Small Game & Other Seasons

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Small Game and Other

- Please note: Major regulation changes appear in RED

Small Game and Other Seasons
Season Dates	Limits
Raccoon and Opossum
Oct. 14 – Feb. 28	Opossum: No daily, season, or possession limits. Raccoon daily limit 3: No possession or season limits
General Restrictions Field possession limit while hunting is the same as the daily bag limit. No person shall possess more than one daily bag limit while in the field or while returning from the field to one’s vehicle, hunting camp or residence. Axes and saws may not be carried when raccoon or opossum hunting. It is unlawful to carry firearms or climbing irons when training dogs during closed seasons, except under special field-trial regulations.
Squirrel
Gray and Red (statewide): Oct. 14 – Feb. 28	Daily limit 8; No possession or season limits
Gray (statewide – private lands only): May 12 – May 26, 2025	Daily limit 8; No possession or season limits
Fox Squirrel (statewide): Oct. 14 – Jan. 31	Daily limit 1; Possession 2; Season 10
Rabbit
Oct. 14 – Feb. 28 *(hunting and box-trapping)**	Daily limit 5; No possession or season limits
* A trapping license is not required to box-trap rabbits, but a valid hunting license is necessary. The sale of live rabbits is prohibited.
Quail
Nov. 23 – Feb. 28	Daily limit 6; Possession 12; No season limit
Grouse
Oct. 14 – Feb. 28	Daily limit 3; Possession 6; Season 30
Bobcat
Oct. 14 – Feb. 28	No daily, season, or possession limits.
GROUNDHOG, NUTRIA, COYOTE, SKUNK (striped), ARMADILLO and FERAL SWINE (HOGS)
There is no closed hunting season on private lands. See Game Lands Section for Game Lands regulations.	No daily, season, or possession limits
Hunters may use electronic calls for coyotes and feral swine. Feral swine may be hunted at night with lights. Coyotes may be hunted at night with artificial lights except in the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington. In those five counties, the following apply: Hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset in the above listed five counties All coyote hunting in the above listed five counties requires a permit Permits can be obtained at gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com All coyote harvests in the above listed five counties must be reported See General Hunting Regulations for more information about distinguishing the differences between red wolves and coyotes.
Pheasant
Nov. 23 – Feb. 28 (Barrier Islands of Carteret, Dare, and Hyde Counties for male pheasant only)	Daily limit 3; Possession 6; Season 30
Sept. 2 – Feb. 28 (Remainder of state not included above for pheasants of either sex)	No daily, season, or possession limits
Fox
Year Round (including Sundays)	Must be taken with dogs only; no limits. Local laws may restrict hunting foxes with dogs. Visit ncwildlife.org for restrictions.
Nov. 23 – Jan. 1	Daily limit 2; Season 10
This season applies as follows: In those counties and parts of counties east of I-77 where local laws do not prohibit the taking of foxes or that do not have established fox seasons and Mitchell and Caldwell counties. To see if your county east of I-77 has a different fox hunting season than the one listed above due to local law, visit ncwildlife.org Foxes taken during this hunting season shall not be bought or sold. In Caldwell County, foxes may be taken by firearms only.
Jan. 4 – Jan. 25	Daily limit 2; Season 10
Foxes may be taken in the counties listed below by legal weapons and may be sold after being properly tagged (refer to Other Licenses & Permits for more information on fox tags): Clay, Henderson, Tyrrell, Graham, Macon Hunters must possess fox tags prior to harvesting foxes during this season. There is no open weapons hunting season in any other county except where provided by local laws. To see if your county has a hunting season on foxes, visit ncwildlife.org, or call 919-707-0050 to request a copy.
Beaver
Beaver may be taken year-round with firearms or bow and arrow, provided that permission has been obtained from the owner or lessee of the land on which beaver is being taken.
CONTROLLED HUNTING PRESERVES
Oct. 1 – March 31	No limits.
This applies to domestically raised birds (mallard ducks, chukars, Hungarian partridges, and upland game birds) only. No wild turkey may be taken.

Feral Swine Trapping

Feral swine may be trapped year-round with no bag limits under the following conditions:

A hunting or trapping license is required, except for those persons who are license-exempt (see License Information).
A feral swine trapping permit is also required, even for those who are license-exempt. This free permit is available at gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com.
Only box and corral traps can be used and the permit number must be displayed on all traps. Traps must be constructed so that a non-target animal, such as a bear, can easily escape or be released without harm.
All feral swine must be euthanized while in the trap and may not be removed alive from any trap.
Landowner permission is required to trap feral swine. Feral swine trapping is allowed on game lands only with permission from the Commission (919-707-0150).