Mackenzie Alexander of Lilesville, NC got her first hunting adrenaline rush on Nov. 19, 2022 when she shot this 8-point buck.
“It was a frigid morning at 7:54 a.m. She had already passed up two does when this 8-pointer came out. He flew up in the air when she shot him. He only made it about 10 feet from where he was shot,” said her dad, Justin Alexander.
“It was her first adrenaline rush. She’s ready for more already!” he said.
Turtle hunting is a dying sport. And so is cleaning and cooking them. Get the most meat out of your cooters with these tips
It’s a bit of a dying sport, with dying recipes to go along with it. But cooter hunting is a lot of fun and can lead to great meals. Harkey’s Taxidermy in Vale, N.C. recently held a cooter contest to see who could catch the biggest snapping turtle. Click here to read about the competition.
But what good is catching a cooter if you don’t know how to clean it and cook it? Harkey’s came through there too, with a video that shows just how to get that snapper ready for the stew.
Hunters in North Carolina have six species of animals they can hunt year-round.
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.
South Carolina anglers and hunters will love this new app from SCDNR!
Anglers and hunters in the Palmetto State need to have the appropriate licenses for whatever fishing or hunting they’re doing. Purchasing them used to be a hassle. You had to find a store that sold them, then fill out the paperwork (by hand, like cavemen!), then haul that little folded up scrap of paper in your wallet, just hoping to never lose or ruin it.
Then came online purchasing. That was much easier, but you still had to wait on the license to come in the mail. After a while, they allowed you to print the license from your home printer, as long as you had one.
But now, it’s even easier. SCDNR now has the Go Outdoors South Carolina App, which you can download to your phone. The app allows you to view your current hunting and fishing license, apply for lottery hunts, register and renew your watercraft, report turkey harvests through SC Game Check, upgrade to a hard license (sort of like a credit card), and purchase SCDNR gear.
But that’s not all. The app also has a “Digital Backpack” that has loads of information, like tide charts, sunrise/sunset times, feeding times, and the Hunter’s Toolbox, which shows real-time harvest data for the state. You can also find all the regulations, boat ramps, and a whole host of other information.
Whether you’re an Apple or Android user, hit up your play store and download the Go Outdoors South Carolina app today.
11-year-old Jacob Gearheart killed a trophy buck in full velvet in Calhoun County, S.C. on Aug. 14, 2021.
Youth hunter Jacob Gearheart of Lexington, S.C. killed a trophy 8-point mainframe buck in Calhoun County on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. He was hunting from a box stand with his dad on Game Zone 3’s Youth Day when he pulled the trigger on the big buck, which was in full velvet.
The young hunter and his dad tried to jumpstart the season that morning, but a buck that was showing up daily on their trail cam did not show up Saturday. So they went to plan B, which was to hunt a different property that evening. The plan worked out well.
After walking in to the stand that evening, they waited patiently until a 9-point buck showed up. Unfortunately, this deer was too young to shoot according to the hunt club rules. So Jacob waited. A doe showed up and almost spoiled the party, blowing dozens of times before running off.
“We kind of thought that was the end of it,” said Jacob’s dad. But they stayed put, and so did the 9-point buck.
Not long after, the 8-point buck showed up. They could tell this deer was bigger and older. Jacob’s dad gave him the go-ahead to shoot the buck when he had a clear shot, which didn’t happen right away.
“I was nervous that he wouldn’t turn broadside,” said the youngster. Luckily, after a few minutes, the deer turned, offering the hunter a clear shot.
“When he pulled the trigger, it dropped. On the spot. It didn’t move,” said Jacob’s dad. “Last year, he shot a buck from the same stand, but we couldn’t find it. So this was a bit of vindication for Jacob,” said his dad.
