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Author: NCWRC blogger/Wednesday, February 28, 2018/Categories: Blog, Regulations
On Feb. 28, 2018, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted to adopt rules related to wildlife, fisheries, and game lands management for the 2018-19 seasons. The effective date for these changes is Aug. 1, 2018. See the adopted rules.
Season dates for 2018-2019 are below. Species Open Dates ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bear Mountain Bear Management Unit In and west of Surry, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke and Cleveland: Oct. 15 – Nov. 17, 2018 and Dec. 10 – Jan. 1, 2019
Piedmont Bear Management Unit Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Granville, Guilford, Lee, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties: Nov. 10, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Moore, Richmond, Scotland Vance, Wake and Warren counties: Oct. 13, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 Alexander, Catawba, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Stokes and Yadkin counties: Nov. 17, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 Coastal Bear Management Unit Zone 1: Dare, Hyde and Tyrrell counties: Nov. 10 – Nov. 25 and Dec. 8 – Dec. 23, 2018 Zone 2: Gates, Currituck, and Perquimans: Nov. 10 - Nov. 18 and Dec. 8 - Dec. 23, 2018 Camden, Chowan and Pasquotank: Nov. 9 – Nov. 18 and Dec. 8 - Dec. 23, 2018 Zone 3: Beaufort, Bertie, Craven, Hertford, Jones, Martin, and Washington: Nov. 10 – Nov. 18 and Dec. 8 – Dec 23, 2018 Zone 4: Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Northampton, Pitt, Wayne and Wilson: Nov. 17 – Dec. 16, 2018 Zone 5: Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson and Sampson: Nov. 12, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wild Turkey Spring Season Apr. 14 – May 12, 2018 (bearded or male turkeys only) Apr. 13 – May 11, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wild Turkey Apr. 7 – 13, 2018 Youth-only Season Apr. 6 - 12, 2019 (bearded or male turkeys only) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Raccoon and Opossum Oct. 15, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Squirrel Grey and Red Squirrel: Oct. 15, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 Fox Squirrel: Oct. 15, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2018 in selected counties ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rabbit Nov. 17, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quail Nov. 17, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Grouse Oct. 15, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bobcat Oct. 15, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fox See “Fox Season Hunting and Trapping Seasons” publication at ncwildlife.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crow Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of each week between June 6, 2018 and Feb. 28, 2019 plus Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and July 4. Except crows may not be hunted on Sundays. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pheasant Nov. 17, 2018 – Feb. 1, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Trapping In and east of Hertford, Bertie, Martin, Pitt, Greene, Lenoir, Duplin, Pender and New Hanover counties: Dec. 1, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 In all other counties: Nov. 1, 2018 – Feb. 28, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deer Seasons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Locations Type of Season and Dates ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Northeastern Archery: Sept. 8 – Sept. 28, 2018 Blackpowder: Sept. 29 – Oct. 12, 2018 Gun: Oct. 13, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southeastern Archery: Sept. 8 – Sept. 28, 2018 Blackpowder: Sept. 29 – Oct. 12, 2018 Gun: Oct. 13, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Central Archery: Sept. 8 – Oct. 26, 2018 Blackpowder: Oct. 27 – Nov. 9, 2018 Gun: Nov. 10, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northwestern Archery: Sept. 8 – Nov. 2, 2018 Blackpowder: Nov. 3 – Nov. 16, 2018 Gun: Nov. 17, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Western Archery: Sept. 8 – Sept. 30, 2018; Oct. 14 – Nov. 18; Dec. 9 – January 1, 2019 (antlered deer only) Blackpowder: Oct. 1 – Oct. 13, 2018 Gun: Nov. 19, 2018 – Dec. 8, 2018 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gun: Either-Sex Seasons Introductory Season: First open Saturday of the applicable gun season. Conservative Season: First open day of the applicable gun season through the following Saturday. Moderate Season: First 14 open days of the applicable gun season. Maximum Season: All open days of the applicable gun season. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2018 Gun Either-Sex Dates None: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain Introductory: (Nov. 24, 2018): Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania Conservative Season: (Nov. 19 – Nov. 24, 2018): Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey Moderate Season: (Nov. 17 – Nov. 30, 2018): Cleveland, Polk and Rutherford Maximum Season: (Entire Gun Season): All other Counties and in 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 in Henderson County east of N.C. 191 and north and west of N.C. 280. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Urban Deer Season Archery Only: Jan. 12 – Feb. 17, 2019 (open in participating cities only; see Regulations Digest for list and contact information) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adopted Rules
