New laws in North Carolina for bowhunting

[Woodduck]

Thought some would be interested in the new laws for bowhunting in NC.

I hope you are a member of the  North Carolina Bowhunters Association; that is working to help us.

#1- FERAL HOGS:  Feral Hogs may be hunted year round on private properties with any legal weapon,  except on Sunday,  in all 94 counties where the Wild Boar season is not in effect.  Feral Hogs may be hunted on NC Gamelands on any day when a season for ANY game animal is open.  For example,  they may be hunted during squirrel season,  turkey, rabbit, raccoon, oppossum,deer, duck (waterfowl), bear season.. on gamelands where and when hunting is permitted for any game animal. This rule is in effect now. Feral Hogs may be baited on private lands, but not on game lands. There is no law preventing it at this time except on game lands where it is illegal to bait. Also, Feral Hogs can be hunted at night.  Col. Everhart (NCWRC) says, "They are not regulated by the WRC so we do not have any rules prohibiting hunting them at night."
 
#2- BEAVER:  The NC Legislature passed S-1464 which makes it legal to take beaver with bow and arrow beginning October 1, 2007.   After Oct. 1st, beaver may be taken year round with firearms or bow/arrow on any private properties with permission from the landowner.  Beaver may be taken from any gamelands during any open season for any game animal that may be legally hunted on that gameland at a particular time/date.  For example:  When deer or turkey season is open on the Butner Gamelands,  including Falls Lake,  beaver may be legally taken with firearms or bow/arrow.  Can Beaver be hunted at night?  Col Everhart says, "Yes,  during the open raccoon and opossum season, but the law specifically says you have to have permission from the owner or lessee of the land on which the beaver is going to be killed."   What if someone is out coon hunting, or bowfishing, and sees a beaver in a creek, lake, etc.? Can it be taken? Col Everhart says, "Again, only during the open raccoon and opossum season, and the law specifically says you have to have permission from the owner or lessee of the land on which the beaver is going to be killed."  
 
#3-Bonus Deer Tags:  These may be used just like the tags on your license... at any time deer season is open.. On private lands ONLY though,  where the Maximum Either-Sex Deer season is in effect.  
 
#4-  "Urban Deer Season" permits:  The April 1st deadline is waived this first year because this deadline had already passed when the regulation was approved.  The director's office will accept letters from cities (municipalities) now. Municipalities have the option of sending a letter to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission requesting to be included in this special season.  The municipality must also provide a map showing boundaries. The commission is accepting applications now for this coming year’s season.  After this year, letters must be submitted before April 1st of each year. Once submitted, the letters are valid until the town requests them to be terminated. The WRC says they will honor the letters for extended periods of time as requested by cities.  Letters should be directed to:  Fred Harris, Executive Director/NCWRC;  1701 Mail Service Center;  Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1701.

[Woodduck]

Bowhunting during Muzzle-Loader Seasons:  
It will be legal to bowhunt during all muzzle-loader seasons statewide this year. This will be limited to “private property” only and game lands posted as “archery only areas.”  Statistics show that about 85% of hunters responding to the WRC's survey favored this new regulation.  It will put more hunters in places that were not conducive to any form of gun hunting in the past and will help harvest more deer, which is the ultimate goal of the NCWRC.  Many hunters also prefer to bowhunt than hunt with a firearm of any type, and the bow poses less danger to other hunters and nearby human populations.
 
Minimum Draw Weight for Traditional Bows:
The minimum draw weight for traditional bows (recurve, longbow, self bows, etc.) has been reduced from 45 pounds to 40 pounds.  The minimum draw weight for compound bows is 35 pounds.  This will help more women, kids and physically challenged hunters to get involved in the sport of bowhunting.
 
 
Thanks for you support of NCBA and Bowhunting in North Carolina!

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Woodduck , Does rule #1 apply for nonresidents also?  Thanks

[Charlie Cole]

NICE.

[Woodduck]

I would think so.
 I just got this information in an email from Ramon Bell, Pres. North Carolina Bowhunters Association; and I haven't discusssed it with anyone.

[Woodduck]

Most all info. and contacts, here:

  http://www.ncwildlife.org/

[Talondale]

Anyone want to organize a trad hog hunt on their property for after season?   :D

[madness522]

I hear there are a good number of feral hogs in Caswell county. Haven't been there...yet.... I'm in for a hog hunt!

[ckanous]

Wish I had some around here!

[Woodduck]

None(hogs) in my county or surrounding counties.

We've got skunks and coyotes, now, though.  

[Richie Nell]

Alabama has a new game law as well, finally.  After 123,000 years of killing all the bucks in Alabama it now has a 3 buck limit and one must have 4 points on one side.
Before this year you could legally harvest any deer you see that does not have spots, one being a buck with one point or more and two antlerless deer of either sex each day.
Horrible, Horrible ,horrible.
But it has finally changed for the better. Way to go Alabama Department of Conservation.

[Woodduck]

Originally posted by Talondale:
Anyone want to organize a trad hog hunt on their property for after season?     :D  

See Mr. Magoo's thread about NC hog hunting. That farmer/area must have a growing population.

[ZA206]

I really want a local city to jump on #4. I'd KILL to do some urban bowhunting. Living in Charlotte, there are some BRUISER bucks here that are safe from everything except cars. Charlotte and a couple of the nearby towns have ordanances prohibiting hunting of any kind.

I'm also EXTREMELY pleased that they are now allowing archery during the ML week. Made no sense to me how I could'nt leagally bowhunt on my family land during that week. Glad they wised up and got rid of it.

Now... if we can just get the Sunday hunting blue laws overturned, we'll be all set!

-ZA

[UK Bowman]

Does that mean that you do not need the Wild Boar tags? I will be down that way in sept.

[Mr.Magoo]

Regarding the Boar Tags ...  The online regulations list a handful of counties that have "Wild Boar".  The regs say the other 94 (or so) counties consider the hogs feral so I'd guess you only need to use the tags in the counties that actually have "Russian" boar.

[UK Bowman]

Thanks for the info! Thats one less $125 tag that I will be buying this year.

[Woodduck]

UK Bowman, what are you coming to NC to hunt?

If you come to hunt deer, you'll have to buy the big game license and the boar, turkey, and bear are all included for the same money.

[J-dog]

Has anyone seen the new law outlawing deer hounds on croatan game lands? will greatly improve th stills setting(trad bowhunting) oportunities, through rifle season.

It does stink for the dog runners because it is a victory for the antis, but the houndsmen did it to themselves.

[geno]

Hey woodduck,
Just read an article on your state hunting yesterday. no other state is more opposed to sunday hunting it failed 53-38% and talondales state just passed it 62-34%.. FYI.

[geno]

Hey J- dog

How did they do it to themselves ??