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North Carolina › Hunting seasons › Deer zones › Western B

Deer season zone

Western B deer zone, 2026-27

Weapon dates and county harvest, 2026-27.

Deer zonesDeer page
Sep 12–Nov 13Archery
Nov 14–Nov 27Blackpowder
Nov 28–Jan 1Gun
3,5972025-26 harvest

Photo: Sarah and Jason (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Western B zone at a glance

Deer dates in the Western B counties open with archery on Sept. 12 and move to gun on Nov 28, 2026; 3,597 deer were reported here in 2025-26.

Buncombe · Henderson · McDowell

NCWRC deer seasons, checked October 25, 2026.

Western B deer calendar

SeasonOpensClosesDays
ArcherySep 12, 2026Nov 13, 202663
BlackpowderNov 14, 2026Nov 27, 202614
GunNov 28, 2026Jan 1, 202735
Youth Deer Hunting Days (Western deer season)Nov 26, 2026Nov 27, 20262
Youth Deer Hunting DaysSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 20262
Youth Deer Hunting Days (Western deer season)Nov 26, 2026Nov 27, 20262

Western B: when antlerless deer are legal

Weapon seasonAntlerless days
ArcheryAll open days
BlackpowderAll open days
GunNov. 28 – Dec. 5, 2026 (all open days of the gun season in the parts of Buncombe east of N.C. 191, south of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, west of U.S. 25 and north of N.C. 280, and of Henderson east of N.C. 191 and north and west of N.C. 280)

NCWRC deer seasons and Season Dates at a Glance, checked October 25, 2026.

Western B county harvest table

The Western B counties reported 3,597 deer in 2025-26, 1,863 of them with guns.

CountyTotalAntlered bucksDoesGunBow and crossbowGame lands
Buncombe1,6261,030537777606169
McDowell1,02765933657824467
Henderson94459832650833144
Western B reported deer by season01,2502,5003,7505,00019-20: 2,4152,41519-2020-21: 2,6822,68220-2121-22: 2,5552,55521-2222-23: 2,5622,56222-2323-24: 2,6902,69023-2424-25: 2,9632,96324-2525-26: 3,5973,59725-26deer registered

NCWRC 2025-26 deer harvest by county; earlier seasons from the Harvest Statistics page, checked October 25, 2026.

Western B local deer notes

CountyLocal deer notesBear unit
Buncombelights restricted from a half hour after sunsetMountain BMU
Hendersonlights restricted from a half hour after sunsetMountain BMU
McDowelllights restricted from a half hour after sunsetMountain BMU

Dog hunters in the Western B group should check the digest dog line and the 11 named eastern exceptions.

NCWRC deer regulations, NCWRC CWD pages and 15A NCAC 10B .0115, checked October 25, 2026.

Game lands across Western B

6 game lands listing deer reach the Western B counties; the largest are shown.

Game landDaysAcresCounties in zone
Pisgah7 days517,774McDowell · Buncombe +1
South Mountains7 days22,583McDowell
Green River6 days15,224Henderson
DuPont State ForestPermit only11,949Henderson
Pisgah7 days4,829McDowell
Sandy Mush3 days2,862Buncombe

Game land records from NCWRC, checked October 25, 2026. Game land hunting days.

Nearby deer zones

Western A6 counties, gun Nov 28Northwestern12 counties, gun Nov 21Western C7 counties, gun Nov 28Western D1 counties, gun Nov 28
Permit hunt drawingsDeer zone datesLicense costs
White-tailed buck and doe on a woods trail
White-tailed buck and doe on a woods trailPhoto: Casavell (CC BY 2.0)
White-tailed deer moving through autumn woods
White-tailed deer moving through autumn woodsPhoto: NPS Photo (Public domain)
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grass
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grassPhoto: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain)

Western B answers

When is Western B deer gun season?

Gun opens Nov 28, 2026 and closes Jan 1, 2027.

How many deer were taken in Western B?

3,597 in 2025-26.

What are Western B antlerless gun days?

Nov. 28 – Dec. 5, 2026 (all open days of the gun season in the parts of Buncombe east of N.C. 191, south of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, west of U.S. 25 and north of N.C. 280, and of Henderson east of N.C. 191 and north and west of N.C. 280)

What counties use the Western B dates?

Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell.