North Carolina › Species › Waterfowl Days for Youth and Veterans
Migratory birds, waterfowl
North Carolina Waterfowl Days for Youth and Veterans hunting, 2026-27
2026-27 dates, limits, licenses and public land for waterfowl on the special days, from the NCWRC digest.
Photo: Birding for Climate (Public domain)
Waterfowl on the special days in North Carolina: 4 season rows between Dec 5, 2026 and Feb 6, 2027, plus bag limits, license costs and the game lands that list them.
Waterfowl rules in one list
- Limit summary: Regular daily limits.
- Seasons in brief: Dec. 5, 2026 and Feb. 6, 2027.
- Also: HIP required; waterfowl also state privilege and Federal Duck Stamp; no Sunday hunting.
NCWRC source page (as of Jul 13, 2026), checked October 25, 2026.
GearHeading out for duck and goose season? Duck and goose gear checklist →
Waterfowl Days for Youth and Veterans calendar by zone and method
4 season lines for waterfowl on the special days, opening to closing.
| Hunt | Applies to | Weapons | Start | End | Days | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Shotgun, nontoxic shot | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | 1 | |
| Veterans/Military Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Shotgun, nontoxic shot | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | 1 | |
| Youth Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Shotgun, nontoxic shot | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | 1 | |
| Veterans/Military Waterfowl Day | Statewide | Shotgun, nontoxic shot | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | 1 |
What the waterfowl rows add
- Youth under 16 (15 or younger per proclamation) with an adult 18+; adult may not duck hunt. Tundra swan needs a permit.
- Veterans and active-duty military (incl. National Guard/Reserves on active duty); license, HIP and Federal Duck Stamp required.
From NCWRC digest page and the Season Dates at a Glance, checked October 25, 2026.
Public tracts with waterfowl on the special days
67 game lands, national forests, refuges and other tracts carry waterfowl in our land data.
| Name | Type | Days | Size (acres) | Counties | Listed as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatan National Forest | National Forest | 167,687 | Craven · Carteret +1 | waterfowl | |
| Croatan | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 166,267 | Craven · Carteret +1 | waterfowl |
| Holly Shelter | Six-days a week | 6 days | 65,139 | Pender | waterfowl |
| Dare | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 46,055 | Dare · Hyde | waterfowl |
| Jordan | Six-days a week | 6 days | 40,462 | Chatham · Durham +1 | waterfowl |
| B. Everett Jordan Lake | Corps of Engineers Lake | 40,115 | Chatham · Durham +1 | waterfowl | |
| Butner-Falls of Neuse | Six-days a week | 6 days | 37,480 | Wake · Durham +1 | waterfowl |
| Chowan Swamp | Six-days a week | 6 days | 33,769 | Gates · Hertford +1 | waterfowl |
| Bladen Lakes State Forest | Three-days a week | 3 days | 33,672 | Bladen | waterfowl |
| Falls Lake | Corps of Engineers Lake | 31,844 | Wake · Durham +1 | waterfowl | |
| Lower Roanoke River Wetlands | Permit only | Permit only | 31,620 | Bertie · Martin | waterfowl |
| Gull Rock | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 31,336 | Hyde | waterfowl |
| North River | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 26,654 | Camden · Currituck | waterfowl |
| Alligator River | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 24,439 | Tyrrell | waterfowl |
| Juniper Creek | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 20,481 | Brunswick · Columbus | waterfowl |
| Green Swamp | Six-days a week | 6 days | 18,577 | Brunswick | waterfowl |
| R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell | Three-days a week | 3 days | 18,014 | Caswell | waterfowl |
| Buckridge | Three-days a week | 3 days | 17,966 | Tyrrell | waterfowl |
| Yadkin River | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 11,636 | Rowan · Davidson +3 | waterfowl |
| Harris | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 11,527 | Wake · Chatham | waterfowl |
| Suggs Mill Pond | Permit only | Permit only | 11,117 | Bladen · Cumberland | waterfowl |
| Upper Roanoke River Wetlands | Permit only | Permit only | 11,065 | Northampton · Halifax +1 | waterfowl |
| Columbus County | Four-days a week | 4 days | 10,744 | Columbus · Brunswick | waterfowl |
| Goose Creek | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 10,376 | Beaufort · Pamlico | waterfowl |
| Pee Dee River | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 8,938 | Richmond · Anson +2 | waterfowl |
| Shocco Creek | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 8,113 | Warren · Franklin +2 | waterfowl |
