RALEIGH — Officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have announced the approved season dates, bag limits and applicable regulations for the 2022-23 waterfowl, webless migratory game bird (including doves) and extended falconry seasons. The dates are available on their website and will be published in the 2022-23 Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest this August.
Although the majority of seasons remain unchanged, notable changes include:
- Elimination of the Special Sea Duck season in the Atlantic Flyway. Sea ducks in North Carolina can now only be harvested during the Coastal Zone season dates. All sea ducks taken, regardless of a hunter’s location (within or outside of the Sea Duck Area), will count toward a hunter’s daily bag limit of six ducks. The Sea Duck Area will remain in place to allow open-water hunters to chase crippled waterfowl while in a boat under power.
- Hunting for Canada geese in the Northeast Hunt Zone will no longer require a permit and the number of hunting days will increase from 14 to 30 days. The bag limit will remain one goose per day.
- Available permits allocated for Tundra Swan harvest in North Carolina will be 4,721. The number of permits is based on the current status of the Eastern population of Tundra Swans and the process by which available permits are allocated to Atlantic Flyway swan hunting states
- Bag limits for scaup will be one scaup daily, Oct. 21-Jan. 8, and two scaup daily, Jan. 9–31, during the open portions of the general duck season.
For more information on migratory game birds in North Carolina, visit the Wildlife Commission’s What to Hunt webpage.