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Piedmont Region · 2026-27
Alamance County Hunting
Alamance County at a glance for 2026-27: which deer zone and bear unit it falls in, the local hunting acts, seven seasons of reported deer, bear and gobbler counts, game lands and a district biologist to call.
Photo: Don McCullough (CC BY 2.0)
Alamance County takes in 423 square miles of dry land plus 11 of water, governed from Graham. Census staff estimated 183,040 residents for 2024, close to 432 per square mile. District 5 biologists cover it, under the Piedmont Region supervisor. For season dates, read the Central deer rows and the Piedmont BMU (group 2) bear rows. 19 counties share the Central dates. County hunters without private land head to game lands next door.
Land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates, district and region from the NCWRC district biologist sheet, game land acres from the NCWRC game land boundary layer (GIS measure), deer groups from the 2026-2027 Season Dates at a Glance. Checked October 25, 2026.
Alamance County Central deer calendar
Under the Central dates, archery runs Sep 12 to Oct 30, 2026, blackpowder Oct 31 to Nov 13, 2026 and gun Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. There are no either-sex day limits here: each open day allows antlerless deer. Sep 26 to Sep 27, 2026 are youth deer hunting days across the state. None of the CWD areas includes Alamance County.
| Segment | Runs | Antlerless days |
|---|---|---|
| Bows | Sep 12–Oct 30, 2026 | Every open day |
| Blackpowder | Oct 31–Nov 13, 2026 | Every open day |
| Gun season | Nov 14–Jan 1, 2027 | Every open day |
| Youth days (statewide) | Sep 26–Sep 27, 2026 | Either sex, youth |
The testing chart lists Alamance County only inside its rest-of-state total.
Night lights
The sunset light rule applies all night.
How many deer
No daily limit; six per season.
Register it
Report through Go Outdoors North Carolina before skinning or by noon next day.
The Central group · Zones statewide · CWD areas
Zone groups, dates and antlerless days from the 2026-2027 Season Dates at a Glance and the digest deer seasons; youth, CWD early and urban seasons from the digest deer regulations; CWD areas from the NCWRC CWD special regulations; tests from the NCWRC CWD testing chart (updated Oct 15, 2026); light rule from 15A NCAC 10B .0115. Checked October 25, 2026.
What is open around Alamance County this year
Dove, squirrel, rabbit and quail run statewide, while the deer zone, bear unit, I-95 duck line and goose zone set the rest for Alamance County.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Central | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth Deer Hunting Days | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Blackpowder | Central | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun | Central | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Group 2 | Piedmont BMU group 2 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Season (spring) | Statewide | Apr 10, 2027 | Apr 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Statewide Spring Season | Statewide | Apr 17, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Feral swine | Year-round | Private land, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Dove | Dove (split) | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Oct 10, 2026 | |
| Dove | Dove (split) | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Dove | Dove (split) | Statewide | Dec 16, 2026 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Remainder of state (either sex) | Rest of the state | Sep 5, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Fall/winter | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Spring season | Statewide | May 17, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Red squirrel | Fall/winter | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Inland zone | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Inland zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 3 | Inland zone | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | September Canada goose season | Statewide in September | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Split 1 | Resident Population Zone | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Split 2 | Resident Population Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Split 3 | Resident Population Zone | Dec 17, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| White-fronted goose | Split 1 | Resident Population Zone | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 | |
| White-fronted goose | Split 2 | Resident Population Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | |
| White-fronted goose | Split 3 | Resident Population Zone | Dec 17, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Regular season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Brant | Brant | Statewide | Dec 28, 2026 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Tundra swan | Tundra swan (permit only) | Permit holders only | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans day | Statewide | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans day | Statewide | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| King and clapper rail | Rails | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | |
| Virginia rail and sora | Rails | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Gallinule and moorhen | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Nov 25, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Oct 27, 2026 | Feb 27, 2027 | |
| Crow | Season 1 (Wed/Fri/Sat) | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Feb 27, 2027 | |
| Crow | Season 2 (Wed/Fri/Sat) | Statewide | Jun 2, 2027 | Jul 31, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Firearms season | East of I-77; local acts vary | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Firearms season | East of I-77; local acts vary | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Year-round | Private land, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Groundhog | Year-round | Private land, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Nutria | Year-round | Private land, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Skunk | Year-round | Private land, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Armadillo | Year-round | Private land, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Beaver | Year-round | Statewide, year-round | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 2026-27 regulations digest and the 2026-2027 Season Dates at a Glance, checked October 25, 2026.
Public hunting land in Alamance County
Public-land hunters in Alamance County travel: these are the nearest tracts in other counties. The ten-mile ring around Graham holds near 332 acres of public land.
Over the county line, nearest first: Buckhorn Game Land 491 ac, 10 miles out; R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell Game Land 18,014 ac, 24 miles out; B. Everett Jordan Lake (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) 40,115 ac, 28 miles out; Jordan Game Land 40,462 ac, 29 miles out; Dan River Game Land 1,705 ac, 36 miles out.
