Author: Carolina Fish and Hunt

Heather Hatfield tags Georgetown gator

Heather Hatfield of Pamplico, SC killed a 10-foot, 9-inch alligator on a hunt in Georgetown County, SC during the state’s 2026 gator hunting season.

The gator weighed 316 pounds.

Bryson Fuller kills 16-point buck in Granville County

While hunting in Granville County, NC on Sept. 28, 2026, Bryson Fuller killed his target whitetail, a 16-point buck, during an evening hunt from the ground.

Fuller shot the buck with a Ravin R10 crossbow from 25 yards away. It was a deer he’d been watching since the 2025 season, when he noticed it as an 8-point with a lot of potential.

“It blew up by the time he showed up on my cameras leading up to the 2026 season,” he said.

Once the 2026 season opened, Fuller hunted this particular deer a total of five times without seeing any sign of it, even though it continued to show up on his trail cameras a couple of times a week. He was watching several other deer on the evening the big one showed up, and Fuller didn’t waste any time putting an end to the chase.

“He suddenly showed up with another buck, and when he got to 25 yards out, I shot him. He ran about 120 yards and died,” he said.

The buck has been green-scored at 158 inches.

February issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt

The February issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt includes a blockbuster magazine merger announcement.

The February issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt is now live, and includes a blockbuster magazine merger announcement…

February issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt

The February issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt is now live, and includes a blockbuster magazine merger announcement…

Carolina Fish and Hunt January issue now available

Check out the January issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt Magazine, the premier outdoor magazine of the Carolinas!

What’s happening in the Carolinas for outdoorsmen this month? Check out the latest issue of Carolina Fish and Hunt magazine to find out!

Digital Magazine Launch: First Issue Now Available

The first issue of our digital magazine is now online. Please let us know what you think!

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CWD detected in Edgecombe County deer

A preliminary case of CWD has been detected in Edgecombe County.

Secondary testing being performed

The NCWRC has reported the first presumptive case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Edgecombe County, NC. Secondary testing is being performed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory to verify the results.

The positive result of CWD appeared in a 3.5-year-old male deer that was harvested by a hunter a few miles from the Pitt-Martin County line, in the eastern corner of Edgecombe County.

If confirmed as positive, this would mark the first case in Edgecombe County, and the 35th overall in the state of North Carolina. The first in the state was detected in 2022.

“We’re certainly not happy to learn that we may have a new CWD-infected area in the northeastern part of the state,” said Chris Kreh, the NCWRC’s assistant chief of the Game and Furbearer Program. “However, this is what our surveillance plan is designed to do – find areas where CWD is occurring, as early as possible, so we can minimize its impact.”

Transmissible to other deer through saliva, urine and feces, CWD is a fatal disease, and the movement of deer carcasses and carcass parts can also spread the disease.

There is no cure for CWD, and it’s also impossible to detect the presence of the disease in live deer. Deer usually appear healthy during the early stages of the disease, and hunters who have killed deer that later tested CWD-positive said they noticed nothing out-of-the-ordinary about those deer.

NCWRC urges hunters to have their harvested deer tested. Click here to find out how to have yours tested.

Martin County hunter kills 13-point cactus buck

Jeff Hurst killed a 13-point cactus buck in Martin County, NC.

Jeff Hurst of Robersonville, NC killed a very unique buck on Nov. 3, 2025. The 13-point cactus buck had a 19-inch spread and weighed 183 pounds. The rack is still in velvet and is covered in numerous bumps.

This is one of those deer that is a trophy for many reasons, mainly because it is so unique and so different from what hunters normally see. We’re sure Jeff has a special place picked out on the wall to put a mount of this buck.

NC anglers mandatory harvest reporting begins Dec. 1

Beginning Dec. 1, 2025, North Carolina anglers will be required to report their harvests of five species to NCDMF.

Anglers fishing in North Carolina’s Coastal, Joint and some Inland fishing waters will be required to report their harvests of certain fish beginning Dec. 1, 2025.

The harvest reporting requirements impact both recreational and commercial fishermen. Any recreational angler who harvests red drum, flounder, speckled trout, striped bass and weakfish (gray trout) will be required to report their harvests to the NC Division of Marine Fisheries.

Fish harvested from the waters shown in this map are required to be reported:

Map showing harvest reporting requirements

Commercial anglers must report all harvested fish to the agency, whether they sell the fish or not.

Information required when reporting recreational catches:

  • Fishing license number
  • Date of harvest
  • Number of each of the five species caught and kept
  • Area where the fish were harvested
  • Type of gear used

Methods to report recreational harvests:

  • Scan the DMF’s QR code or navigate to the following URL: https://deq.nc/gov/report-my-fish
  • Download the new Division of Marine Fisheries app in the app store. (Apple app available now, Android app coming soon

Recreational anglers fishing from a boat must report their harvest when they reach the shore or dock. Those fishing on land must report their harvest once they are no longer engaged in fishing.

If you anticipate not having cell phone/internet connection at the time of your harvest, you may download a report card from the DMF website. Use the report card to keep track of your harvests, then you’ll have until midnight the following day to submit your information electronically.

The law will be phased in over a 3-year period, with verbal warnings issued during the first year, followed by warning tickets during the second year, then a monetary fine plus court fees during the third year. During the third year, failing to report your harvests will also count towards suspension of fishing licenses and permits.