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North Carolina County Finder
Answer six questions and get North Carolina counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 season dates, public land and NCWRC harvest history.
How the North Carolina finder works
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sets deer, bear and turkey seasons by county. This tool scores all 100 counties for the species you pick using NCWRC's reported harvest (deer and bear 2021–2025, turkey spring 2026), USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as national forests and Game Lands.
Season fit uses each county's 2026–27 deer season zone (Northeastern, Southeastern, Central, Northwestern or Western, plus the CWD early season where it applies) and its bear management unit or coastal bear zone.
Species covered
- White-tailed deer
- Black bear
- Wild turkey
Upland birds (ranked by county)
- Forest grouse
- Quail
Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)
- Ducks
- Canada and dark geese
- Snow and Ross's geese
- Mourning dove
- Tundra swan
- American woodcock
About every species on the species page →
Data sources
- https://www.ncwildlife.gov/media/5236/download
- https://www.ncwildlife.gov/media/5265/download
- https://www.ncwildlife.gov/media/5283/download
- https://www.ncwildlife.gov/regulations/2026-2027-season-dates-glance/download
- USGS PAD-US 3.0 (Fee); NPS parks and monuments excluded
- USGS NLCD 2021 Land Cover (250 m resample)
- USGS 3DEP elevation service
North Carolina hunting FAQ
When does deer gun season open in my North Carolina county?
It depends on the deer season zone: Oct. 17 in the Northeastern and Southeastern zones, Nov. 14 in the Central zone and the Northwestern CWD area, Nov. 21 in the Northwestern zone and Nov. 28 in the Western zone (2026–27). Each county result lists its zone's dates.
Which North Carolina counties have the most bears?
Coastal counties such as Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington and Beaufort and mountain counties such as Haywood and Buncombe report the highest bear harvest. Pick black bear in the tool to rank them with habitat and access.
Can I hunt bears with dogs in North Carolina?
Yes, in open bear seasons, except in Pamlico County. Choose Hounds as your method and the tool scores counties with an open bear season and weights reported dog-hunting harvest.
North Carolina harvest leaders
The counties with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.
White-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)
- Randolph County: 5,108 per year
- Anson County: 4,277 per year
- Union County: 3,703 per year
- Stanly County: 3,538 per year
- Halifax County: 3,484 per year
Black bear (2021–2025 average)
- Hyde County: 287 per year
- Beaufort County: 248 per year
- Jones County: 237 per year
- Tyrrell County: 212 per year
- Bladen County: 165 per year
Wild turkey (2026)
- Duplin County: 853 per year
- Halifax County: 727 per year
- Northampton County: 598 per year
- Pender County: 595 per year
- Columbus County: 568 per year
Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)
- Hyde County: 69,447 per year
- Pamlico County: 21,422 per year
- Currituck County: 18,818 per year
- Pender County: 11,736 per year
- Dare County: 9,945 per year
Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)
- Pitt County: 3,562 per year
- Person County: 2,816 per year
- Iredell County: 1,977 per year
- Hyde County: 1,926 per year
- Davie County: 1,829 per year