All 130 land pages · Game lands statewide · Game land days
Tracts from our North Carolina land list (NCWRC regional game land tables, game land rules, USFS, USFWS, NPS and Corps records); game land acres from the NCWRC boundary layer and national forest acres from the USFS ownership layer, both GIS measures; acres within 10 miles of the seat from the same layers. Checked October 25, 2026.
How many deer Alamance County gives up
In 2025-26 the report cards logged 2,769 Alamance County deer, placing it 28th statewide. Set against 2019-20, the latest season is +28%. The gun season produced 1,954 deer; the muzzleloader fortnight gave 354. No deer were reported from game lands here. NCWRC computes 5.38 antlered bucks per square mile for the county. Does outnumbered button bucks 1,273 to 124 in the antlerless share. In 1976 the county reported 52 deer; the record is 2,895 in 2023.
| Season | Bucks | Male fawns | Females | Total | Gun | BP | Bow | Crossbow | GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,372 | 124 | 1,273 | 2,769 | 1,954 | 354 | 233 | 228 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 1,418 | 113 | 1,276 | 2,807 | 1,978 | 346 | 235 | 248 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 1,512 | 107 | 1,276 | 2,895 | 2,133 | 305 | 249 | 208 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 1,152 | 72 | 943 | 2,167 | 1,620 | 178 | 222 | 147 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 1,095 | 85 | 1,010 | 2,190 | 1,482 | 313 | 232 | 163 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 1,191 | 120 | 1,128 | 2,439 | 1,718 | 314 | 240 | 167 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 1,021 | 106 | 1,042 | 2,169 | 1,430 | 390 | 209 | 140 | 0 |
NCWRC 2025-26 deer harvest by county and earlier county PDFs on the harvest statistics page; long series from the NCWRC county deer harvest 1976-2025 table. Checked October 25, 2026.
Alamance County local laws and county rules
3 county-specific prohibitions from the local laws section of the digest apply in Alamance County.
- Hunt any wildlife with a firearm from the right-of-way of a public road.
- Hunt a deer or fox by use of dogs at any time.
- Unlawful to enter upon private lands of another to hunt or fish or with the intent to hunt or fish without the written permission of the owner or leasee. Written permission shall be dated and valid for one year. If permission is given to a hunt club to hunt by the owner or leasee of land, each member of the hunt club must carry a copy of the written permission along with certification from the hunt club designating the person to be a person of said club.
Sunday rules: no firearm hunting within 500 yards of a place of worship and no deer chased by dogs with guns. Archers in an archery-only season may skip orange, except on youth days and gun-season Sundays. County fox seasons are set by local acts and are in a separate NCWRC fox seasons book.
Compare local acts · Sunday law · Hunting laws
Local acts from the digest local laws by county; Sunday rules from G.S. 103-2; hunter orange from G.S. 113-291.8; zone lists from the 2026-27 digest. Checked October 25, 2026.
Alamance County bear and gobbler numbers
Bear numbers
Alamance County is in the Piedmont BMU (group 2), open for bear Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Alamance County hunters registered 0 bears in 2025.
Gobblers
Turkey hunting in Alamance County is spring only: youth Apr 10 to Apr 11, 2027, everyone Apr 17 to May 15, 2027. Alamance County gave up 149 birds in spring 2026, against 146 in 2025. 1977 is the first year with a reported bird. Of every hundred 2026 birds, about 0 came from game lands.
| Spring | Adults | Juveniles | Birds | Game lands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 139 | 10 | 149 | 0 |
| 2025 | 121 | 25 | 146 | 0 |
| 2024 | 159 | 8 | 167 | 0 |
| 2023 | 178 | 8 | 186 | 0 |
| 2022 | 136 | 21 | 157 | 0 |
| 2021 | 152 | 13 | 165 | 0 |
| 2020 | 143 | 28 | 171 | 0 |
Alamance ducks and geese
The I-95 line leaves Alamance County on the Inland side. Geese follow the Resident Population Zone dates.
Piedmont BMU details · Bear management areas · Duck and goose zones
Bear units and dates from the 2026-2027 Season Dates at a Glance and the digest bear seasons; bear harvest from the NCWRC BMU county table, 2025 sex and land split from the 2025 county detail, method from the 2025 method table; turkey dates from the digest and harvest from the spring 2026 county table; waterfowl zones from the migratory bird digest page and the digest zone maps. Checked October 25, 2026.
Alamance County shooting time on key dates
Legal light at Alamance County: half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for deer, bear and small game, and sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset for waterfowl and doves.
| Day | Season | Sun up | Sun down | Deer and small game | Migratory birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:53 a.m. | 7:42 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 8:12 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:58 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Eastern gun opener | 7:26 a.m. | 6:43 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 6:43 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Central gun opener | 6:52 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Western gun opener | 7:05 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Late December | 7:24 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Deer gun close | 7:26 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. |
| Apr 17, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:43 a.m. | 7:54 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 8:24 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. |
Sunrise and sunset from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission digest table for Charlotte with county offsets; hours rule G.S. 113-291.1; checked October 25, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Alamance County hunting services and NCWRC staff
Processors marked as CWD cooperators or Hunters for the Hungry partners come from NCWRC and charity lists; the rest are directory listings.
