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North Carolina

Hunting

Hunting

Bear Regulations

Restrictions

It is unlawful to do any of the following:

  • Take a cub (less than 75 pounds) or a female bear with cub(s).
  • Hunt bear on a designated bear management area. (See General Game Lands Regulations for information on designated bear management areas.)

Mandatory Bear Tooth Submission

  • It is mandatory to submit at least one premolar tooth from your harvested bear by January 31st following the applicable bear hunting season.
  • After pulling both upper premolar teeth (see ad below and instructions at ncwildlife.org), place one of the teeth in the bear tooth envelope you received in the mail from the Commission. Save the other tooth as a backup until you have been notified by the Commission that we received your tooth.
  • If you lost the bear tooth envelope, call 919-707-0050 to have a new envelope sent to you.

Information on the use of dogs to hunt bears and the use of unprocessed foods is on General Hunting Regulations and Bear Seasons Map.

The following additional restrictions apply to designated bear management areas:

  • Dogs may not be used to pursue bear, except during permit hunts that allow hunting bear with dogs.
  • It is unlawful to take feral swine on designated bear management areas except during the deer archery season, deer blackpowder season, deer gun season and any small game season using only weapons and manner of take prescribed for that hunting season.
  • Dogs may not be used to take feral swine.
  • Dogs shall not be trained or allowed to run unleashed between March 1 and the Monday on or nearest October 15 on designated bear management areas located in and west of the counties and parts of counties in Alamance County south of I-85, Orange County south of I-85, Chatham County, Lee County, Wake County south of N.C. 98; and in and west of Rockingham, Guilford, Randolph, and Montgomery counties and that part of Anson County west of N.C. 742.