Items crossed off have been removed, items underlined have been added. Deer H1) ADOPTED AS MODIFIED - Change statewide deer hunting seasons to establish five deer season zones. Separate the current Eastern Zone into two zones, Northeastern and Southeastern; m Move Polk, and Rutherford, and Cleveland counties to the Western Zone; and move Cleveland County to the Northwest Zone. 15A NCAC 10B .0203 DEER (WHITE-TAILED)
H2) ADOPTED AS MODIFIED - Implement a balanced option for deer hunting seasons that is based on biological data and hunter feedback for each of the five season zones. These options include changes in season length and time frames, and antlered and antlerless bag limits. There would be no changes in the season opening dates for archery, but where other seasons would begin later, archery seasons would be longer than currently established seasons. Change the deer bag limits to 4 antlerless deer and 2 antlered deer statewide. Eliminate the use of Bonus Antlerless Deer Harvest Report Cards except in the Urban Archery Season. 15A NCAC 10B .0203 DEER (WHITE-TAILED)
H3) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Shift either-sex days to the front of Introductory, Conservative, and Moderate antlerless deer seasons. 15A NCAC 10B .0203 DEER (WHITE-TAILED) Bear H4) ADOPTED AS MODIFIED - Change bear hunting seasons in the Coastal Bear Management Unit to align hunting seasons with five bear hunting zones established based upon biological data and bear hunter feedback; move Pamlico County to Zone 5. 15A NCAC 10B .0202 BEAR H5) DISAPPROVED - Change bear hunting season in the Mountain Bear Management Unit to add two weeks to the beginning of the current season. 15A NCAC 10B .0202 BEAR Alligators H6) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Allow limited take of American alligators as prescribed by the North Carolina Alligator Management Plan. Under this proposal:
Possession of Non-native Species H7) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Amend the rule regulating possession of non-native species in the North Carolina Administrative Code to include brown anoles, red-eared sliders, Cuban treefrogs, and all Asian newt species in the genera Cynops, Pachytriton, Paramesotriton, Laotriton, and Tylototriton. 15A NCAC 10B .0123 POSSESSION OF CERTAIN SPECIES OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES Clarify Definition of Blackpowder Firearm H8) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Clarify the definition of a blackpowder firearm to mean “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 shotgun, or muzzle-loading or cylinder-loading handgun that is designed to use blackpowder, blackpowder substitute, or any other propellant loaded through the muzzle or cylinder and that cannot use fixed ammunition." 15A NCAC 10B .0203 DEER (WHITE-TAILED) Technical Correction H9) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Clarify that the hunting seasons for pheasant, fox (by archery), and rabbits open on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. 15A NCAC 10B .0207 RABBITS 15A NCAC 10B .0211 PHEASANT (NONNATIVE VARIETIES) 15A NCAC 10B .0212 FOXES (GRAY AND RED) Camping G1) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Create a Designated Camping Area on the Shocco Creek Game Land to allow hunter camping during open hunting seasons. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands Target Shooting G2) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Prohibit target shooting on the Sand Banks tract of Chowan Swamp Game Land. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands Feral Swine G3) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Allow for the take of feral swine on game lands during the open season for any game bird using any legal manner of take allowed during those open game seasons. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands
Quail, Woodcock, Grouse G4) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Remove the rule that prohibits the hunting of quail and woodcock, and the training of dogs on birds on the CURE portion of the Sandhills Game Land. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G5) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Remove the restriction on grouse hunting, quail hunting, woodcock hunting, and all bird dog training on the CURE portion of South Mountains Game Land (SMGL) in Cleveland, McDowell, and Rutherford counties. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands Deer and Bear G6) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Prohibit the pursuing or chasing of deer or bear with dogs for the purposes of training or hunting on the Little Macedonia Tract of Green Swamp Game Land. