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Craven County, North Carolina
Hunting ground around New Bern, North Carolina
Hunting out of New Bern, North Carolina: land inside a 10-mile circle, Craven County seasons and local laws, Sunday rules and shops close by.
Photo: Croatan Game Land stands in for New Bern here (2.5 mi from New Bern). pmuellr (CC BY 2.0)
New Bern holds the Craven County seat; for wildlife business the county falls in the Coastal Region. About 34,218 people live here, going by the 2024 Census estimate. Inside 10 miles of the town point, game land, national forest, refuge and seashore boundaries add up to about 24,857 acres across 3 listed properties. Top of the distance list: Croatan Game Land, whose closest boundary is 2 miles away.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; public acreage and boundary distances within 10 miles are a GIS measure over the NCWRC game land, USFS, USFWS and NPS boundaries. Checked October 25, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around New Bern, North Carolina
Mapped public tracts by miles from New Bern
Miles are straight lines from the Census point for New Bern; by road the trip runs longer.
For room to roam, Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) offers 167,687 acres, the largest near town. 2 game lands reach within 10 miles of New Bern, the closest being Croatan Game Land. On Croatan Game Land, the gun antlerless deer season is Oct. 17 – Jan. 1. 1 federal tract lies within 10 miles; Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) is the closest.
| Property | Heading | Type | Agency | Edge | Center | Acres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatan Game Land south, 2.5 mi | S | 7-day game land | NCWRC | 2.5 mi | 16 mi | 166,267 | Permit hunts |
| Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) south, 2.5 mi | S | Ranger district | USDA Forest Service | 2.5 mi | 16 mi | 167,687 | Drawn hunts |
| Neuse River Game Land east, 3.3 mi | E | 6-day game land | NCWRC | 3.3 mi | 5.1 mi | 5,965 | deer, turkey |
| Light Ground Pocosin Game Land east, 17 mi | E | 7-day game land | NCWRC | beyond 10 mi | 17 mi | 942 | deer, bear |
| Dover Bay Game Land northwest, 18 mi | NW | 6-day game land | NCWRC | beyond 10 mi | 18 mi | 2,898 | deer, bear |
| White Oak River Game Land south, 20 mi | S | 3-day game land | NCWRC | beyond 10 mi | 20 mi | 2,597 | Permit hunts |
| Goose Creek Game Land northeast, 28 mi | NE | 7-day game land | NCWRC | beyond 10 mi | 28 mi | 10,376 | Permit hunts |
| Rocky Run Game Land southwest, 28 mi | SW | Permit-only game land | NCWRC | beyond 10 mi | 28 mi | 390 | Permit hunts |
| Carteret County Game Land east, 39 mi | E | 7-day game land | NCWRC | beyond 10 mi | 39 mi | 7,144 | Permit hunts |
Lands, acreage and designations from the NCWRC regulations digest, NCWRC game land GIS and federal hunting pages (lands.json); boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json; center distances are straight lines from the Census point for New Bern. Checked October 25, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Deer seasons for New Bern hunters
Southeastern dates govern archery, blackpowder and gun deer hunting in Craven County. The gun opener here falls on Oct 17, 2026, and deer season ends Jan 1, 2027. Antlerless deer are legal on every open day of all three weapon seasons. For CWD, Craven County carries no special area rules. Urban archery towns in Craven County: Trent Woods.
| Deer season | Opens | Closes | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 2, 2026 | All days |
| Blackpowder | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | All days |
| Gun | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | All days |
| Youth days | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | Youth only |
Deer zones and dates from the 2026-2027 Season Dates at a Glance and the digest deer seasons; urban archery from the digest deer regulations; CWD counts from the NCWRC CWD testing chart; light-shining hours from 15A NCAC 10B. Checked October 25, 2026.
What Craven County adds near New Bern
Local acts passed for Craven County add rules on top of the statewide ones. Most read as things it is unlawful to do:
- Unless a person owns or possesses a leasehold, it is unlawful to hunt, take, kill or to shoot from, on, or across a road right-of-way on S.R. 1611, S.R. 1613, S.R. 1614, S.R. 1615, S.R. 1617, S.R. 1619 or on S.R. 1401 from Washington Post Road to N.C. 55.
- Hunt on or from a public road within an area posted against such by the Wildlife Resources Commission.
- Hunt on land within 100 yards of Trent River between the U.S. 70 bridge and a straight line from Haywards Creek to Ready Branch.
- Hunt on land within 100 yards of Brices Creek between Trent River and the S.R. 1004 bridge.
- Hunt from or shoot across S.R. 1600 (Broad Creek Road) east of N.C. 55 to its terminus near Broad Creek.
From the digest local laws by county; checked October 25, 2026.
