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2026-27 · Western A deer
Yancey County Hunting
Plan a Yancey County hunt with the county facts NCWRC publishes: zone dates and antlerless days, local laws, CWD testing, bear and turkey harvest, game land acres and the nearest wildlife depot.
Photo: Edwards_SA (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Spread over 313 square miles of the mountains, Yancey County is run from Burnsville. About 18,993 residents lived in the county in 2024 (+2.8% against 2020). It sits in the Mountain Region, District 8 on the NCWRC map. The at-a-glance sheet lists the county under Western A for deer and Mountain BMU for bear. In total 6 counties follow these dates. Public hunters get some 38,969 game land acres in the county, 38,411 on national forest.
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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Yancey County
Yancey County: deer zone, doe days and disease rules
Deer seasons in Yancey County step from archery (Sep 12) to blackpowder (Nov 14) to gun (Nov 28), all inside the Western A schedule. Hunters can fill antlerless tags on any legal day from the bow opener on. Young hunters have Sep 26 to Sep 27, 2026 statewide; everyone afield those days wears hunter orange. Nov 26 to Nov 27, 2026 is a Western-only youth hunt. CWD area rules do not reach Yancey County.
| Season | Dates | Antlerless days |
|---|---|---|
| Bow and crossbow | Sep 12–Nov 13, 2026 | Every open day |
| Blackpowder | Nov 14–Nov 27, 2026 | Every open day |
| Rifle and shotgun | Nov 28–Jan 1, 2027 | Every open day |
| Youth days (statewide) | Sep 26–Sep 27, 2026 | Either sex, youth |
| Western youth days | Nov 26–Nov 27, 2026 | Either sex, youth |
The NCWRC chart has no county row for Yancey County; its samples fall under rest of state (366 tests, none positive).
Light-shining
Light-shining for deer is banned from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
Bag limit
Season limit six, no more than two antlered.
Reporting
Register by noon the day after the kill: app, 800-446-8663, online or an agent.
Western A zone page · Every deer zone · CWD map
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.
Every dated hunt for Yancey County
For Yancey County, 53 segments cover deer, bear, small game, waterfowl and furbearers this license year.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or unit | Opening | Closing | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Western A | Sep 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth Deer Hunting Days | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Blackpowder | Western A | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Western youth days | Western zone | Nov 26, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun | Western A | Nov 28, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Part 1 | Mountain BMU | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Part 2 | Mountain BMU | Dec 12, 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 | |
| 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.
Yancey County public land with acreage
The map pins 2 tracts inside Yancey County and 5 neighbours just outside it. Count by hunting days: 1 open 7 days a week. National forest ground in Yancey County: 38,411 acres. From Burnsville, roughly 18,526 public acres lie within ten miles.
- Game lands, count 1Pisgah Game Land (517,774 acres*, 7 days)
- Ranger districts, 1 hereAppalachian Ranger District (Pisgah National Forest) (161,400 acres*)
- National forest landPisgah National Forest (38,280 acres in Yancey)
Short drives over the line: Sandy Mush Game Land 2,862 acres, 24 miles out; Pisgah (WRC-owned) Game Land 4,829 acres, 25 miles out; Grandfather Ranger District (Pisgah National Forest) 193,385 acres, 28 miles out; North Bend Game Land 1,244 acres, 29 miles out; Johns River Game Land 6,483 acres, 35 miles out.
Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina portion) is off-limits to hunters. State parks stay closed statewide.
Land statewide · Game land pages · Hunting days table · Forests
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.
Yancey County deer on the report cards
Hunters registered 1,758 deer from Yancey County in 2025-26: 924 antlered bucks and 834 antlerless. That is 26% more than the 1,392 of 2019-20; 2025-26 is the best season in the table. Guns took 793 of them, blackpowder 379, bows 219 and crossbows 367. Land split: 75 game land, 1,683 other. Antlered bucks per square mile: 3.9. Antlerless males, the button bucks, came to 63. Peak season since 1976: 2025, 1,758 deer.
| Season | Antlered | Button | Doe | All | Gun | Muzzleloader | Bow | Xbow | On game lands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 924 | 63 | 771 | 1,758 | 793 | 379 | 219 | 367 | 75 |
| 2024-25 | 776 | 33 | 613 | 1,422 | 688 | 347 | 160 | 227 | 29 |
| 2023-24 | 825 | 54 | 629 | 1,508 | 966 | 90 | 194 | 258 | 44 |
| 2022-23 | 878 | 40 | 695 | 1,613 | 906 | 138 | 252 | 317 | 48 |
| 2021-22 | 815 | 50 | 644 | 1,509 | 915 | 51 | 252 | 291 | 41 |
| 2020-21 | 929 | 62 | 657 | 1,648 | 926 | 112 | 262 | 348 | 49 |
| 2019-20 | 792 | 36 | 564 | 1,392 | 789 | 74 | 243 | 286 | 33 |
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.
What is unlawful in Yancey County
The digest lists no local hunting act for Yancey County; statewide rules govern.
Gun hunters pause on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 12:30 under G.S. 103-2. Orange applies to bear, feral swine, rabbit, squirrel and upland bird hunters with guns, but not to turkey hunters. This page does not list county fox dates; NCWRC publishes them separately.
Local laws for every county · Sunday rules · Law summary
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.
Yancey County bear unit, turkey harvest and duck zone
Bear dates and harvest
Bears may be hunted in Yancey County Oct 3 to Nov 21, 2026 and Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 (Mountain BMU). Bear hunting is closed or by permit in designated areas such as Pisgah Game Land (Flat Top) and Pisgah Game Land (Mount Mitchell). Yancey County produced 68 reported bears last season; the BMU tables run back to 1996. Game lands gave up 8 of the 2025 bears; other land 60. Still hunting produced 22% of the county bears.
