Hunting Regulations AND INFORMATION
Big Game – Bear Restrictions It is unlawful to do any of the following: • Take a cub (less than 75 pounds) or a female bear with cub(s). • Hunt bear on a designated bear management area. (See pages 79–80 for information on Designated Bear Management Areas.) • Take a bear while in the act of consuming unprocessed foods; or with 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 sub- stances; or any substance modified by any of the above substances or extract of above substance; or any bear bait attractant, includ- ing scented sprays, aerosols, scent balls, and scent powders; or processed food products. • Place processed food products as bait in any area of the state with an established season for taking black bears. Processed food prod- ucts are any food substance or flavoring that has been modified by the addition of ingre- dients or by treatment to modify its chemi- cal composition or form or to enhance its aroma or taste. This includes: food products enhanced by sugar, honey, syrups, oils, salts, spices, peanut butter, grease, meat, bones, or blood; candies, pastries, gum, and sugar blocks; and extracts of such products; and to place any sort of processed or unprocessed foods on game lands. Mandatory Bear Tooth Submission • It is mandatory to submit at least one pre- molar tooth from your harvested bear by January 31st following the applicable bear hunting season. • After pulling two premolar teeth (see ad below and instructions at ncwildlife.gov/ bearcooperator ), place one of the teeth in the bear tooth envelope you received in the mail from the Commission. Save the other tooth as a backup until you have been notified by the Commission that we received your tooth. • If you lost the bear tooth envelope , call 919- 707-0050 to have a new envelope sent to you. Information on the use of dogs to hunt bears is on pages 54, 55, and 61.
BEAR HUNTING SEASONS Daily limit 1; Season limit 1 SEASON DATES MOUNTAIN BEAR MANAGEMENT UNIT SEASONS Oct. 3 – Nov. 21, 2026 Dec. 12, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027 PIEDMONT BEAR MANAGEMENT UNIT SEASONS Oct. 17, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027
APPLICABLE COUNTY OR COUNTIES
In and west of Surry, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke, Cleveland.
Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Moore, Rich- mond, Scotland, Vance, Wake, Warren Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Granville, Guilford, Lee, Meck- lenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Union Alexander, Catawba, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Stokes, Yadkin
Nov. 14, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027
Nov. 21, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027
COASTAL BEAR MANAGEMENT UNIT SEASONS Nov. 14 – 29 and Dec. 12 – 27, 2026
Zone 1: Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell
Nov. 14 – 22 and Dec. 12 – 27, 2026 Nov. 14 – 22 and Dec. 12 – 27, 2026
Zone 2: Camden*, Chowan*, Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank*, Perquimans Zone 3: Beaufort, Bertie, Craven, Hertford, Jones, Martin, Washington Zone 4: Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Northampton, Pitt, Wayne, Wilson
Nov. 21 – Dec. 20, 2026
Nov. 9, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027 Zone 5: Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico (use of dogs for hunting bears prohibited in this county), Pender, Robeson, Sampson * Per local law, bear season in these counties opens on Nov. 13. They are highlighted in yellow in the map at the top of page 61. . Note: Further game land restrictions may apply. See the “Game Lands” section for specific game land rules.
• Dogs may not be used to take feral swine. • Dogs shall not be trained or allowed to run unleashed between March 1 and the Monday on or nearest October 15 on designated Des- ignated Bear Management Areas located in and west of the counties and parts of coun- ties in Alamance County south of I-85, Or- ange County south of I-85, Chatham County, Lee County, Wake County south of N.C. 98; and in and west of Rockingham, Guilford, Randolph, and Montgomery counties and that part of Anson County west of N.C. 742.
The following additional restrictions apply to Designated Bear Management Areas: • Dogs may not be used to pursue bear, except during permit hunts that allow hunting bear with dogs. • It is unlawful to take feral swine on Desig- nated Bear Management Areas except during the deer archery season, deer blackpowder season, deer gun season and any small game season using only weapons and manner of take prescribed for that hunting season.
Attention Bear Hunters!
If you harvest a black bear, you must submit a premolar tooth by Jan. 31 after the season.
• Extract the premolar teeth, scan QR code for demo. • Place one of the teeth in the bear envelope you received in the mail with your bear e-stamp info.
• Keep the other tooth as a backup. • You will receive an age report and Cooperator hat.
Questions? beartooth@ncwildlife.gov | 919-707-0050
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