Craven County bear unit and turkey counts for New Bern
Bear dates for Craven County (Coastal BMU Zone 3): Nov 14 to Nov 22, 2026 and Dec 12 to Dec 27, 2026. Check bear management area rules before hunting Croatan Game Land. Craven County bear harvest: 134 in 2023, 137 in 2024, 172 in 2025. The statewide spring turkey season is Apr 17 to May 15, 2027; youths get Apr 10 to Apr 11, 2027. Craven County reported 424 turkeys in spring 2026, 25 of them on game lands. Craven County waterfowl hunters work the Coastal duck dates and Resident Population Zone goose dates.
| Hunt year | Bears | Turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 109 | 423 |
| 2022 | 108 | 370 |
| 2023 | 134 | 424 |
| 2024 | 137 | 403 |
| 2025 | 172 | 391 |
Bear units and dates from the digest bear seasons; bear harvest from the NCWRC bear harvest by county; spring turkey from the NCWRC spring 2026 turkey harvest; waterfowl zones from the digest migratory bird seasons. Checked October 25, 2026.
New Bern deer processing and hunting retail
Sorted by miles from New Bern, processors come from NC Hunters for the Hungry, the NCWRC Cervid Health Cooperator list and Yellow Pages entries naming deer or game. For Hunters for the Hungry donations, Riverside Meats is 16 mi away. NCWRC lists Big Game Creations Taxidermy as a CWD sampling partner.
| Service | Within 15 mi | Within 35 mi | Nearest | Miles | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processors | 0 | 4 | Riverside Meats | 16 mi W | Trenton |
| Mounts | 2 | 12 | Ashley's Archery and Taxidermy | 2.2 mi W | New Bern |
| Hunting preserves | 0 | 2 | Bay Preserve | 29 mi NW | Grifton |
| Gun and bow shops | 5 | 44 | Bly Firearms | 0.6 mi N | New Bern |
Processors
Mounts
Hunting preserves
Gun and bow shops
Processors from NC Hunters for the Hungry, the NCWRC Cervid Health Cooperator layer and Yellow Pages; taxidermists from the cooperator layer and Yellow Pages; shops from Yellow Pages, Academy store pages and NCWRC CWD freezer hosts; guides and preserves from Yellow Pages. Checked October 25, 2026; hours were not checked.
Craven County seasons that reach New Bern
36 species and 56 dated segments reach New Bern; the last column checks each one against today.
| Quarry | Season | Covers | From | To | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Southeastern | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 2, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth Deer Hunting Days | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Blackpowder | Southeastern | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun | Southeastern | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Urban Archery Season | Urban archery towns only | Jan 9, 2027 | Feb 14, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Part 1 | Coastal BMU Zone 3 | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Part 2 | Coastal BMU Zone 3 | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| 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 | |
| Teal | September teal season | East of U.S. 17 only | Sep 10, 2026 | Sep 19, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Coastal zone | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Coastal zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 28, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 3 | Coastal zone | Dec 17, 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.
How many deer Craven County gives up, near New Bern
In 2025-26, 3,034 deer were checked in from Craven County, which ranks 20th of 100 counties. Game lands accounted for 288 deer; other land for 2,746.
| Year | Reported | Bucks | Gun | Archery tackle | Blackpowder | Public game land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,544 | 1,251 | 2,235 | 177 | 132 | 174 |
| 2023-24 | 2,858 | 1,422 | 2,561 | 179 | 118 | 252 |
| 2024-25 | 2,897 | 1,320 | 2,604 | 180 | 113 | 252 |
| 2025-26 | 3,034 | 1,440 | 2,650 | 219 | 165 | 288 |
Reported harvest (Big Game Harvest Report Card) from the NCWRC 2025-26 deer harvest by county; earlier seasons from the NCWRC harvest statistics page. Checked October 25, 2026.
NCWRC contacts near New Bern
Nobody sells licenses at these desks; they are where NCWRC and federal staff who manage land near New Bern work.
NCWRC New Bern Depot, south about 3.5 mi
National Forests in North Carolina Croatan Ranger District, 9.0 mi off to the southeast
Chris Kent, district biologist
From the NCWRC facilities layer, the NCWRC district biologist sheet and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 25, 2026.
New Bern area hunting events
Within roughly 30 miles of town: 3 upcoming events and 7 NCWRC classes (DU banquet, Delta Waterfowl banquet, NWTF banquet and hunter education course). Read October 25, 2026.