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands Permit Requirements G7) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Designate the Little Macedonia Tract of Green Swamp Game Land as a permit-only area for bear, deer, and turkey. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands New Game Lands G8) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Establish the Headwaters State Forest Game Land in Transylvania County as a six-day-per-week area with an introductory either-sex deer season. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G9) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Establish the Dan River Game Land in Rockingham County as a permit only area and prohibit target shooting. Further, prohibit horseback riding except on those areas posted for equestrian use. People age 16 or older horseback riding on this game land must possess a Game Land license. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands Game Lands – Regulations Applying to Specific Game Lands G10) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Shift the 12 open days of the Moderate Gun Either-Sex Season for the game lands listed below to the beginning of the applicable Gun Seasons:
Alcoa Game Land in Montgomery County; Brinkleyville Game Land in Halifax County; Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land in Durham, Granville, and Wake counties; Carteret County Game Land in Carteret County; Chatham Game Land in Chatham County; Embro Game Land in Halifax and Warren counties; Harris Game Land in Chatham, Harnett, and Wake counties; Hyco Game Land in Person County; Lee Game Land in Lee County; Lower Fishing Creek Game Land in Edgecombe and Halifax counties; Mayo Game Land in Person County; Pee Dee River Game Land in Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, and Stanly counties; Sandy Creek Game Land in Nash and Franklin counties; Shocco Creek Game Land in Franklin, Halifax, Nash, and Warren counties; Thurmond Chatham Game Land in Alleghany and Wilkes counties; Tillery Game Land in Halifax County; Uwharrie Game Land in Davidson, Montgomery, and Randolph counties 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G11) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Shift the 6 open days of the Conservative Gun Either-Sex Season for the game lands listed below to the beginning of the applicable Gun Seasons:
R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell Game Land in Caswell County; Dare Game Land in Dare County; Elk Knob Game Land in Watauga County; Mitchell River Game Land in Alleghany and Surry counties; Pond Mountain Game Land in Ashe County; Rendezvous Mountain State Forest Game Land in Wilkes County; Sutton Lake Game Land in New Hanover and Brunswick counties; Three Top Mountain Game Land in Ashe County 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G12) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Shift the open day of the Introductory Gun Either-Sex Season for the game lands listed below to the beginning of the applicable Gun Seasons:
Buffalo Cove Game Land in Caldwell and Wilkes counties; Cold Mountain Game Land in Haywood County; Green River Game Land in Henderson and Polk counties; Nantahala Game Land in Transylvania County; Perkins Game Land in Davie County; Pisgah Game Land in Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties; Sandy Mush Game Land in Buncombe and Madison counties; South Mountains Game Land in Burke, Cleveland, McDowell, and Rutherford counties; Toxaway Game Land in Transylvania County; William H. Silver Game Land in Haywood County 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G13) DISAPPROVED - Change the gun, archery, and blackpowder seasons at South Mountains and Buffalo Cove game lands to match the proposed Western Deer Season Zone. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G14) ADOPTED AS MODIFIED - Change the opening date and duration of the blackpowder season and shift the open day of the Introductory Gun Either-Sex Season to the beginning of the applicable Gun Seasons at Nicholson Creek Game Land and Rockfish Creek Game Land in Hoke County. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G15) ADOPTED AS MODIFIED - Change the opening date and duration of the blackpowder season and align the opening date of the Gun Season to the rest of the Game Land for the Sandhills Game Land, J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds in Richmond County. