Hunters Need Waterfowl Privilege License

RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 6, 2007) – To hunt waterfowl in North Carolina, hunters 16 and older who hold a basic hunting license must obtain a state waterfowl privilege license, issued by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. This license is in addition to the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp (federal duck stamp) that hunters must purchase to hunt waterfowl legally in the state.

Waterfowl hunters who hold a comprehensive hunting or sportsman license do not need to purchase a state waterfowl privilege license but do need to obtain the federal duck stamp, which is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A free Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification, issued by the Wildlife Resources Commission, is required for all license holders who hunt migratory game birds, including waterfowl; a game land privilege license, $15, is required of all basic license holders who hunt on game lands.

The $10 waterfowl privilege license can be purchased from the agency in three ways:

• Call the Wildlife Resources Commission at 1 (888) 248-6834. Hours of operation are: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday;
• Visit a Wildlife Service Agent. Most are located in bait-and-tackle shops, hunting and sporting good stores and larger chain stores across the state;
• Visit the Wildlife Resources Commission’s headquarters at 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh.

Waterfowl hunters are no longer required to carry a North Carolina duck stamp; however, the Commission has the 2007 duck stamp with print available for collectors. “Wood Ducks at Roanoke River Lowgrounds,” which depicts a trio of brilliantly colored wood ducks clustered by a fallen tree in the swampy lowground, can be purchased from the agency’s N.C. Wild Store for $145. The mint stamp is available separately and costs $10.

The purchase of these stamps with prints is an important source of revenue for the Waterfowl Fund, which supports waterfowl conservation and restoration projects in North Carolina.

For more information on hunting in North Carolina, including early season dates for waterfowl and webless migratory birds, visit the hunting page.