Regulations change. Always confirm with the official state fish and wildlife agency before you hunt or fish. This site is an unofficial index, not legal advice. Each fact shows its source and the date we last read it.
North Carolina: 2026-27 deer seasons, resident license fees and official links
Run by: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). Below are the deer season dates and resident license fees we could read on official pages (regulation year 2026-27). This state is newly added and coverage is partial.
Deer seasons
| Season type | Zone / unit | Dates (inclusive) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special early season | CWD Management Areas (Cumberland, Sampson; Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin) | Aug 22, 2026 to Aug 23, 2026 | Listed in the at-a-glance table for the two CWD Management Areas. See the NCWRC regulations digest for the rules that apply. |
| Archery | Northeastern zone | Sep 12, 2026 to Oct 2, 2026 | Counties: Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Johnston, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne, Wilson. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Northeastern zone | Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Northeastern zone | Oct 17, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Southeastern zone | Sep 12, 2026 to Oct 2, 2026 | Counties: Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Dare, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Washington. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Southeastern zone | Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Southeastern zone | Oct 17, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Southeastern CWD Management Area | Sep 12, 2026 to Oct 2, 2026 | Counties: Cumberland, Sampson. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Southeastern CWD Management Area | Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Southeastern CWD Management Area | Oct 17, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Central zone | Sep 12, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 | Counties: Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Granville, Guilford, Lee, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Union. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Central zone | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Central zone | Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Northwestern zone | Sep 12, 2026 to Nov 6, 2026 | Counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Catawba, Cleveland, Davie, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Polk, Rutherford, Watauga. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Northwestern zone | Nov 7, 2026 to Nov 20, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Northwestern zone | Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Northwestern CWD Management Area | Sep 12, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 | Counties: Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Northwestern CWD Management Area | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Northwestern CWD Management Area | Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Western zone | Sep 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026 | Counties: Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Western zone | Nov 14, 2026 to Nov 27, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Western zone | Nov 28, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Archery | Western zone: Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell | Sep 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026 | Counties: Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Western zone: Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell | Nov 14, 2026 to Nov 27, 2026 | Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Gun | Western zone: Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell | Nov 28, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlerless gun season is Nov 28 to Dec 5, 2026. In the part of Buncombe County east of N.C. 191, south of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, west of U.S. 25 and north of N.C. 280, and the part of Henderson County east of N.C. 191 and north and west of N.C. 280, the antlerless season is all days of the applicable weapon's antlered season. |
| Archery | Western zone: Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania | Sep 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026 | Counties: Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Western zone: Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania | Nov 14, 2026 to Nov 27, 2026 | Antlerless blackpowder season is Nov 21 to Nov 27, 2026. |
| Gun | Western zone: Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania | Nov 28, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Antlerless gun season is Nov 28, 2026 only. |
| Archery | Western zone: Graham County | Sep 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026 | Counties: Graham. Antlered and antlerless: same dates. |
| Blackpowder | Western zone: Graham County | Nov 14, 2026 to Nov 27, 2026 | Antlerless blackpowder: Nov 21, 2026 only. |
| Gun | Western zone: Graham County | Nov 28, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | No antlerless gun season. |
Source: NCWRC: Hunting and Trapping Season Dates, July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (PDF). Last verified Oct 17, 2026. Dates can vary by zone, unit or land type; check the official page for your location.
Selected resident license fees
Not yet researched for this state (see the list below).
Fees are copied from the official page linked in each row, last verified Oct 17, 2026. Fees, agent fees and online fees change; confirm before you buy.
Good to know
- Deer season dates depend on the county zone and the weapon (archery, blackpowder or gun). The tables list each zone's counties; check yours.
Source: NCWRC: 2026-27 season dates at a glance (PDF). Last verified Oct 17, 2026. - Two CWD Management Areas (Cumberland and Sampson counties; Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties) have a special early deer season on Aug 22 and 23, 2026, and the same dates for antlerless as for antlered deer in the archery, blackpowder and gun seasons.
Source: NCWRC: 2026-27 season dates at a glance (PDF). Last verified Oct 17, 2026. - The 2026-27 NCWRC regulations digest is effective Aug 1, 2026 and is posted on the NCWRC regulations page; it holds bag limits, game land rules and license privileges.
Source: NCWRC: fishing, hunting and trapping regulations. Last verified Oct 17, 2026.
Not yet researched
Resident license fees (NCWRC lists them on its license types and fees page and in the regulations digest; not copied here yet), bag limits and game land rules, bear, turkey, small game and waterfowl dates, fishing seasons, non-resident fees.