Definition of Take:: To take is defined as: all operations during, immediately preparatory, and immediately subsequent to an attempt, whether successful or not, to capture kill, pursue, hunt, or otherwise harm or reduce to possession any fisheries resources or wildlife resources.
General: Lawful seasons and bag limits for each species apply beginning with the first day of the listed season and continue through the last day of the listed season, with all dates being included except Sundays. Hunting Seasons are closed on Sundays, except on some military installations under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
Game birds and animals, other than raccoon and opossum, may be taken only between 1/2 hour before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset with rifle, pistol, shotgun, bow and arrow, dogs, or by means of falconry. Call 1-800-675-0263 for shooting hours for migratory birds.
It is unlawful to use artificial lights, (including laser sights), electronic or recorded calls (except electronic calls are permitted for crow hunting), motor vehicles (at no time may any wild game or bird be taken with aid of a motor vehicle while the passenger area is occupied or vehicle engine running), motorboats, sail boats (except as immobilized hunting stands) or airplanes in taking any wild animals or birds, to use bait in taking wild birds or to take wild boar or bear with the use or aid of salt or bait.
It is unlawful to take deer that are swimming or standing in water above the knees of the deer.
Bow and Arrow hunting is limited to bows having a minimum pull of 45 pounds. Only arrows with a fixed minimum broadhead width of seven eighths of an inch and that do not mechanically open upon impact my be used for taking bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey. Blunt type arrow heads may be used in taking small animals and birds including, but not limited to, rabbits, squirrels, quail, grouse and pheasants. Poisonous, drugged, barbed or explosive arrow heads may not be used for taking any game.
It is unlawful to hunt with a crossbow, except for handicapped hunters with proper permit.
Pistols may not be carried during the bow and arrow and muzzleloader deer hunting seasons.
Deer, bear, and wild boar may be taken with a handgun during the established gun hunting season providing that the handgun has a barrel length at least 5 1/2 inches in length, that metallic center-fire cartridges firing single projectiles be used, that straight-walled ammunition must be as powerful as .357 and no less than .357 caliber (.38 special excluded), and that bottleneck ammunition must be no less than .24 caliber with a total length including the projectile of no less than 2 inches. Muzzleloading Pistols are not legal for hunting.
Dog may not be used: To run or chase deer during closed season, except when under the control of the owner; To hunt deer during primitive weapons seasons: To hunt, run or chase deer at any time in that portion of Wake County south of NC 98 or south of I-85 in Alamance and Orange counties, in Chatham, Johnston, Lee and Wayne counties; or in and west of the counties of Rockingham, Guilford, Randolph, Montgomery, and Anson (west of NC 742).
Road Hunting Local laws prohibit or restrict hunting or shooting from public roads or possession of a loaded firearm on road right of way in some counties.
Boats Deer may not be hunted from boats or other floating devices in some counties.
Trespass Hunters are legally required to obtain written permission to hunt on posted property.
Artificial Lights In addition to the prohibition of taking wildlife with the use of artificial light, many counties have local regulations prohibiting shining lights on deer or searching for deer with lights after 1/2 hour after sunset or after 11:00 p.m. The flashing or display of any artificial light between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise in any area which is frequented or inhabited by wild deer by any person who has accessible to him a firearm, crossbow, or other bow and arrow constitutes prima facie evidence of taking deer with the aid of artificial light.
Raccoon and opossum may be taken at night, with dogs during open seasons, with the use of artificial lights commonly used to aid in taking raccoon and opossum.
Hunter or Blaze Orange Any person hunting bear, deer, wild boar, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant and quail with the use of firearms, must wear a cap or hat made of hunter orange material or an outer garment of hunter orange visible from all sides.
General Restrictions: Visible antlers are defined as a bony structure that protrudes through the skin. Knobs or buttons are not considered as visible antlers.
It is unlawful to carry any type firearm while bow and arrow hunting during the bow and arrow seasons.
Dogs may not be used for hunting deer during the bow and arrow or the muzzleloading firearm deer seasons.
Pistols may not be carried while hunting deer during the muzzle-loading firearm seasons.
During the muzzleloading firearm season only muzzleloading rifles or muzzleloading shotguns may be used. Bow and arrows are not permitted to be used during the muzzleloading firearm seasons, except on areas designated and posted as Archery Zones on Game Lands.
During the gun deer season, bow and arrows, pistols (as defined under manner of taking) and muzzleloading firearms are legal weapons.
Seasons for deer with visible antlers and primitive weapons on Game Lands follow the seasons for the county in which they are located except for Sandhills Game Land.
All deer, bear, and wild turkey taken by hunters must be tagged at the point of kill with appropriate big game tag before the carcass is moved. The hunter must cut out the month and day of the harvest on the tag before it is attached to the big game animal. The tag must remain on the carcass until the carcass is skinned or dressed for consumption. After tagging the animal and before it is butchered, the hunter must report the information to a Cooperator Agent located within the immediate area and obtain a Big Game Harvest Authorization Number and record that number on the Big Game Harvest Authorization Record provided with their license. In those cases where the kill occurs in a remote area which prevents the animal from being transported as an entire carcass. The carcass may be tagged, skinned, quartered and transported in its entirety to the Cooperator Agent for reporting. Butchering is defined as skinning and/or dressing the carcass for consumption. As an alternative to reporting through a Cooperator Agent, a hunter may report his kill within 24 hours through the Toll-Free Big Game Telephone Reporting System by calling 1-800-IGOT ONE (1-800-446-8663) Animals reported in this manner must still be reported prior to being skinned, dressed or dismembered for consumption except for those animals killed in remote areas as described above.
Any Big Game Tag which has been detached from the tag card or removed from the backing prior to the harvest and tagging of the animal is illegal and may be seized by a wildlife enforcement officer.
The Authorization number obtained through the Big Game Telephone Reporting System or from a Cooperator Agent must be retained and recorded on the Big Game Harvest Authorization Record by the hunter as his permit to continue possession of the game carcass. (You should have an authorization number for any missing Big Game Tag).
Persons under 16 years of age or landholders who are exempt from license requirements are not required to tag big game animals, but must report the information to a Cooperator Agent or through the Toll Free Big Game Telephone Reporting System. These persons in lieu of the Big Game Harvest Authorization Record, must retain a written record of these numbers.
These regulations are listed for informational purposes only. For complete, comprehensive regulations contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for a Free Regulations Digest. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 512 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh NC 27604-1188
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