| Cape Fear River Wetlands | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 7,548 | Pender · New Hanover | waterfowl |
| Carteret County | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 7,144 | Carteret | waterfowl |
| Whitehall Plantation | Permit only | Permit only | 6,734 | Bladen · Pender | waterfowl |
| Johns River | Permit only | Permit only | 6,483 | Burke | waterfowl |
| Neuse River | Six-days a week | 6 days | 5,965 | Craven | waterfowl |
| Tillery | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 5,253 | Halifax | waterfowl |
| Needmore | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 5,237 | Swain · Macon | waterfowl |
| Mayo | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 5,101 | Person | waterfowl |
| Bertie County | Six-days a week | 6 days | 4,238 | Bertie | waterfowl |
| Stones Creek | Six-days a week | 6 days | 4,136 | Onslow | waterfowl |
| Brinkleyville | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 3,341 | Halifax | waterfowl |
| Dover Bay | Six-days a week | 6 days | 2,898 | Craven | waterfowl |
| Northwest River Marsh | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 2,895 | Currituck | waterfowl |
| Sandy Mush | Three-days a week | 3 days | 2,862 | Buncombe · Madison | waterfowl |
| Bachelor Bay | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 2,786 | Bertie · Washington | waterfowl |
| Chatham | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 2,671 | Chatham | waterfowl |
| White Oak River | Three-days a week | 3 days | 2,597 | Onslow | waterfowl |
| Hyco | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 2,382 | Person | waterfowl |
| Roanoke Island Marshes | Permit only | Permit only | 1,873 | Dare | waterfowl |
| Lantern Acres | Six-days a week | 6 days | 1,831 | Tyrrell · Washington | waterfowl |
| Dan River | Three-days a week | 3 days | 1,705 | Rockingham | waterfowl |
| Texas Plantation | Permit only | Permit only | 1,503 | Tyrrell | waterfowl |
| Lee | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 1,441 | Lee · Chatham | waterfowl |
| New Lake | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 1,417 | Tyrrell · Hyde | waterfowl |
| Sutton Lake | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 1,357 | New Hanover | waterfowl |
| Lower Fishing Creek | Seven-days a week | 7 days | 1,291 | Edgecombe · Halifax | waterfowl |
| Second Creek | Permit only | Permit only | 1,106 | Rowan | waterfowl |
| Buxton Woods | Six-days a week | 6 days | 975 | Dare | waterfowl |
| Kerr Lake | Corps of Engineers Lake | 853 | Vance | waterfowl | |
| Vance | Six-days a week | 6 days | 853 | Vance | waterfowl |
| J. Morgan Futch | Permit only | Permit only | 598 | Tyrrell | waterfowl |
| Kerr Scott | Six-days a week | 6 days | 521 | Wilkes | waterfowl |
| W. Kerr Scott Reservoir | Corps of Engineers Lake | 521 | Wilkes | waterfowl | |
| Rhodes Pond | Permit only | Permit only | 471 | Cumberland | waterfowl |
Game lists from NCWRC, USFS, USFWS and other managers’ pages in our land data, retrieved 2026-10-25; days from the regional game land tables. All game lands · Game land hunting days.
What North Carolina allows for waterfowl on the special days
How many waterfowl on the special days one hunter may keep, and the licenses that cover the hunt.
| Applies to | Limit |
|---|---|
| Youth and veterans/military waterfowl days | Same daily limits as the regular waterfowl seasons. |
Licenses and privileges for waterfowl on the special days
| License | Who | Term | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Hunting | resident | Annual | $32 |
| Comprehensive Hunting | resident | Annual | $49 |
| State Hunting | nonresident | Annual | $124 |
| State Hunting 10-Day | nonresident | 10-day | $99 |
| Migratory Waterfowl Hunting License | resident | Annual | $18 |
| Federal Duck Stamp | anyone | Federal | $29 |
| HIP Certification | anyone | Annual | Free |
| Hunting Heritage Apprentice Permit | anyone | Permit | Free |
NCWRC digest bag limits and the license and fee table, checked October 25, 2026. North Carolina hunting license guide.
Field rules for waterfowl on the special days
Hours for waterfowl hunting
Shooting hours for waterfowl on the special days run from a half hour before sunrise to sunset, and migratory birds are closed on Sundays. Impoundment hunters on game lands stop at 1 p.m. and pull decoys by 3 p.m.
Sunday rules for waterfowl on the special days
No waterfowl hunting on Sundays; migratory game birds are off limits that day.
Waterfowl Days for Youth and Veterans: orange rules
Waterfowl on the special days sit with the migratory birds the orange statute does not cover.
Bait and waterfowl on the special days
The wild bird bait ban covers waterfowl on the special days: no grain, salt or fruit to attract them.
