Though not closely monitored, the best trophy potential, large-bodied deer and bucks with large antlers are frequently harvested in northwestern North Carolina in counties such as Rockingham and Stokes. (Shutterstock)
October 14, 2024
By Darron McDougal
This whitetail hunting forecast for the state of North Carolina is part of Game & Fish’s “Great States" project identifying the best deer-hunting states in the country. Read more: America's Top Whitetail States North Carolina Hunters Should Be Happy This Season From popular beaches to historic attractions like the Biltmore in Asheville to mountain ranges such as the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina is a tourist’s gem. While it is rarely the first state to come up in a deer-hunting discussion (unless you live or grew up there), it is a great whitetail state with some unique hunting opportunities.
Because North Carolina has more than 2 million acres of public land, April Pope, a deer biologist with North Carolina’s Wildlife Resources Commission, explained that “it’s difficult to suggest specific publicly accessible lands for out-of-state deer hunters to try, as we have many of them. The best bet is to choose a specific area of the state to visit and then see what game lands are present in that area using the interactive map on our website. Alternatively, hunters could check which game lands have had relatively high harvest levels based on harvest statistics over the past few years.”
DID YOU KNOW?
POPULATION RECOVERY While East Coast whitetails are not known for being big, North Carolina has nine trophy bucks in the Boone and Crockett Club’s records.
Deer hunting in North Carolina varies greatly by habitat because the state has everything from a 6,684-foot mountain peak in the eastern portion to elevations of 50 feet or less in the Coastal ecoregion. Speaking of ecoregions, North Carolina is divided into four of them: Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills and Coastal. Food sources popular with deer during the hunting season across the state are hard masts such as acorns and soft masts such as persimmons and other fruit. North Carolina deer also gorge on forbs and woody browse.
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With roughly 1.1 million whitetails roaming the Tar Heel State, Pope noted the areas with the highest densities. “The northwestern and central parts of the state generally have the most deer,” she said. “Deer-density estimates from 2020 indicated that Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Watauga counties have the highest deer densities. Though we don’t closely monitor which areas have the best trophy potential, large-bodied deer and bucks with large antlers are frequently harvested in northwestern North Carolina in counties such as Rockingham and Stokes. However, the central/Piedmont ecoregion also frequently produces nice bucks.”
THAT'S A FACT
TROPHY WATCH While East Coast whitetails are not known for being big, North Carolina has nine trophy bucks in the Boone and Crockett Club’s records.
Nonresidents can purchase a license online, and the bag limit is generous. “To hunt deer,” Pope said, “you must purchase both a nonresident license and nonresident big game hunting privileges. Nonresidents are allowed to use whatever weapon is allowed at the time in the area they are hunting since tags do not vary by weapon. Always stay on top of season dates and hunting regulations, which can vary by game land and county. A license allows a hunter to harvest four antlerless deer and two antlered deer.”
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Food sources popular with deer during the hunting season across the state are hard masts such as acorns and soft masts such as persimmons and other fruit. (Shutterstock) Miranda Turner, the wildlife health biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said that 13 new cases of CWD were detected during the 2023-2024 sampling season. “We’ve had 24 cases overall since it was first detected in 2022 from a deer harvested in December 2021. Folks can visit our website for more CWD information, including CWD Surveillance Area locations and special regulations that must be followed when hunting within these areas. Also, be sure to comply with carcass-transport restrictions for North Carolina and any other state you’ll be traveling through.”