Phone list for Alamance
Call Joe Folta, District 5 biologist, about deer, bear or habitat in Alamance County. The nearest NCWRC office is NCWRC Caswell Depot in Yanceyville, about 22 miles away; depots are work centres, so call ahead.
Deer processors
Mounts
Outdoor stores
Biologists and supervisors from the NCWRC district biologist sheet (updated Aug. 17, 2026); offices from the NCWRC facilities layer; processors and taxidermists from the NCWRC Cervid Health Cooperator list, NC Hunters for the Hungry and directory listings; shops from directory listings and store locators. Checked October 25, 2026; call ahead. All North Carolina hunting services.
Alamance County seat, towns and next-door counties
Pick a base in Alamance County: every town below links to a page with nearby game lands and services.
- Grahamcounty seat · 19,311 people in 2024 · 332 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Burlington61,365 people in 2024
6 North Carolina counties touch Alamance County.
Towns from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Alamance County burn ban and campfire rules
- Burn permit: Year-round.
- NC high hazard counties (G.S. 106-942(a)), stricter year-round permit and land-clearing rules: Alamance County is not on this list.
- Who sets a ban: The Commissioner of Agriculture, during hazardous forest fire conditions or declared air pollution episodes, may prohibit all open burning regardless of whether a permit is required (G.S.
- Warming fires: NC Wildlife Resources Commission game lands (15A NCAC 10D .0102(i)): no camping except on areas posted by the landowner for camping.
Alamance County ranges and match dates
7 ranges in Alamance County as of October 25, 2026, each with its access rule.
Firing lines: 5-stand, sporting clays, shotgun
Firing lines: trap, shotgun, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire
Firing lines: rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery, muzzleloader
Firing lines: archery, 3D archery
Firing lines: rifle, archery
Firing lines: archery, 3D archery
| Range or gun club | Nearest town | What it offers | Who gets in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Carolina Gun Club [gun club] | Burlington | Access not stated |
Nearest NCWRC public range: R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell Shooting Range in Caswell County, about 25 miles from the county center. Details
Matches in the county
| When and what | Kind | Go |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 — NRA RSO Certification – Range Session at Durham Pistol and Rifle Club | Class | Enroll |
| Nov 7, 2026 — NRA Range Safety Officer Certification at Durham Pistol and Rifle Club | Class | Enroll |
| Nov 8, 2026 — Precision Rimfire November 2026 at Durham Pistol and Rifle Club | Precision rifle | Enter |
| Nov 10, 2026 — Action Pistol Match – November 2026 in Haw River, NC | Action pistol | Enter |
| Nov 14, 2026 — 2-Gun Rimfire – November 2026 at Durham Pistol and Rifle Club | Smallbore | Enter |
| Nov 14, 2026 — Across the Course XTC Match at High Power Programs – Central Carolina Gun Club | High power | Enter |
Ranges from the NCWRC shooting range pages and directory listings, checked October 25, 2026.
Alamance County on the North Carolina events calendar
Hunter education course: 1 NCWRC class. Read October 25, 2026.
NCWRC classes
| When | Course | Hours | Venue | Sign up | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 8, 2026 | North Carolina Hunter Education Certification (D5) ⋅ hunter education course | 5:00 PM–8:00 PM | Northeast Alamance Fire Department ⋅ Burlington ⋅ Alamance Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
Alamance County questions, short answers
Does Alamance County have game land or other public ground?
Not inside the county; the nearest tracts are listed above.
Where do I buy a license for Alamance County?
Go Outdoors North Carolina, online, by phone or at wildlife service agents.
Which shop near Alamance County handles venison?
Triggers and Truth, Hursey's Deer Company and Hursey's Wholesale on our list.
How long is blackpowder season in Alamance County?
Oct 31 to Nov 13, 2026, between archery and gun.
How many deer fit under one season limit in Alamance County?
Six per season: two antlered and four antlerless, statewide.
How many antlered bucks did Alamance County report in 2025-26?
1,372 antlered bucks in 2025-26.
Is Alamance County in a CWD management area?
No.
Can I shine a light on deer at night in Alamance County?
No, from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
What bear management unit does Alamance County sit in?
The Piedmont BMU (group 2).
Does Alamance County get any autumn turkey days?
No. North Carolina sets spring only.
Answers from the 2026-27 NCWRC digest, the Season Dates at a Glance, harvest reporting rules, NCWRC harvest and CWD data and the sources above. Checked October 25, 2026.
Double-check before Alamance County
NCWRC can change dates and rules between seasons. The digest and 15A NCAC 10B are the legal reference.
Sources: 2026-27 NCWRC regulations digest, Season Dates at a Glance, NCWRC hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 25, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Casavell (CC BY 2.0); FieldsportsChannel.tv (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0); The Hendersons Paradox (CC BY-SA 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); greenebriar (Public domain); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0).