7 North Carolina counties to get August deer season

Key Points:

• The NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has introduced a Special Early Season for antlered deer on August 22-23, 2026, in seven North Carolina counties within the state's Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Areas, allowing any lawful weapon but prohibiting baiting before September 1.
• Blackpowder and gun seasons will start a week earlier than usual in the Northwestern CWD Management Area, including Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties.
• New statewide requirements for disposing of deer carcasses replace previous restrictions, mandating disposal in lined landfills, burial at least 3 feet deep and 300 feet from water, or lawful leaving on the ground within the county of origin to prevent CWD spread.
• The CWD Management Assistance Program (CWDMAP) allows landowners and hunters with exclusive rights on private property to apply for additional deer tags based on acreage enrolled in CWD areas, with applications opening July 1.
• NCWRC emphasizes hunters' role in managing CWD, noting that earlier buck harvests may reduce disease spread by limiting young buck dispersal and contact during the rut, and new hunting regulations will be detailed in the upcoming state hunting regulations digest.