Wild turkey
Gobblers open Apr 17 and close May 15, 2027, after the Apr 10 to Apr 11, 2027 youth weekend. Spring 2026 reports: 245 turkeys, 15 from game lands. The county first shows a spring harvest in 1988. Private and other ground produced 94% of the county turkeys.
| Season | Gobblers | Jakes | Turkeys | Game land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 188 | 57 | 245 | 15 |
| 2025 | 116 | 48 | 164 | 6 |
| 2024 | 160 | 28 | 188 | 8 |
| 2023 | 136 | 24 | 160 | 7 |
| 2022 | 128 | 40 | 168 | 8 |
| 2021 | 187 | 20 | 207 | 7 |
| 2020 | 136 | 67 | 203 | 5 |
Waterfowl
Yancey County lies in the Inland duck zone, west of the I-95 line. Canada geese: Resident Population Zone.
Mountain BMU dates · Bear sanctuaries today · 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.
Yancey County legal hunting light
North Carolina law allows most game from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Doves, ducks and geese stop at sunset.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Big and small game | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | Dove opener | 7:04 a.m. | 7:53 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 8:23 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 7:09 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 8:13 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Eastern gun opener | 7:37 a.m. | 6:54 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 6:54 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Central gun opener | 7:03 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Western gun opener | 7:16 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Late December | 7:35 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Deer gun close | 7:37 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Apr 17, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:54 a.m. | 8:05 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 8:35 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 8:05 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.
Yancey County help after the shot
License sales run through Go Outdoors North Carolina online, by phone or at wildlife service agents.
District contacts
Clint Barden is the NCWRC biologist for District 8, which takes in Yancey County. Burnsville hosts the nearest NCWRC site, NCWRC Burnsville Depot.
Get a deer cut
For a mount
Preserves and guides
Gear shops
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.
Yancey County towns and bordering counties
Each Yancey County town page carries legal shooting light for that spot.
- Burnsvillecounty seat · 1,626 residents · 18,526 acres of public land in 10 miles
Counties sharing a line with Yancey County: 4 in-state, plus Unicoi (TN).
Towns from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Fires, permits and bans around Yancey County
- Burn permit: Year-round.
- NC high hazard counties (G.S. 106-942(a)), stricter year-round permit and land-clearing rules: Yancey County is not on this list.
- Ban orders: 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.
- Fires on public land: NC Wildlife Resources Commission game lands (15A NCAC 10D .0102(i)): no camping except on areas posted by the landowner for camping.
Sighting in a rifle in Yancey County
Yancey County has 3 listed ranges, all of them clubs, businesses or private ranges.
Lanes for shotgun, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader
Lanes for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun
Lanes for 5-stand, rifle, muzzleloader, air gun, shotgun
McDowell County Shooting Range in McDowell County is the nearest range on the NCWRC list, about 25 miles. Open it
Ranges from the NCWRC shooting range pages and directory listings, checked October 25, 2026.
Yancey County, dinners, classes and hunts
Listed as of October 25, 2026: 1 upcoming event, 1 NCWRC class and 2 posted results.
Coming up
| Date | Event | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30–31, 2026 | Toe River Houndsmen Association UKC Coonhound Event ⋅ UKC club bench and HTX day | Burnsville ⋅ Yancey Co. | Event details | Source |
Hunter education dates
| On | Class | Time | Where held | Register | Found at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 5, 2026 | Hunter Education Certification (D8) ⋅ hunter education course | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM | West Yancey Volunteer Fire Department ⋅ Burnsville ⋅ Yancey Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
Posted results
| Held | Event | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2026 | Tri-Co Coon & Bear Hunter's Assn UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) ⋅ UKC club nite hunt | Nite Hunt 1st, cast winner: GRNITECHHOF'PR'Big Timber Turbo TW, Benjamin Lee Clawson 25+ | Source |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Tri-Co Coon & Bear Hunter's Assn UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) ⋅ UKC club nite hunt | Nite Hunt 1st, cast winner: NITECH CH'PR'Ragland's Wipeout Dot TW, Danny Hughes 225+ | Source |
Short answers for Yancey County
Who is the wildlife biologist for Yancey County?
Clint Barden, District 8, (828) 803-8491.
Can I camp on game lands near Yancey County?
Only in posted camping areas.
Which NCWRC deer zone group holds Yancey County?
Western A. Archery Sep 12 to Nov 13, 2026, blackpowder Nov 14 to Nov 27, 2026, gun Nov 28, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
Who processes deer for Yancey County hunters?
The closest names on our list are Cooke's Taxidermy and Deer Processing, William's Meat Processing Inc and N&L Deer Processing; call first.
How many Yancey County deer were taken with a bow?
219 with vertical bows and 367 with crossbows in 2025-26.
Do youth hunters in Yancey County get extra deer days?
Yes: Sep 26 to Sep 27, 2026 statewide and Nov 26 to Nov 27, 2026 in the Western zone.
Does Yancey County have local hunting laws?
No local act is listed for the county.
Is there an August deer season in Yancey County?
No. The August early season is only in the two CWD Management Areas.
Are jakes legal in Yancey County?
Yes. Male or bearded turkeys are legal. 57 jakes were reported in 2026.
What bait rules cover bear hunters in Yancey County?
Only unprocessed natural bait on private land during the season; never on game lands.
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.
Yancey County: before you go
Where this page and the digest differ, follow the digest.
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: pedrik (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); James Willamor (CC BY-SA 2.0); James Willamor (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tim Brown Architecture (CC BY 2.0); born1945 (CC BY 2.0).