North Carolina hunters and anglers will pay a little more to hunt and fish after July 1, 2024.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has announced an increase for hunting licenses, fishing licenses, trapping licenses, and other fees such as permits and stamps. The increase takes effect on July 1, 2024.
The new increased fees were approved by NCWRC at their April business meeting, then approved by the Rules Review Commission in May.
The public was allowed input beginning in February through virtual public hearing, email, the online portal, and through the mail. The public input was carefully reviewed, according to NCWRC, before they voted on the increased fees.
The increased fees will be based on the total increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers since the last fee increase, which was on Jan. 1, 2020. The increased revenue will help NCWRC with operating costs, which have increased due to inflation and an increased demand for services by outdoorsmen.
NCWRC’s budget is funded by the sale of licenses, vessel titles and registrations, federal grants, general fund appopriations, and other means. License sales make up approximately 25 percent of the Commission’s yearly revenue.
The funds are used to support NCWRC’s programs focused on species management, habitat enhancement, enforcement of regulations, education, and public access.
To buy a North Carolina hunting and/or fishing license, visit gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com or visit a Wildlife Service Agent.
Brian Carroll entered our Get A Gobbler Contest with a 19-pound gobbler he killed in South Carolina’s lowcountry on March 22, 2024.
Brian Carroll of Mt. Pleasant, SC has become the first entrant in the Carolina Fish and Hunt Get A Gobbler Contest, with a gobbler he killed on private land in South Carolina’s lowcountry.
Using a Stubbs Game Calls turkey call, Carroll convinced the 19-pound bird to come in to range rather quickly on March 22, 2024 during the late morning hunt, which took place in Berkeley County.
“He came in on a string in three minutes, from 300 yards to 30,” said Carroll.
He shot the turkey, which had an 11-inch beard and 1-inch spurs, with a 20-gauge Beretta A400 shotgun.
Entering his turkey in the Get A Gobbler Contest gives Carroll a shot at winning a Yeti Loadout 5-gallon bucket with lid and caddy, a Tactacam Reveal X Pro cellular trail camera with 32GB SD card, and a Spyderco lockblade folding knife.
Almost a year after duck hunter Tyler Doyle of Loris, SC went missing during a duck hunt, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has joined the investigation.
Doyle went missing on Jan. 26, 2023 in his hunting boat after dropping a friend off for the hunt. His friend reportedly watched Doyle’s boat sinking and called 911 as the boat disappeared around some rocks. Doyle was not seen again.
An extensive investigation involving numerous agencies lasted several days. SCDNR reported that no foul play was suspected, and ruled the incident a hunting accident. But since then, numerous sightings of Doyle have been called in to authorities.
SCDNR spokesperson Stephen Fastenau said DNR remains the lead agency on the case. But he said because of numerous reported possible sightings of Doyle, they have asked SLED to review the file and to assist with missing person inquiries.
Have you or someone you know seen Tyler Doyle? If so, call SLED at 803-896-7133.
Blair Wiggins killed a unique 13-point brute in Richmond County, NC on Nov. 19, 2023.
Blair Wiggins killed a Richmond County, NC brute of a buck on Nov. 19, 2023 during a quick afternoon hunt. The deer had a unique 13-point rack, and her taxidermist estimated the buck at about 5 1/2-years-old.
“I shot this buck exactly 1 year to the day that I shot my first nice buck, and 8-pointer,” said Wiggins. “I’m still in shock myself.”
And she completed this hunt the old-fashioned way.
“Good ol’ Mother Nature brought him to me! No corn, no call, just him and me,” she said.
The deer was already in the field when Wiggins made it to her stand.
“I got lucky. He was in the field as I was climbing in my stand around 4 p.m. I really couldn’t do too much but keep climbing and get situated to get him in my scope,” she said. “By that time, he had walked across back into the woods.”
But it wasn’t long before the buck made another appearance.
“Around 4:30, he just happened to pop back out from the side of the woods about 60 yards in front of my stand just walking the wood line towards me,” she said.
She didn’t want to shoot the buck straight on, so she waited a few seconds, realizing that time was crucial.
“He acted like he was about to walk back into the woods, and I made a sound so he would stop. He turned his body and looked towards me, so I fired. He ran about 50 yards or so into the woods and dropped,” she said. “It’s one of the quickest deer hunts I’ve ever had to get this big boy!”
Wiggins has only been hunting for 3 years, and said she appreciates this hunt, and this buck.
“I feel so blessed to have harvested this deer in my third year of deer hunting!” she said.
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.
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 nine-banded armadillo is established in many North Carolina 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.
Coyotes are very adaptable animals and can be hunted year-round in North Carolina.
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.
Wild hogs are known as destructive animals, but they do make great hunting targets and table fare.
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.
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.
Groundhogs are considered nuisance animals and can be hunted year-round by North Carolina hunters.
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.
Nutria were imported to North Carolina to kill noxious weeds, but they soon turned to native, desirable plants once they’d eradicated their intended food source.
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.
The striped skunk is another species that can be hunted year-round in North Carolina.
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.
