 1, 2025	October 14, 2025	Deer	General	None	Northeastern and Southeastern Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	14
	October 3, 2025	October 15, 2025	Deer	General	None	Western Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	13
	October 15, 2025	January 2, 2026	Deer	Gun	None	Northeastern and Southeastern Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	80
	October 16, 2025	November 20, 2025	Deer	Archery	None	Western Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	36
	October 29, 2025	November 11, 2025	Deer	General	None	Central Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	14
	November 5, 2025	November 18, 2025	Deer	General	None	Northwestern Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	14
	November 12, 2025	January 2, 2026	Deer	Gun	None	Central Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	52
	November 19, 2025	January 2, 2026	Deer	Gun	None	Northwestern Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	45
	November 21, 2025	December 10, 2025	Deer	Gun	None	Western Season	N/A	Check state DNR for more details.	20
	December 11, 2025	January 2, 2026	Deer	Archery	None	Western Season.	N/A	Antlered Deer Only	23
	September 3, 2025	October 1, 2025	Dove	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 15.	Check state DNR for more details.	29
	November 5, 2025	November 26, 2025	Dove	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 15.	Check state DNR for more details.	22
	December 10, 2025	January 31, 2026	Dove	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 15.	Check state DNR for more details.	53
	September 13, 2025	September 30, 2025	Duck	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 6.	Check state DNR for more details.	18
	October 21, 2025	October 22, 2025	Duck	General	None	Zone 1	Daily Limit 6 with the following restrictions: 4 scoters, 4 eiders, 4 long-tailed ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 mallards (only 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, and 1 fulvous whistling duck.	Check state DNR for more details.	2
	October 28, 2025	October 29, 2025	Duck	General	None	Zone 1	Daily Limit 6 with the following restrictions: 4 scoters, 4 eiders, 4 long-tailed ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 mallards (only 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, and 1 fulvous whistling duck.	Check state DNR for more details.	2
	November 5, 2025	November 26, 2025	Duck	General	None	Zone 2	Daily Limit 6 with the following restrictions: 4 scoters, 4 eiders, 4 long-tailed ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 mallards (only 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, and 1 fulvous whistling duck.	Check state DNR for more details.	22
	November 5, 2025	November 26, 2025	Duck	General	None	Zone 2	Daily Limit 6 with the following restrictions: 4 scoters, 4 eiders, 4 long-tailed ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 mallards (only 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, and 1 fulvous whistling duck.	Check state DNR for more details.	22
	December 17, 2025	January 31, 2026	Duck	General	None	Zone 3	Daily Limit 6 with the following restrictions: 4 scoters, 4 eiders, 4 long-tailed ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 mallards (only 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, and 1 fulvous whistling duck.	Check state DNR for more details.	46
	December 17, 2025	January 31, 2026	Duck	General	None	Zone 3	Daily Limit 6 with the following restrictions: 4 scoters, 4 eiders, 4 long-tailed ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 mallards (only 1 hen mallard), 2 black ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, and 1 fulvous whistling duck.	Check state DNR for more details.	46
	September 1, 2025	February 28, 2026	Fox	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily limit 2; Season 10	Red & Gray	181
	September 1, 2025	September 30, 2025	Goose	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 15.	Canada Goose	30
	October 11, 2025	February 11, 2026	Goose	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 25.	Light Goose	124
	October 21, 2025	October 29, 2025	Goose	General	None	Resident Population Zone.	Daily bag limit 5.	Canada & White	9
	November 5, 2025	January 31, 2026	Tundra Swan	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Bag limit 1 per season with valid permit	Check state DNR for more details.	88
	November 5, 2025	November 26, 2025	Goose	General	None	Resident Population Zone.	Daily bag limit 5.	Canada & White	22
	December 17, 2025	February 11, 2026	Goose	General	None	Resident Population Zone.	Daily bag limit 5.	Canada & White	57
	December 17, 2025	January 31, 2026	Goose	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 1	Brant	46
	December 28, 2025	January 31, 2026	Goose	General	None	Northeast Hunt Zone.	Daily bag limit 1 with valid permit.	Canada and White	35
	February 13, 2026	March 31, 2026	Goose	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	No daily bag limit. No posession Limit	Light Goose	47
	October 17, 2025	February 28, 2026	Grouse	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 3.	Check state DNR for more details.	135
	January 1, 2025	December 31, 2025	Feral Swine	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	No limit.	Check state DNR for more details.	365
	November 19, 2025	February 1, 2026	Pheasant	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily limit 3 (male pheasant only).	Check state DNR for more details.	75
	November 19, 2025	February 28, 2026	Quail	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily bag limit 6.	Check state DNR for more details.	102
	October 17, 2025	February 28, 2026	Rabbit and Hare	General	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	Daily limit 5; No possession or season limits.	Check state DNR for more details.	135
	April 1, 2026	April 7, 2026	Turkey	Youth Spring	None	Not specified. Check state resources.	N/A	Male or bearded Turkey only.	7
	April 8, 2026	May 6, 2026	Turkey	Spring	None	Statewide	N/A	Bearded turkey only	29
Season	Season Begins	Season Ends		Hunting Type		Zone