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands G16) DISAPPROVED - Change the opening date and duration of the blackpowder season and change the closing date of the “second” archery and blackpowder seasons from January 1 to the first Saturday in January for Sandhills Game Land in Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties, excluding the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds. 15A NCAC 10D .0103 Hunting on game lands Trout F1) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Designate all waters on Headwaters Game Land in Transylvania County, William H. Silvers Game Land in Haywood County, and Pisgah Game Land in Watauga County as Public Mountain Trout Waters and classify as Wild Trout Waters adding approximately 65 miles to Public Mountain Trout Waters. In addition, this proposal would reformat the NC Administrative Code by alphabetizing the list of game lands and would correct the spelling of DuPont State Forest Game Land. 15A NCAC 10D .0104 Fishing on Game Lands F2) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Modify the lower boundary of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters on Beaver Creek in Ashe County removing approximately 0.4 miles from Public Mountain Trout Waters. The designated reach will be from N.C. 221 to the confluence of Beaver Creek and South Beaver Creek. 15A NCAC 10C .0205 Public Mountain Trout Waters F3) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Modify the upper boundary of Delayed Harvest Trout Waters on East Fork French Broad River in Transylvania County removing 1.0 miles of Public Mountain Trout Waters. The designated reach will be from East Fork Baptist Church to the French Broad River. 15A NCAC 10C .0205 Public Mountain Trout Waters F4) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Modify the size and creel limits on the Special Regulation Trout Waters reach of the Catawba River in Burke County by establishing a 14-inch minimum size limit, removing the restriction of only one may be greater than 14 inches, and reducing the daily creel limit from seven to two fish. 15A NCAC 10C .0316 Trout F5) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Correct the NC Administrative Code to remove the prohibition on night fishing in Public Mountain Trout Waters on game lands. 15A NCAC 10D .0104 Fishing on Game Lands Black Bass F6) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Modify the exception to the general statewide regulation for black bass by prohibiting possession of black bass in Jean Guite Creek and associated canals within the boundaries of the Town of Southern Shores in Dare County. 15A NCAC 10C .0305 Black Bass Blue Catfish F7) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Establish an exception to the general statewide regulation for Blue Catfish in the North Carolina portion of John H. Kerr Reservoir, Lake Gaston, and Roanoke Rapids Reservoir by allowing only one fish greater than 32 inches to be possessed in the daily creel. 15A NCAC 10C .0401 Manner of Taking Nongame Fishes: Purchase and Sale Nongame Fishes F8) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Require that the appearance of nongame fishes subject to a length and/or creel limit not be altered such that the fish cannot be identified, measured, or counted. 15A NCAC 10C .0401 Manner of Taking Nongame Fishes: Purchase and Sale 15A NCAC 10C .0402 Taking Nongame Fishes for Bait or Personal Consumption Equipment F9) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Remove the requirement that minnow traps must be under the immediate control and attendance of the individual operating them when used to take nongame fish for bait or personal consumption. Under this provision, the use of minnow traps only requires a license that authorizes basic fishing privileges, and any nongame fish collected may not be sold. Minnow traps must be checked daily to remove all fish. Each minnow trap must be labeled with either the user’s Commission customer number or name and address. 15A NCAC 10C .0402 Taking Nongame Fishes for Bait or Personal Consumption F10) ADOPTED AS PROPOSED - Allow the harvest of nongame fishes for bait with equipment specified for the taking of nongame fishes for bait or personal consumption from impounded waters of power supply reservoirs and municipally-owned water supply reservoirs that are designated as Public Mountain Trout Waters. The exception would only apply to the following reservoirs: Bear Creek Lake, Buckeye Creek Reservoir, Calderwood Reservoir, Cedar Cliff Lake, Cheoah Reservoir, Cliffside Lake, Tanassee Creek Lake, Queens Creek Lake, and Wolf Lake. 15A NCAC 10C .0402 Taking Nongame Fishes for Bait or Personal Consumption
Number of views (144663)/Comments (2)
Cecillia Reeder
7/31/2019 3:58 PM
When do the game lands open for dog training use? It's nice to get a good start for the upcoming AKC hunt test season. We use the ones in Granville County around Falls Lake.
Thanks,
NCWRC blogger
8/1/2019 4:21 PM
Cecillia - From our regulations digest:
Training or Hunting with Dogs
Except for authorized field trials, dogs may not be trained or allowed to run unleashed from April 1 through Aug. 15 on any game land located west of I-95 and from March 15 through June 15 east of I-95.
On game lands west of I-95, dogs also may not be trained or allowed to run unleashed during daylight hours on dates when special hunts are scheduled for the Disabled Sportsman Program. Additional restrictions apply to some bear sanctuaries and game lands.
It is unlawful to train dogs or allow dogs to run unleashed on bear sanctuaries in and west of Madison, Buncombe, Henderson and Polk counties from March 1 to the Monday on or nearest Oct. 15.
http://www.eregulations.com/northcarolina/hunting-fishing/general-hunting-regulations/