Surf and Sheds Blog

September 12th will mark the opening season (Bow) for all of us that have been drooling at the mouth watching all of those pics coming from our friends out west who have already been enjoying there first season hunt.   Like this great photo from Tom Sorenson with Base Camp Legends…and his Surf and Sheds Camo Hat….Must have been the hat that brought him luck that day!!!

Here are a few quick facts for NC Hunting

Deer Rut Season In North Carolina

Some understanding of the breeding cycle will also benefit your hunt; especially, if you are after trophy size deer. The breeding cycle for NC deer varies somewhat each year, but is reasonably constant — “The majority of the breeding activity occurs in a 3 to 4 week period in all NC regions. The peak breeding periods by region are:

• Lower Coastal Plain — last week of October
• Upper Coastal Plain — first week in November
• Piedmont and Foothills — third week in November
• Mountains — first week of December.”

How many deer are in North Carolina?

The Wildlife Commission is able to track white-tailed deer population trends using age and sex data collected from hunter-harvested deer. Population models show that approximately 1.1 million deer reside in the Tar Heel state. Approximately 620,000 deer reside in the Coastal Plain, while 420,000 deer live in the Piedmont. The population estimate for the mountain region is 60,000 animals. The Wildlife Commission’s population modeling efforts have indicated that we have stable or decreasing population trends across most of the state. These trends developed in the early- to mid-1990s when the Wildlife Commission increased opportunity to harvest doe (female) deer across much of the state. However, there are localized areas in the state where populations are increasing, mostly urban/suburban areas where hunting opportunity, our state’s primary management tool for managing deer populations, has decreased or has been lost altogether.

How common are albino and piebald deer?

Piebald deer are deer that have blotches of white coloration on portions of their hide that are usually dark in color. Albino deer are deer that lack pigmentation and have a completely white hide and pink eyes, nose and hooves. Piebald deer are much more common with some studies showing the trait may show up in one in 1,000 deer. Albinism is much rarer and may only be observed in one in 30,000 deer. There is also a very rare melanistic condition that causes a deer’s coloration to be extremely dark and sometimes black. This condition is much rarer than albinism.

Can I hunt on Sunday in North Carolina?

No. Hunting seasons are closed on Sundays, except on some military installations under the exclusive jurisdictions of the Federal government.

I have a lifetime license, but I haven’t received my big game tags yet. What should I do? Can I still hunt?

Possession of a harvested bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey without a validated “Big Game Harvest Report Card” (formerly known as “tags”) is unlawful. Each spring our license section mails out a post card to lifetime license holders. On this post card you can request your big game harvest report card, HIP certification (federal Harvest Information Program) and/or Regulations Digest without having to go to a wildlife service agent to do so. You can also update your address if necessary. An online authorization number is provided on the post card to request these items online. If you did not receive this post card, there may be a problem with your address information in our system. Call (888) 2HUNTFISH, (888) 248-6834, M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. to check the status of your information and request the items you need.

My son/daughter is under age 16 and is hunting off my license. Do I have to use my tags on their harvested animals?

No. Your son/daughter must request a free license-exempt big game report card (formerly known as “tags”) at a wildlife service agent near you or by calling 1-888-2HUNTFISH (1-888-248-6834), M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

I hunt on my own property and don’t need a license. Do I have to tag my harvest?

Yes. Possession of a harvested bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey without a validated “Big Game Harvest Report Card” (formerly known as “tags”) is unlawful. You can request a free license-exempt big game report card (formerly known as “tags”) at a wildlife service agent near you or by calling (888) 2HUNTFISH, 888-248-6834, M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For more information on North Carolina Hunting rules regulations:  http://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/index.htm