The most popular game animals in North Carolina — deer, turkeys, squirrels and waterfowl — have limited hunting seasons. But a handful are open year-round, at least on private lands throughout the Old North State. Some can even be hunted year-round at night.
So what’s open to North Carolina hunters right now, no matter what time of year you’re reading this? Let’s take a look.
Armadillo
Some folks are still surprised when they see an armadillo. And others think you’re lying or mistaken when you tell them you’ve seen one in North Carolina. But they are definitely in the state, and expanding throughout it every year. As of 2021, NCWRC reported confirmed observations of armadillos in 26 of North Carolina counties, with reports in 67 counties.
The majority of North Carolina’s armadillos live in the western and south central parts of the state. But they have also been observed as far east as Robeson County and as far north as Wake County.
Hunters are not bound by any daily or yearly bag limits on armadillos. Click here to learn more about the species and their impact on North Carolina.
Coyote
Coyotes have been confirmed in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties. They are among the most adaptable animals in North America, changing their diets with whatever is available in their area throughout the year. Generally despised by hunters, their hardy nature and ability to survive are undeniable.
Coyote hunting is not only legal year-round, it’s also legal to hunt them at night in all but five of North Carolina’s counties (Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington). The use of electronic calls are also legal year-round for coyote hunters.
Coyotes were first brought to North Carolina illegally for use in fox pens prior to 1980. But they expanded into the state naturally from neighboring states since then.
Hunters can kill as many coyotes as they desire in North Carolina, which has no daily or yearly limit on the species. Learn more about the species here.
Feral swine
Wild hogs can also be hunted year-round in North Carolina. Hunters can use electronic calls and can hunt them at night.
Somewhat surprisingly, wild hogs were once protected as game animals, with yearly seasons intended to keep harvest numbers in check. That changed after 2011 due in part to the vast amount of destruction caused by the animals on agricultural and developed lands. The species also carries a number of diseases that are harmful to other animals and humans.
Although NCWRC encourages hunters to kill as many wild hogs as possible, the agency said recreational hunting has very little impact on their population. Trapping, on the other hand is much more effective.
Hog hunters are not bound by any daily or yearly limit. Click here to learn more about feral swine in North Carolina.
Groundhog
Groundhogs are members — the largest members — of the squirrel family. They live very much unlike squirrels, however. They spend the majority of their time in underground burrows or crawling through open areas of land. They can, however climb trees when necessary and they are exceptionally good swimmers.
Also known as woodchucks, these animals do a lot of damage to agricultural crops and gardens, and they cause other damage by burrowing on landowner’s properties. The biggest populations of groundhogs live in the western, northwestern, and northern part of the state, but they are present in almost every county.
The name woodchuck, by the way, has nothing to do with the animals’ propensity for either chucking or gnawing on wood. It is derived from the Native American name “wuchak” which is what they called this animal.
Woodchucks can be hunted year-round, with no daily or yearly limits. Click here to learn more about the species.
Nutria
Nutria are often misidentified as groundhogs, beavers and muskrats. They live mostly along the banks of marshes, rivers and swampy areas. They are established throughout eastern North Carolina, with the biggest populations along the coastal regions.
These animals, which are known as semi-aquatic rodents, can turn a saltwater marsh into open water quickly, destroying the habitat that many other species rely on. They feed primarily on the roots of aquatic grasses and plants. They also sometimes turn to a diet of mussels, crustaceans, rice, corn and cabbage, where they find it available.
Nutrias were brought to Hatteras Island in 1941 to control noxious plant species. They quickly devoured those plants, then went about destroying all the native plants in the area too. Along the way, they bred to the point of their population expanding and becoming uncontrollable.
Hunting these animals is open year-round in North Carolina, with no daily or yearly bag limits. Click here to read more about nutrias.
Skunk
The striped skunk, a member of the weasel family, is known for spraying its foul-smelling musk when frightened. About the size of a large house cat, skunks are prevalent throughout most of North Carolina, with the exception of the Coastal Plain region where they are rarely observed.
Skunks are rarely seen by people because they spend most days sleeping, moving about during nighttime hours. They prefer places that feature a mixture of open fields, rocky areas, wooded ravines, woods and thick brush.
Skunks mostly eat insects, worms, small rodents, small berries and acorns. They will also eat vegetables and bird eggs.
Skunks can be hunted year-round in North Carolina, with no daily or yearly bag limits. Click here to learn more about skunks in North Carolina.