Checking in a waterfowl
The Harvest Information Program, not a report card, tracks waterfowl on the special days.
shooting hours, G.S. 113-291.8 hunter orange, G.S. 103-2 Sunday hunting, digest baiting rules, harvest reporting, checked October 25, 2026. Sunday hunting guide · Legal shooting hours.
What you may use on waterfowl on the special days
| Category | Legal gear | Banned |
|---|---|---|
| Migratory game birds | Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller plugged to 3 shells; archery; falconry. | Rifles, pistols, traps, nets, sinkboxes, live decoys, recorded calls (except light goose/Sept. goose exceptions), lead shot for waterfowl and coots. |
Penalties tied to waterfowl on the special days
- Migratory game birds: Rifle, live decoys or bait, closed season, shooting hours, bag/possession, permit/tagging violations: Class 2 misdemeanor, $250 minimum (G.S. 113-294(m)); federal penalties also apply.
From laws compiled from the NCWRC digest, 15A NCAC 10B and N.C.G.S. Chapter 113, checked October 25, 2026. North Carolina hunting laws.
Waterfowl Days for Youth and Veterans hunts in the Permit Hunt Book
The 2026-27 Permit Hunt Book lists 62 hunt items for waterfowl on the special days (group: Waterfowl); applications cost $8 through Go Outdoors North Carolina.
| Hunt | Name | Weapon | Deadline | Quota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currituck Banks Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl November Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 4 |
| Currituck Banks Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl December Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Oct. 1, 2026 | 4 |
| Currituck Banks Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl January Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Nov. 1, 2026 | 4 |
| Goose Creek Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl November Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 28 |
| Goose Creek Game Land – Early Season Waterfowl | Early Season Waterfowl | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 26 |
| Goose Creek Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl December Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Oct. 1, 2026 | 28 |
| Goose Creek Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl January Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Nov. 1, 2026 | 22 |
| Gull Rock Game Land – Early Season Waterfowl | Early Season Waterfowl – Willow Point Tract | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 1 |
| Gull Rock Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl – Willow Point Tract | Any Legal Weapon Type | Oct. 1, 2026 | 1 |
| J. Morgan Futch Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl November Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 19 |
| J. Morgan Futch Game Land – Early Season Waterfowl | Early Season Waterfowl | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 9 |
| J. Morgan Futch Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl December Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Oct. 1, 2026 | 19 |
| J. Morgan Futch Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl January Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Nov. 1, 2026 | 19 |
| Lantern Acres Game Land – Late Season Waterfowl | Late Season Waterfowl November Hunts | Any Legal Weapon Type | Sep. 1, 2026 | 4 |
NCWRC Permit Hunting Opportunities, checked October 25, 2026. Every permit hunt.
What hunters ask about waterfowl on the special days
How many waterfowl on the special days can you take in North Carolina?
Same daily limits as the regular waterfowl seasons.
What dates cover waterfowl on the special days in North Carolina?
Dates run from Dec 5, 2026 to Feb 6, 2027 across 4 dated rows; the season table on this page lists each one.
How early can you shoot waterfowl on the special days?
Shooting hours for waterfowl on the special days run from a half hour before sunrise to sunset, and migratory birds are closed on Sundays. Impoundment hunters on game lands stop at 1 p.m. and pull decoys by 3 p.m.
What does it cost to hunt waterfowl on the special days in North Carolina?
Typical choices are State Hunting (resident) $32; Comprehensive Hunting (resident) $49; State Hunting (nonresident) $124; State Hunting 10-Day (nonresident) $99; each order carries a $5 transaction fee.
Do young and veteran hunters need hunter orange in North Carolina?
Waterfowl on the special days sit with the migratory birds the orange statute does not cover.
Are waterfowl on the special days open on Sundays?
No waterfowl hunting on Sundays; migratory game birds are off limits that day.
How do you report a waterfowl harvest?
The Harvest Information Program, not a report card, tracks waterfowl on the special days.
Does North Carolina allow bait for waterfowl on the special days?
The wild bird bait ban covers waterfowl on the special days: no grain, salt or fruit to attract them.
Which methods are legal for waterfowl hunting?
Migratory game birds: Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller plugged to 3 shells; archery; falconry. Not legal: Rifles, pistols, traps, nets, sinkboxes, live decoys, recorded calls (except light goose/Sept. goose exceptions), lead shot for waterfowl and coots.
Where are the biggest public tracts for waterfowl on the special days?
Game lands, forests and refuges listing waterfowl number 67; by size, Croatan National Forest, Croatan Game Land, Holly Shelter Game Land and Dare Game Land come first.
Other photos on this page: born1945 (CC BY 2.0); ianpreston (CC BY 2.0); don r faulkner (CC BY-SA 2.0); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0).