Craven County, North Carolina
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Black Bear, Waterfowl
- Group
- Coastal Plain
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 172
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 3,034
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Eastern Wild Turkey — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 424
Draw odds for Eastern Wild Turkeyaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, Eastern Wild Turkey so far. Wild Turkey, Waterfowl also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedCraven County anchors the inner Coastal Plain around New Bern, where the Neuse and Trent Rivers meet and the Croatan National Forest provides over 157,000 acres of public hunting ground across longleaf pine savannas, freshwater marshes, and Atlantic white cedar pocosins. The Croatan's accessible network of forest roads gives hunters rare public land density for the eastern Coastal Plain, supporting healthy populations of whitetails, black bears, and turkeys alongside strong waterfowl hunting on the county's extensive river and wetland network. Craven County is one of eastern North Carolina's most well-rounded hunting destinations.
Flat inner Coastal Plain; Neuse and Trent River bottomlands near New Bern; Croatan National Forest longleaf pine savannas, pocosins, and freshwater marshes; estuarine wetlands approaching Pamlico Sound
Moderate - Croatan NF is regionally well-known but large enough to absorb significant hunter pressure; private land around New Bern and agricultural areas sees higher density
OTC state license; Croatan NF general seasons apply; some areas within NF have specific check-station requirements
Black bear well-established in Croatan NF pocosins; waterfowl on Neuse River and coastal wetlands for ducks and geese; wild turkey in longleaf uplands and hardwood hammocks; alligator present in southern portions of the county
Croatan National Forest - one of the largest contiguous national forest tracts in eastern NC providing rare Coastal Plain public land density; Neuse River waterfowl hunting for migrating ducks and geese
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Craven County— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about Craven County.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: NCWRC county-based deer management units. Community info last updated 15d ago.