N.C.’s 2021 Urban Archery Season for deer opens Jan. 9

2021 Urban Archery Season runs through Feb. 14

Carolina hunters, if you’re having withdrawal symptoms from the 2020 deer hunting season, here’s something to look forward to starting this weekend. North Carolina’s Urban Archery Season opens up Saturday Jan. 9 and runs for five weeks. As the name implies, it’s open for archery equipment only, and it’s only open in certain parts of the state.

Urban Archery Season allows cities, towns, and villages throughout North Carolina to hold archery season in their jurisdictions if they feel the need to reduce deer populations in those areas.

For those municipalities that are open for the special season, it’s not a free-for-all for hunters. Each township has their own maps showing where hunting is legal. Some — but not all — allow it on public lands. And some have specific restrictions that hunters need to be aware of.

Hunters should also understand that, according to N.C. Wildlife, “season bag and possession limits for both antlerless and antlered deer, including Bonus Antlerless Harvest Report Cards, that apply to the general archery, blackpowder, and gun deer seasons also apply to the Urban Archery Season.”

Contact the area you wish to hunt in order to obtain a map showing open hunting areas and to find out about specific restrictions or information. The participating cities, towns, and villages for the 2021 season, which runs Jan. 9 — Feb. 14, are listed below.

Urban Archery Season participating areas

• Albemarle – 704-984-9565 (albemarlenc.gov)
• Archer Lodge – 919-359-9727 (archerlodgenc.gov)
• Belmont – 704-825-5586 (cityofbelmont.org)
• Boiling Springs – 704-434-9691 (boilingspringsnc.net)
• Catawba – 828-241-2215 (townofcatawbanc.org)
• Chapel Hill – 919-968-2784 (townofchapelhill.org)
• China Grove – 704-857-2466 (chinagrovenc.gov)
• Clayton – 919-553-5002 (townofclaytonnc.org)
• Cleveland – (clevelandnc.org)
• Concord – 704-920-5000 (concordnc.gov)
• Denton – 336-859-4231 (townofdenton.com)
• East Bend – 336-699-8560 (eastbendnc.com)
• Eden – 336-613-3434 (edennc.us)
• Elkin – 336-258-8900 (elkinnc.org)
• Fairview – 704-753-1981 (fairviewnc.gov)
• Franklinville – 336-824-2604 (franklinvillenc.org)
• Glen Alpine – 828-584-2622 (townofglenalpine.org)
• Granite Quarry – 704-279-5596 (granitequarrync.gov)
• Grifton – 252-524-4161 (grifton.com)
• Harrisburg – 704-455-0709 (harrisburgnc.org)
• Huntersville – 704-875-6541 (huntersville.org)
• Indian Trail – 704-821-5401 (indiantrail.org)
• Jamestown – 336-454-1138 (jamestown-nc.gov)
• Jefferson – 336-846-9368
• Jonesville – 336-835-3426 (jonesvillenc.gov)
• Kannapolis – 704-920-4052 (kannapolisnc.gov)
• King – 336-983-8265 (ci.king.nc.us)
• Landis – 704-438-0610 (townoflandis.com)
• Lattimore – 704-434-2620 (facebook.com/TownofLattimore/) 
• Lenoir – 828-757-2200 (cityoflenoir.com)
• Lewisville – 336-945-5558 (lewisvillenc.net)
• Locust – 704-888-5260 Ext. 101 (locustnc.com)
• Midland – 704-888-2232 (midlandnc.us)
• Mineral Springs – 704-243-0505 (mineralspringsnc.com)
• Mooresboro – (townofmooresboro.org)
• Morganton – 828-438-5290 (morgantonnc.gov)
• Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills – 252-441-2525 Ext. 2
• New London – 704-463-5423
• North Wilkesboro – 336-667-7129 (north-wilkesboro.com)
• Norwood – 704-474-3416 (norwoodgov.com)
• Oakboro – 704-485-3351 (oakboro.com)
• Oak Ridge – 336-644-7009 (oakridgenc.com)
• Pleasant Garden – 336-674-3002 (pleasantgarden.net)
• Randleman – 336-495-7500 (cityofrandleman.com)
• Red Cross – 704-485-2002 (townofredcross.com)
• Richfield – 704-463-1308 (richfieldnc@aol.com)
• Ronda – 336-835-2061 (townofronda.org)
• Sanford – 919-777-1104 (sanfordnc.net)
• Shelby – 704-484-6800 (cityofshelby.com)
• Stallings – 704-821-8557 (stallingsnc.org)
• Stanfield – 704-888-2386 (stanfieldnc.com)
• Stokesdale – 336-643-4011 (stokesdale.org)
• Summerfield – 336-643-8655 (summerfieldnc.gov)
• Trent Woods – 252-637-3030 (trentwoodspd.org)
• Troutman – 704-528-7610 (troutmannc.gov)
• Unionville – 704-226-1989 (unionvillenc.com)
• Valdese – 828-879-2120 (townofvaldese.com)
• Wake Forest – 919-435-9609 (wakeforestnc.gov)
• Walnut Creek – 919-778-9687 (walnutcreeknc.com)
• Waxhaw – 704-843-2195 Ext. 278 & 225 (waxhaw.com)
• Weddington – 704-846-2709 (townofweddington.com)
• Wentworth – 336-342-6288 (townofwentworth.com)
• Yadkinville – 336-679-8732 (yadkinville.org)

If your township isn’t listed and you’d like to encourage them to participate in Urban Archery Season, encourage your city leaders to contact the NCWRC at 919-707-0050.