Hunting in North Carolina?

[NYDAN]

My wife thinks she might like to move to western North Carolina.

Does anyone have any idea of what hunting might be like in the western part of North Carolina? I see there is Chattahoochee National Forest in S.C., Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, and Cherokee Tennessee National Forest in Tennessee. Are those places overcrowded with hunters, or can a guy go out and find some game?

Any comments are welcome.

 

[highoctane]

The Chattahoochee National Forest encompasses over 700,000 acres that covers several states. The Cherokee National Forest encompasses 650,000 in several states as well. As you would expect those mountains are really tough. Those Mtns hold some big whitetails as well as bears but they are elusive and will make you work for any encounter. Be prepared to get away from the "truck"

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

I have only visited North Carolina once, so I don't have any comments on hunting. I didn't like the vibe of the people I ran into much, but there are some gorgeous mountains over there.

 

[Wolfshead]

We’ve hunted in eastern North Carolina (Greenville) a couple times and are going back this fall.
I know the deer per square mile is high compared to where I hunt here at home in CNY.
I don’t know what that number is in western North Carolina.
I do know that they are much smaller than our deer.
I hunt for meat when we’re there and my first hunt there was a group of Does that came out in the evening. I singled out the largest of the group and took her.
When I went to get her I thought that she was very small and apologized to the guide that I took such a small deer. He asked me what I was talking about as she was a very nice Doe.

 

[NYDAN]

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate them.

 

[jimbires]

I've hunted deer in N. Carolina probably 20 - 25 times . I've only hunted the east side though . the farthest west I've hunted would probably be 30 miles west of I-95 . probably Scottland Neck would be a town that would be as far east of I-95 as I've hunted . hunted a fair amount around Gaston lake . Gaston lake is known for it's duck hunting . you don't want to be deer hunting in this area on the first day of duck season . I can tell you a little about hunting the east . I'll mention this first , they have introduced the red wolf into this area withing the last few years . I'm not sure how this will impact deer hunting . I "THINK" the red wolves were introduced into the western side too .seeing a coyote , or bobcat is common . hunting over bait is legal , not sure if it's state wide . the harvest is 6 deer per season , 4 doe , and 2 either sex . I think the worst week I ever had there was getting 3 deer . their bucks seem to be about the size of central PA bucks , a mature doe is about the size of a central PA button buck . I spent a lot of time in and around Halifax county . it is rated to have a deer density of 50 + deer per SQ mile , the last time I looked . they hunt deer with hounds , so if the hound hunters are in the area the deer get chased out for the day . they have public hunting lands that get hunted by the hound hunters , and you can't keep hounds off of private ground , hounds don't work that way , they follow their nose . there are hunt clubs that have private ground . from what I could tell the land is either state land open to the public , or it is private posted ground . after all the time I've spent there , I would never go hunting there DIY . I don't think it would be productive , due to no unpressured land to hunt . where I have hunted , the woods is extremely thick . seldom is a deer seen before it steps out on a shooting lane, or food plot . you have to be on your toes , things happen quick . I never seen a black bear while hunting . they have black bear and they are big bear . I never saw a wild hog while hunting . one outfitter warned me about a huge hog hanging around the stand he put me in . I think hogs are a rare thing this far north in the state . if you have any specific questions ask , I'll try to answer .

 

[truck driver]

I use to haul cotton seed out of eastern NC and they were allowed to hunt deer with dogs. You would see the dogs sitting along the roads waiting for the hunters to come pick them up. They were trained not to cross a road and had tracking collars on them.

 

[GregoryB.]

I lived in WNC about 20 years ago. There is plenty of area around there to hunt mostly mountains. We have family in the Asheville area and it’s super liberal. A Gay Soldier I served with called it the SanFrancisco of the east coast. Property is expensive in that area as well and traffic is crazy.

 

[Charlie-NY]

Halifax and Hampton counties have the highest deer density in the state. I've hunted there for many years. As an out-of-state hunter, all of my hunts were with an outfitter. Most of the properties were large tracts of farmland with interspersed wood lots. I like to hunt the soybean fields but many of the guys prefer to hunt in the timber nearby. Plenty of deer are shot in both.

While you can take at least 6 deer on an annual tag, virtually all outfitters have imposed their own limitations over the years. Antler restrictions are common on areas they claim to be "trophy areas". Fines are imposed if your buck falls short of the restriction. A 14" outside spread is a typical requirement. You might be surprised but I've seen several 8 point bucks that fell short. I shot one at 450yds that I was sure was good, but he measured out to a 13" width. The buck had long, tall tines but his width just wasn't there.

If you can hook up with a landowner in the NE, I'd say that you would likely see plenty of deer, including some nice bucks.

 

[NYDAN]

Again, thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.