Fall hunting season is nearly here. Check harvest numbers from last year along with info on 2026. PHOTO: BILL MAYNARD / HCC.CA
North Carolina recorded record deer harvests in two of the past three years, but Triangle counties reported harvest declines for three straight years.
Tar Heel hunters took nearly 200,000 deer last year, 10,000 more than the previous season, with three-fourths of the deer taken by gun. Bow hunters accounted for 13,206, crossbows 14,285, blackpowder 21,360. There are 1.3M white-tail deer in the state, according to state wildlife estimates.
Meanwhile, Chatham, Durham, Orange, Wake saw fewer deer taken. Orange dropped from 2,051 in 2024-25 to 1,886 in 25-26, Chatham from 2,558 to 2,481, Durham 927 from 1,009 and Wake 1,900 from 2,027. The highest number (3,009 was in Chatham in 23-24.
N.C. deer biologist April Pope explained, “The numbers for last year weren’t too different compared to several years prior, but it is a little concerning that there has been a decline for multiple years.
“The NC deer population is around 1.3 million, and many Piedmont counties have deer populations that are high (>50 deer per square mile) and that aren’t decreasing. I think you hit the nail on the head–urbanization is causing there to be fewer places to hunt, whether it is due to decreasing parcel sizes, land being sold and developed, or concerns dealing with human safety.
“Deer in more urban or suburban areas can be trickier to hunt, so people also tend to focus on larger areas with fewer houses when they can, so folks may choose to hunt in more rural areas.
“We had 172 deer harvested from areas enrolled in the Urban Archery Season, only 12 of which were from the counties you mentioned. It would be great to have more enrollment in the Urban Archery Season and more harvest during the regular season in these areas, though some city ordinances prevent this–mostly due to rules dealing with shooting bows or firearms in city limits.”
Urban archery numbers also declined statewide in 2026, from 194 to 172. Chapel Hill dipped from 13 to 8.
Dates for 2027 are Jan. 9-Feb. 27.
J.B.