Hunting Regulations AND INFORMATION Manner of Taking Definition of Take
dispatch the animal or bird taken, except as noted below. • It is unlawful to hunt or take wild turkeys with pistols. • During established archery season only a .22-caliber rimfire pistol may be used to dis- patch deer (see “Retrieval”). Rifles • Fully automatic rifles are unlawful. All other rifles are legal except: » Rifles are prohibited by federal law in hunt- ing migratory game birds. » Local laws prohibit or restrict rifles in some counties. See the “Local Laws” section. » It is unlawful to hunt or take wild turkeys with rifles. Blackpowder • During the blackpowder deer season, the only lawful firearms are blackpowder shot- guns, rifles and handguns. The Commission defines a blackpowder firearm as any firearm — including any firearm with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system — manufactured in or before 1898, that cannot use fixed ammunition; any replica of this type of firearm if such replica is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition; and any muzzle-loading rifle, muzzle-loading shot- gun, or muzzle-loading or cylinder-loading handgun that is designed to use blackpowder, blackpowder substitute, or any other propel- lant loaded through the muzzle, cylinder, or breech and that cannot use fixed ammunition. Baiting and Attractants • No wild bird may be taken with the use or aid of salt, grain, fruit, or other bait. • No wild turkey may knowingly be taken from within 300 yards of any place in which bait has been placed until the expiration of 10 days after the bait has been consumed or other- wise removed. • Black bear may not be taken with the use or aid of: » Any animal, animal part or product, salt, salt lick, honey, sugar, sugar-based material, syrups, candy, pastry, gum, candy block, oils, spices, peanut butter, grease; or extract of such substances; or any substance modified by any of the above substances or extract of above substance; or any bear bait at- tractant, including scented sprays, aerosols, scent balls, and scent powders; or processed food products as defined on page 61. • For the purposes of bear hunting, bait means any natural, unprocessed food product that is a grain, fruit, nut, vegetable, or other material harvested from a plant crop that is not modi- fied from its raw components. • Bears may not be taken while consuming bait. • Regulations for taking bear with unprocessed foods are on page 61. • Possession or use of substances containing a cervid (deer) excretion, including feces, urine,
dead or wounded big game animal and may dispatch a wounded big game animal using a .22-caliber rimfire pistol, archery equipment, or a handgun otherwise legal for that hunt- ing season. If necessary, the hunter may also retrieve wounded big game in this manner from 30 minutes after sunset to 11:00 p.m. The hunter may not use a motorized vehicle when searching for the wounded animal. Archery Equipment • When used for hunting in North Carolina archery equipment is defined as any device that has a solid stationary handle with two limbs and a string that uses non-pneumatic means to propel a single arrow or bolt. • Longbows, recurved bows, compound bows and crossbows are legal for hunting all species with an open hunting season. • When used to hunt bear, deer, elk, wild turkey, alligator and feral swine: » Longbows and recurved bows must have a minimum pull of 40 pounds » Compound bows must have a minimum pull of 35 pounds. » Crossbows must have a minimum pull of 100 pounds » Only arrows and bolts with a fixed minimum broadhead width of seven-eighths of an inch or a mechanically opening broadhead with a width of at least seven-eighths of an inch in the open position shall be used. • Slingbows having a minimum pull of 40 pounds may be used during legal hunting seasons for hunting deer, wild turkey, small game animals, nongame animals and nongame fish. • Blunt-type arrow heads may be used in tak- ing small game animals and birds, including rabbits, squirrels, quail and grouse. • Poisonous, drugged, or explosive arrowheads shall not be used for taking any wildlife. Shotguns • Shotguns must be no larger than 10-gauge. • When hunting migratory game birds, shot- guns must be plugged so as to limit their maximum capacity to three shells. Pistols • During the open hunting season for rabbits, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, furbearing animals and legal nongame animals and birds, these species may be taken with a pistol. There are no restrictions on caliber and barrel length. • Deer and bear may be taken with a handgun during the established gun hunting season. There are no restrictions on barrel length or caliber. • A hunter or trapper lawfully taking wild- life by another method may use a pistol to
To take is defined as all operations during, im- mediately preparatory and immediately subse- quent to an attempt, whether successful or not, to capture, kill, pursue, hunt or otherwise harm or reduce to possession any fisheries resource or wildlife resource. Season Dates For most species, hunting seasons are set to open on the same day of the week every year and at the same general time. For example, rab- bit season opens every year on the Monday on or nearest October 15th and ends on the last day of February. Changes in season dates that are a result of newly adopted regulations will appear in red ink. However, most season dates that are different from last year are the result of the annual shift of days in each year’s calendar. General Restrictions • Lawful seasons and bag limits for each spe- cies apply beginning with the first day of the listed season and continuing through the last day of the listed season with Sunday hunting restrictions listed in the next paragraph. On Sundays the following apply: » Hunting with firearms between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. is prohibited except on controlled hunting preserves; » Hunting migratory birds is prohibited; » The use of firearms to take deer that are run or chased by dogs is prohibited; » Hunting with a firearm within 500 yards of a place of worship or any accessory struc- ture thereof is prohibited; » Archery equipment may be used to hunt on Sundays without the restrictions applied to hunting with firearms. • Shooting hours: Game birds and animals may be taken only between 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset with rifle, pistol, shotgun, archery equipment, dogs or by means of falconry with the following ex- ceptions: raccoons, feral swine and opos- sums may be taken at night. Coyotes may be taken at night in all counties except Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington. Migra- tory game birds may be taken only during the hours and in the manner permitted by federal regulations. See page 72 for shooting hours for migratory birds. Retrieval • If a hunter kills or wounds a big game animal during legal shooting hours the hunter may use a portable light source and a single dog on a leash to assist the hunter in retrieving the
54 2024–2025
Please note: Major regulation changes appear in RED
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