7 North Carolina counties to get August deer season

Two-day special season is for antlered deer

The NCWRC has introduced a Special Early Season for antlered deer Aug. 22-23, 2026 in seven North Carolina counties included in the state’s CWD Management Areas.

The areas include Cumberland, Forsyth, Sampson, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. Any lawful weapon will be allowed during the special season, and baiting is still prohibited in those counties before Sept. 1.

Blackpowder and gun seasons will also start a week earlier than usual in the state’s Northwestern CWD Management Area. This included Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

Other noteworthy deer hunting news for North Carolina hunters include the following from NCWRC:

The restrictions on transporting deer carcasses from CWD Surveillance and Management Areas have been removed and replaced with statewide requirements for disposing of deer carcasses. The final disposal (either directly by a hunter or indirectly when hunters use a processor, taxidermist or trash service) of non-edible portions of deer carcasses and carcass parts originating from anywhere inside North Carolina shall be in one of the following methods:
- In a lined landfill;
- Buried 3 feet below ground and 300 feet from a waterbody; or
- Lawfully left on the ground within the county of origin.

The new hunting rules will be printed in the North Carolina Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest and available to view online beginning Aug. 1. NCWRC stresses the importance of hunters following these rules when transporting or disposing of deer carcasses; improper disposal may lead to moving CWD to new locations. Carcass importation restrictions for deer originating from outside of North Carolina remain in place.

In addition, through the CWD Management Assistance Program (CWDMAP) landowners and hunters with exclusive hunting rights on private property can apply for additional tags to use during the hunting season to harvest more deer on properties in CWD Management and Surveillance Areas or within 10 miles of a CWD positive detection. The number of tags provided is based on acreage enrolled. Applications open July 1.

“Hunters are our best tool to manage CWD,” said Deer Biologist April Boggs Pope. “Hunters in CWD-confirmed areas can help to slow this disease from spreading while maintaining quality opportunities for deer hunters across the state. We expect the new hunting regulations will move buck harvest to earlier in the season, which can help reduce the spread of CWD by decreasing the dispersal of young bucks and the amount of contact that bucks have with other deer as the rut begins.”