15A NCAC 10B .0115      SHINING LIGHTS IN DEER AREAS

(a)  Intentionally shining a light upon a deer or sweeping a light in search of deer between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and one-half hour before sunrise is prohibited in the following counties:

(1)           Beaufort;

(2)           Bladen;

(3)           Brunswick;

(4)           Camden;

(5)           Chowan;

(6)           Currituck;

(7)           Duplin;

(8)           Franklin;

(9)           Gates;

(10)         Greene;

(11)         Hertford;

(12)         Hyde;

(13)         Jones;

(14)         Lenoir;

(15)         Martin;

(16)         Nash;

(17)         Pamlico;

(18)         Pasquotank;

(19)         Pender;

(20)         Perquimans;

(21)         Pitt;

(22)         Sampson;

(23)         Tyrrell;

(24)         Vance;

(25)         Wake;

(26)         Warren;

(27)         Washington; and

(28)         Wayne.

(b)  Intentionally shining a light upon a deer or sweeping a light in search of deer between the hours of one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise is prohibited in the following counties or portions thereof:

(1)           Alamance;

(2)           Alexander;

(3)           Alleghany;

(4)           Anson;

(5)           Ashe;

(6)           Avery; ‑‑ that portion south and east of Highway 221;

(7)           Buncombe;

(8)           Burke;

(9)           Cabarrus;

(10)         Caswell;

(11)         Catawba;

(12)         Chatham;

(13)         Cherokee;

(14)         Clay;

(15)         Cleveland;

(16)         Cumberland;

(17)         Davidson;

(18)         Davie;

(19)         Durham;

(20)         Edgecombe;

(21)         Forsyth;

(22)         Gaston;

(23)         Granville;

(24)         Guilford;

(25)         Halifax;

(26)         Harnett;

(27)         Henderson;

(28)         Hoke;

(29)         Iredell;

(30)         Johnston;

(31)         Lee;

(32)         Lincoln;

(33)         Macon;

(34)         McDowell;

(35)         Mecklenburg;

(36)         Mitchell;

(37)         Montgomery;

(38)         Northampton;

(39)         Orange;

(40)         Person;

(41)         Polk;

(42)         Randolph;

(43)         Robeson;

(44)         Rockingham;

(45)         Rowan;

(46)         Rutherford;

(47)         Stanly;

(48)         Stokes;

(49)         Surry;

(50)         Swain;

(51)         Transylvania;

(52)         Union;

(53)         Watauga; and

(54)         Yancey.

(c)  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule shall not be construed to prevent:

(1)           the lawful hunting of raccoon or opossum during open season with artificial lights designed or commonly used in taking raccoon and opossum at night;

(2)           the necessary shining of lights by landholders on their own lands;

(3)           the shining of lights necessary to normal travel by motor vehicles on roads or highways; or

(4)           the use of lights by campers and others who are legitimately in areas specified in Paragraphs (a) and (b) for other reasons and who are not attempting to attract or to immobilize deer by the use of lights.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 113‑134; 113‑291.1; S.L. 1981, c. 410; S.L. 1981 (Second Session 1982), c. 1180;

Eff. November 11, 1979;

Amended Eff. July 18, 2002; April 1, 1997; July 1, 1996; November 1, 1995; March 1, 1995; July 1, 1994;

Readopted Eff. February 1, 2022.