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Craven County · Coastal hunting
Brices Creek, NC hunting guide
A trip sheet for hunters basing in Brices Creek: public land with acres and miles, 2026-27 dates for Craven County, legal light and the nearest NCWRC depot.
Photo: Croatan Game Land, next to Brices Creek; a nearby stand-in, not the town. pmuellr (CC BY 2.0)
Brices Creek lies in Craven County, inside NCWRC District 2 of the Coastal Region. Brices Creek is the jumping-off spot for Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest); the two share an edge. Draw a 10-mile circle around town and it holds some 56,913 acres of public hunting ground (3 listed). The nearest choice is Croatan Game Land, which reaches the edge of town.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer; 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 Brices Creek, North Carolina
Game lands and federal land near Brices Creek
Land whose boundary comes within 10 miles of Brices Creek leads the table, closest line first; mapped tracts farther out follow by distance to their center.
By size, Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) heads the 10-mile list with 167,687 acres. For game land hunting, Croatan Game Land comes first, with 1 more in the circle. Antlerless deer by gun on Croatan Game Land: Oct. 17 – Jan. 1. Federal land in the circle: Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest).
| Area | Direction | Category | Agency | Boundary miles | Center miles | Acres | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatan Game Land at town | S | 7-day game land | NCWRC | at town | 12 mi | 166,267 | Permit hunts |
| Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) at town Anchor | S | Ranger district | USDA Forest Service | at town | 12 mi | 167,687 | Drawn hunts |
| Neuse River Game Land northeast, 5.5 mi | NE | 6-day game land | NCWRC | 5.5 mi | 7.0 mi | 5,965 | deer, turkey |
| White Oak River Game Land southwest, 16 mi | SW | 3-day game land | NCWRC | farther | 16 mi | 2,597 | Permit hunts |
| Light Ground Pocosin Game Land east, 18 mi | E | 7-day game land | NCWRC | farther | 18 mi | 942 | deer, bear |
| Dover Bay Game Land northwest, 20 mi | NW | 6-day game land | NCWRC | farther | 20 mi | 2,898 | deer, bear |
| Rocky Run Game Land southwest, 24 mi | SW | Permit-only game land | NCWRC | farther | 24 mi | 390 | Permit hunts |
| Goose Creek Game Land northeast, 31 mi | NE | 7-day game land | NCWRC | farther | 31 mi | 10,376 | Permit hunts |
| Carteret County Game Land east, 38 mi | E | 7-day game land | NCWRC | farther | 38 mi | 7,144 | Permit hunts |
| Stones Creek Game Land southwest, 40 mi | SW | 6-day game land | NCWRC | farther | 40 mi | 4,136 | Dove fields |
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 Brices Creek. Checked October 25, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Brices Creek season dates, 2026-27
Private land and game land share these dates in Brices Creek unless a game land rule says otherwise; refuges and bases set their own.
| Animal | Segment | Area | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Brices Creek hunter services, nearest first
The shop list keeps gun, archery, outdoor and chain sporting stores; gas stations and hardware counters that only sell licenses are not in it. Nearest Hunters for the Hungry drop: Riverside Meats (15 mi). For a CWD test, Big Game Creations Taxidermy (13 mi) is a cooperator that takes samples.
| Type | Inside 15 | Inside 35 | Nearest one | Distance | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing shops | 0 | 4 | Riverside Meats | 15 mi W | Trenton |
| Mount makers | 2 | 11 | Ashley's Archery and Taxidermy | 4.3 mi N | New Bern |
| Preserves, guides | 0 | 1 | Bay Preserve | 31 mi NW | Grifton |
| Outdoor stores | 6 | 40 | New Bern Sporting Goods | 4.2 mi N | New Bern |
Processing shops
Mount makers
Preserves, guides
Outdoor stores
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.
When deer season opens around Brices Creek
The deer season zone for Craven County is Southeastern. Deer season in Craven County spans Sep 12 to Jan 1, 2027 across the three weapon segments. Antlerless harvest is allowed on all open days of the zone. CWD area restrictions do not apply in Craven County. Brices Creek does not hold an urban archery season, but Trent Woods in the same county does.
| Weapon | Opening | Closing | 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.
Deer reported around Brices Creek
Craven County logged 3,034 deer on report cards in 2025-26. The split was 288 game land deer to 2,746 on private and other land.
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Rifle/shotgun | Bows | Blackpowder | 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.
Brices Creek bear, turkey and duck zones
For black bear, Brices Creek hunters use the Coastal BMU Zone 3 dates, Nov 14 to Nov 22, 2026 and Dec 12 to Dec 27, 2026. Croatan Game Land carry bear management area rules. 172 bears were reported in Craven County in 2025. From Apr 17 to May 15, 2027 hunters may take gobblers anywhere in the state. Spring 2026 turkey harvest in Craven County: 424, with 49 jakes. For waterfowl, Craven County is Coastal for ducks and Resident Population Zone for geese.
| Year | Bears reported | Spring 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.