Dates ahead
| Held | What | How far | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 4, 2026 | Jones County Banquet ⋅ DU banquet | 16 | Jones County Civic Center ⋅ Trenton ⋅ Jones Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Jan 9, 2027 | Eastern North Carolina Chapter Delta Waterfowl Banquet ⋅ Delta Waterfowl banquet | 30 | Southern Acres of Bath ⋅ Bath ⋅ Beaufort Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Feb 6, 2027 | Neuse Chapter NWTF Banquet ⋅ NWTF banquet | 0 | New Bern ⋅ Craven Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Free NCWRC courses
| When | Course | How far | Hours | Venue | Sign up | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Hunter Safety (D2, A3, Craven) ⋅ hunter education course | 0 | 2:00 PM–8:00 PM | West of New Bern Fd ⋅ New Bern ⋅ Craven Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Women's Hunter Education Course (Coastal Region)D2, A3, Craven ⋅ hunter education course | 16 | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM | Craven Community College ⋅ Havelock ⋅ Craven Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Nov 8, 2026 | D2 Jones Co. Hunter Safety Class ⋅ hunter education course | 16 | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM | Jones County Civic Center ⋅ Trenton ⋅ Jones Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Dec 6, 2026 | D2 Jones Co. Hunter Safety Class ⋅ hunter education course | 16 | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM | Jones County Civic Center ⋅ Trenton ⋅ Jones Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Dec 13, 2026 | Hunter Safety (D2, A3, Craven) ⋅ hunter education course | 15 | 2:30 PM–8:30 PM | Vanceboro Fire Department ⋅ Vanceboro ⋅ Craven Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Jan 16, 2027 | Hunter Safety (D2, A3, Craven) ⋅ hunter education course | 0 | 9:00 AM–2:00 PM | West of New Bern Fd ⋅ New Bern ⋅ Craven Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Feb 21, 2027 | Hunter Safety (D2, A3, Craven) ⋅ hunter education course | 15 | 2:00 PM–8:00 PM | Vanceboro Fire Department ⋅ Vanceboro ⋅ Craven Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
New Bern: three closest ranges
Distances are measured from the middle of New Bern.
Covers trap, shotgun
Covers trap, sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
For a Commission-listed range, Holly Shelter Shooting Range is about 55 miles away. Range page
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 25, 2026.
New Bern shooting time on key dates
The digest prints one sunrise and sunset table for Charlotte and a minute offset for each county. For New Bern the offset is -15 minutes.
| Day | Hunt | First sun | Last sun | Game shooting | Bird shooting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:42 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:47 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Eastern gun opener | 7:15 a.m. | 6:32 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:02 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Central gun opener | 6:41 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Western gun opener | 6:54 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Late December | 7:13 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Deer gun close | 7:15 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Apr 17, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:32 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 8:13 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 7:43 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.
North Carolina hunting questions from New Bern
Is New Bern east or west of the I-95 duck line?
For ducks Coastal, for geese Resident Population Zone. Doves and waterfowl may not be hunted on Sundays.
Does Craven County have local hunting laws?
15 in all, such as: Unless a person owns or possesses a leasehold, it is unlawful to hunt, take, kill or to shoot from, on, or across a road right-of-way on S.R. 1611, S.R. 1613, S.R. 1614, S.R. 1615, S.R. 1617, S.R. 1619 or on S.R. 1401 from Washington Post Road to N.C. 55.
Who cuts and wraps deer close to New Bern?
Start with Riverside Meats in Trenton. Phone first in gun season.
What is the reporting rule for big game near New Bern?
Validate the card in the field and register by noon the next day; write down the authorization number.
Is Sunday hunting allowed in Craven County?
Archery runs all day; firearms stop from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; ducks, geese and doves are closed.
Which game land or refuge is nearest New Bern?
The list starts with Croatan Game Land, whose closest boundary is 2 miles away. Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) comes next on the list.
How large is the public land base near New Bern?
Some 24,857 acres, by the GIS overlay of game land and federal boundaries.
What are the deer season dates for Craven County?
Craven County uses the Southeastern dates: archery Sep 12 to Oct 2, 2026, blackpowder Oct 3 to Oct 16, 2026, gun Oct 17, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Antlerless deer are legal on all open days.
Is there a bear season for New Bern hunters?
Coastal BMU Zone 3: Nov 14 to Nov 22, 2026 and Dec 12 to Dec 27, 2026. Recent harvest: 172 bears in 2025.
What CWD rules apply around New Bern?
Craven County has no CWD area rules for 2026-27.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above; reporting from the digest deer regulations; Sunday rules from G.S. 103-2. Checked October 25, 2026.
Check these before heading out of New Bern
Every mile on this page is measured as the crow flies from New Bern; game lands, refuges and national forests each add rules, so read the land page and the 2026-27 digest first.
Other photos on this page: pmuellr (CC BY 2.0); pmuellr (CC BY 2.0); ncwetlands.org (CC0 1.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0); don r faulkner (CC BY-SA 2.0); watts_photos (Public Domain Mark 1.0).