North Carolina bear season 2026: dates and free maps
Season dates
Mountain Bear Management Unit: Saturday, October 3, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027
Two segments: Oct. 3-Nov. 21 and Dec. 12, 2026-Jan. 1, 2027, in and west of Surry, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke and Cleveland counties.
Piedmont Bear Management Unit: Saturday, October 17, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027
Opens Oct. 17 in Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Moore, Richmond, Scotland, Vance, Wake and Warren; Nov. 14 or Nov. 21 in the other Piedmont counties. All close Jan. 1, 2027.
Coastal Bear Management Unit: Monday, November 9, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027
Dates differ by zone, from Nov. 9, 2026-Jan. 1, 2027 (Zone 5) to split seasons in November and December (Zones 1 to 3). See the zone list.
Checked on the agency's site November 6, 2026. Licenses, units, bag limits and shooting hours differ, and dates can vary by unit: the regulations are what count, so read them before you go.
Legal shooting hours for big game in North Carolina, generally: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Bear country is big timber and steep ground, usually with no signal. Download the maps for your spot ahead of time and Cartahaven shows your GPS position on them offline, so you can stay on public ground, find your stand or bait site and get back out after dark.
Free public land maps in North Carolina
Before you go
Cartahaven is not affiliated with or endorsed by North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Season dates come from the agency pages linked above.