With no shortage of black bears in the area, Currituck County is one of the most popular destinations on the East Coast for black bear hunting. The area’s hunting tradition follows a long lineage of hunting enthusiasts that gathered in the area around the Currituck Sound to track and hunt these magnificent creatures since the early 1700s. Now, through conservation efforts and the development of sanctuaries, black bear populations are stable and flourishing in the area, providing Currituck black bear hunters with the opportunity to test their skill during the established hunting season.

Over 5,000 acres of hunting ground is set up for North Carolina black bear hunting, with much of this land bordering a bear sanctuary where these bears can grow and mature in their natural environment, eventually migrating outside of this sanctuary and into the designated hunting zones. These sanctuaries are maintained to ensure the survival and prosperity of the species for years to come.

Due to the high density of preferred food sources and desirable climate conditions, many of these black bears are able to grow to sizes much larger than their mountainous cousins. In recent times, the winter hunting in Currituck has often seen hunters bagging over 30 bears per year, with bears that weighed in excess of 500 pounds.

**Dog hunting and unprocessed bait are allowed for Currituck black bear hunting and, numerous stands have been set up near food plots and berry groves that are popular with the bears during hunting season.  There are two (2) seasons for bear hunting in Currituck County (1 week in mid November and 2 weeks in mid December).  Hunters are allowed to harvest one (1) black bear annually.

**local bear hunter submitted information.

Season Dates and Bag Limits provided by the NC Wildlife Resource Commission