Craven County local laws for Brices Creek hunters
Before hunting near Brices Creek, read the local acts for Craven County. Items stated as actions are prohibited:
- 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.
Brices Creek shooting time on key dates
On Sundays firearm hunting stops from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and migratory birds are closed all day; the hours below are for the other days.
| Date | Why | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal for game | Legal for ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Brices Creek: NCWRC and federal contacts
Questions about deer, bear or game land work near Brices Creek go to the district biologist; depots keep field hours, so call first.
NCWRC New Bern Depot, 0.9 mi northeast of Brices Creek
National Forests in North Carolina Croatan Ranger District, 6.7 mi to the southeast
District 2 biologist
From the NCWRC facilities layer, the NCWRC district biologist sheet and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 25, 2026.
Brices Creek area hunting events
A 30-mile circle drawn around Brices Creek holds 4 upcoming events and 11 NCWRC classes. Kinds: DU banquet, NWTF banquet and hunter education course.
Next dates
| Date | Event | Away | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 21, 2026 | Carteret County Banquet ⋅ DU banquet | 29 | Crystal Coast Civic Center ⋅ Morehead City ⋅ Carteret Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Dec 4, 2026 | Jones County Banquet ⋅ DU banquet | 16 | Jones County Civic Center ⋅ Trenton ⋅ Jones Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Feb 6, 2027 | Neuse Chapter NWTF Banquet ⋅ NWTF banquet | 4 | New Bern ⋅ Craven Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Mar 15, 2027 | New River Longbeards Banquet ⋅ NWTF banquet | 28 | Jacksonville ⋅ Onslow Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Hunter education classes
| Date | Course | Away | Hours | Place | Seat | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Hunter Safety (D2, A3, Craven) ⋅ hunter education course | 4 | 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 | 14 | 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 |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Hunter Education (D2) ⋅ hunter education course | 28 | 8:00 AM–4:00 PM | Half Moon Volunteer Fire Dept ⋅ Jacksonville ⋅ Onslow 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 | 19 | 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 | 4 | 9:00 AM–2:00 PM | West of New Bern Fd ⋅ New Bern ⋅ Craven Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
| Feb 14, 2027 | D2 A4 Onslow Hunter Education ⋅ hunter education course | 28 | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM | Rhodestown Fire Department ⋅ Jacksonville ⋅ Onslow Co. | Register on GONC | Source |
3 more NCWRC classes are on the hunter education page. More classes
Closest firing lines to Brices Creek
Craven County Law Enforcement Officer's Association Shooting Range is the closest, roughly 14 miles from Brices Creek.
Built for trap, shotgun
Built for rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, cowboy action, action pistol
Holly Shelter Shooting Range, about 52 miles away, is the Commission range closest to Brices Creek. Open
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 25, 2026.
Brices Creek hunters want to know
Where does Craven County stand on CWD?
It is not in any CWD area.
What bear unit is Craven County in?
The Coastal BMU Zone 3 season applies: Nov 14 to Nov 22, 2026 and Dec 12 to Dec 27, 2026. 172 bears were reported here in 2025.
Which local laws cover Craven County?
The digest lists 15 local rules for Craven County, starting with: 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.
How do waterfowl zones work for Craven County?
The duck zone is Coastal; the goose zone is Resident Population Zone. No migratory bird hunting on Sundays.
Can a deer shot near Brices Creek be processed locally?
Riverside Meats in Trenton is the closest listing, 15 mi away. Call ahead; hours were not checked.
Can Brices Creek hunters use a gun on Sunday?
Sunday hunting is allowed with limits: no firearms from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., no migratory birds, no deer chased by dogs with firearms, and no firearms within 500 yards of a place of worship.
How do Brices Creek hunters register a deer, bear or turkey?
Register before skinning or leaving the animal, and no later than noon the day after, using the Go Outdoors North Carolina app, phone, web or an agent.
How much game land and federal ground lies around Brices Creek?
Inside a 10-mile reach of town the count runs near 56,913 acres.
How far is Brices Creek from a game land or national forest?
Croatan Game Land, which reaches the edge of town. Croatan Ranger District (Croatan National Forest) follows it in the table.
What deer dates apply to Brices Creek hunters?
Archery opens Sep 12, 2026 and the Southeastern gun season closes Jan 1, 2027. There is no short doe window.
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.
Brices Creek hunters, one last look
Wear hunter orange during deer gun season, carry your Big Game Harvest Report Card and register by noon the day after a harvest.
Other photos on this page: cm195902 (CC BY 2.0); pmuellr (CC BY 2.0); YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0); born1945 (CC BY 2.0); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0); rengber (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).